Are location based services the next wave of social media or just hype?

Interesting guest post here on Mashable from Chris Treadway, about the future of location based services.

It raises interesting and salient points around, say, the number of people using LBS only manifesting itself into relatively small groups of people in individual areas.

The article also touches upon an ongoing, but rarely discussed, issue for PR and Social/Digital Media: are we just talking into an echo chamber? Read the rest of this entry »

Brands battling it out as World Cup looms large

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest event in the world and therefore seen as the biggest branding opportunity known to man.

In terms of global reach, it knocks spots off The Olympics, Super Bowl or the Rugby World Cup. Almost every country in the world will be watching.

Here’s Nike’s effort. Is it over-produced and slightly ridiculous? Yes. Did it cost an enormous amount that could have gone to any number of charities? Undoubtedly. But is it a lot of fun? You betcha. Read the rest of this entry »

Not mobile optimised? Then you’re not in business

Research giant Nielsen recently released a study that confirmed what we have all probably known for some time: optimising your site for mobiles is the next game-changer for global business. The research features on Australian SME website, Smart Company and highlights several salient points, notably the relevance of Google maps via smartphones. As Matt Bruce, managing director of Nielsen’s online business, says:

“Google is making big plays in mobile, both in terms of maps and mobile search. I think businesses need to pay attention to local business listings, and that type of activity, because people are increasingly using these tools to get around.” Read the rest of this entry »

Is it a trend or is it a ‘megatrend’?

In the media we are always speaking about ‘trends’. Twitter was/is a trend; Google Wave is a trend; apps that drive core business revenue also seem to be an increasing trend (just take a look at the Pizza Hut app )…but what’s a ‘megatrend’? Well, according to Adam Kleinberg , CEO of a Traction, a creative agency out in San Fran, it’s something that transforms society as we know it; “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” and all that malarkey. Read the rest of this entry »

Wordpress 2.6 now released ? Corporate blogging made easier

The much awaited Wordpress version 2.6 has just been released and is now running on Bulletpoints!
Here is a brief overview of the new features that are relevant to the public relations practitioner:

• Post Revisions: Wiki-like tracking of edits
  This is a great feature, especially if you have a multi author blog.
• Press This!: Post from wherever you are on the web
  With a move to make blogging more and more accessible this feature makes blogging really easy, no excuses now for marketing communicators and mobile warriors!
• Shift Gears: Turbo-speed your blogging
  This feature utilizes Google Gears, which basically downloads as much of the sites files 7 scripts so that they run locally, this dramatically speeds up load times on pages.
• Theme Previews: See it before your audience does
  Another great feature for those who are very active in improving and upgrading their blogs, check that new theme without the whole world knowing!

There are also a few smaller features that might come in handy, such as a word count which saves copying and pasting back & forth from word.

For more information visit the official Wordpress blog

WordPress Content Managent System (CMS) - Not just a blog

As I get more familiar with WordPress I find myself recommending it for just about any type of website. It’s important to think of WordPress as a highly customisable CMS not just a blogging platform. I have created a simple New Zealand CMS theme that could easily be used for a basic website. To modify the theme you can find all the WordPress template tags here.

Click here to download the WordPress website theme.