Facttactic's online PR journal
PR information and a little bit of random stuff! Scroll, read and enjoy.
27 April, 2010
8 April, 2010
More young women are embracing online communities while fewer men feel their online communities are as important as their offline equivalents, according to a new study.
This is apparently a sharp reversal in attitudes and has taken place over just a couple of years.
Researchers at the University of Southern California say 67 per cent of women under 40 feel as strongly about their internet communities as their offline ones, while only 38 per cent of men said the same. In 2007, the numbers were just the reverse, with 69 per cent of the men and 35 per cent of the women feeling that way.
If the numbers turn out to be accurate, it could be a pointer to a rethink by us PR hacks over how we plan online campaigns.
| Tags: Social media
7 April, 2010
Last week, I received a text message from the man about to start building a retaining wall at the front of my house. (Yes, he’s building it now; a great wall and I would recommend him). This was the first time I had ever received a text message in a business context, and on top of that I had not received any communication from him before, so his text was his first response to my phone call asking him to do the job.
His message took me by surprise, as texting has — for me — been pretty much limited to two types of message: 1) Arranging social events (times and places). 2) Sending brief frivolous/humorous comments about random activities in my life to people in a small circle of friends who are understanding (if not always appreciative!) of the humour.
So now I’m wondering if texting is a legitimate new form of business communication (and if there are protocols for it); or if a text is simply the new email, which for me is my default mode of communication for all clients, including sending invoices and often making first contacts.
Emails can include links and attachments to make the communication richer. They can be formal or casual. The time it takes to type a text limits its length, context and overall value but they do reach people where-ever they happen to be at any given time, I guess.
They say that for kids email is already over the hill and texting is all that matters and, yes, true, the surprise of receiving a text message from my wall guy has now receded and texting has become our main way of sorting out working issues.
But whether I’ll now disregard texting as simply a way to arrange a beer or send a one-liner, I’m not so sure.
| Tags: Customers, Language, Reputation management
28 March, 2010
20 March, 2010
10 March, 2010
A huge sign on a hill shouting out Wellington’s high-standing in the movie industry seems a good idea but the slang word chosen — ‘Wellywood’ — has long been a slightly juvenile, throw-away and ironic term that has somehow crept into the mainstream.
And as a PR opportunity for the capital’s undoubted world-class skills and success in international move-making, the Miramar hill is a great site for incoming tourist flights, but Wellywood is an opportunity wasted. It may be familiar and humorous to some ‘in the know’ but I’m siding with the growing number of voices calling it tacky.
But at Facttactic we’re not in the business of criticising things without offering positive solutions so it was great to see the guys at online-design outfit Skull and Bones with their interactive Wellywood Sign Generator. Type in your own word or phrase and see what it looks like on the side of the hill!
| Tags: Branding, Marketing, PR, Reputation management
2 March, 2010
Facttactic’s core business is writing for other businesses. We spend a lot of time doing it — writing, that is — and a lot of time thinking about how to make it better and how to give our clients the best writing service they could get.
So … we always enjoy finding out what other accomplished writers have to say on the craft of writing. This Guardian article is a good read. It asks a bunch of established, British, fiction writers for tips on the dos and don’ts of writing.
While we don’t write fiction here at Facttactic, there’s a number of tips in the article we think are worth keeping in mind — Jeanette Winterson, for example: “Turn up for work. Discipline allows creative freedom. No discipline equals no freedom”, and Colm Tóibín: “Get on with it”. Consider it done!
| Tags: Fiction, Journalism, Writing
21 February, 2010
There’s nothing like the gentle tones from a simple strum of a ukelele to get people nodding their heads and smiling. The success of the Wellington International Ukelele Orchestra is one example — and here’s two more for a super, sunny Sunday afternoon sing-along.
Take it away … Aucklander Gin Wigmore and the undisputed ambassador of the ukelele Hawaiian Israel Kamakawiwo.
| Tags: Music
13 February, 2010
Do you like to ‘think outside the box’? Well, keep it to yourself! The phrase has just been voted the most annoying office buzz phrase, followed by ‘Let’s touch base’ and ‘Blue sky thinking’. Here’s the top 10 most annoying phrases.
It’s great to see that list — for a couple of reasons:
Firstly, because that empty phrase has long annoyed me and I was astounded to see that the pinnacle of Wellington’s international cultural scene — the Arts Festival — seems to have used it as the main metaphor in their marketing for this year. Have they no idea?! Or do they mean ‘one out of the box’? Another corporate and empty cliche. Bring back the zing!
The other, more positive reason I like it is because it is a great example of how to get global media attention. The survey comes from a London firm, Opinium; and, if you Google it, it has appeared in more than 70 media outlets around the world.
A snappy idea, a well-crafted media release, the reach of the internet and you have an idea that can quickly go global. The actual content of the release may not have a direct spin-off for the firm, but the wit and relevance behind the whole thing means its name is highlighted globally and positively.
By the way, the annoying jargon came 4th on a list of things that annoy workers the most. Grumpy or moody colleagues, slow computers and office gossip made up the top three.
| Tags: Marketing, Media release, Survey
19 January, 2010
It was great to see a big bunch of Wellington-based Weta digital artists getting nominated today – for their work on Avatar – in the prestigious Visual Effects Society Awards in the US. The nominations are here.
Weta had nine nominations, more than any other effects house working on the movie. Weta Digital was also the only effects house to be mentioned by director James Cameron in his Golden Globe best picture acceptance speech last week.
It’s been a privilege working with Weta’s digital artists over the past 12 months and fantastic to see them getting recognised for their groundbreaking work.
| Tags: Avatar, Cameron
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