Hewlett Packard Computers are Racist?

Monthly Archives: December 2009

Hewlett Packard Computers are Racist?

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PR crisis communications is never dull. It is the part of the job that most public relations consultants love, because handling an issue can become a roller coaster ride and practitioners never know what type of crisis they might be presented with. Over the years I’ve worked on my fair share of crises – from date rape to ‘poo’ in swimming pools – and this video illustrates the variety of problems that can come your way.

This video is an interesting case study. The question is whether this video is a media relations opportunity or a threat.

On the face of it this video is obviously of a negative tone and therefore a threat. However when dealing with any crisis one must recognise that coverage of this nature is part of a wider narrative, and like any story there will be twists and turns along the way, and what was an isolated issue can be turned into something positive, or it can morph into something, much, much worse.

The test will be how Hewlett Packard handles and responds to the video. I am sure there is a very simple explanation, such as the fault being a one off technical error. Whatever happens, I am sure their handling of the issue will win them friends in the long run as HP are a good, solid company with an excellent track records.

I’ll be keeping an eye out for their response. Good luck to them! The first response I can find is here on Wired.com . Maybe that will be the end of the matter?

(hat tip to http://twitter.com/PRtweets/ )

Brandon Block Anti-Drugs Message is a Win for Public Health Communications

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On the day that actress Brittany Murphy died from what reports suggest to be drug abuse, the DJ Brandon Block is fronting a new Government anti-drugs campaign. The results, I feel, are exceptional and you can watch it here.

Everyone has seen a public health campaign which takes the wrong tone or, worse still, could motivate youngsters to do the opposite – after all, adolescence is all about rebellion. The Brandon Block video should put people off cocaine and congratulations should be given to Mother, the agency behind the campaign.

The only small worry about the message is perhaps it won’t resonate that well with the young because many won’t know Brandon Block, as his career peeked at some point in the nineties. I remember him and his music ‘wasn’t to my taste,’ but he was a famous self-styled “nutter”, and hopefully the scale of his lifestyle can be put across to those under 30 years of age. Using the Pablo Facebook campaign I am sure this generational problem can be overcome.

For those of you who are under 30 and don’t remember Brandon Block, then perhaps the following video of him in action at the Brit Awards, is just as strong a message about “Just Saying No.” Looking back at the clip now, it is both funny and sad, and it is this complex picture of drugs, the highs and the lows, which this campaign gets across so well.

It’s Christmas – The Top Twitter Feeds List 2009

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twitter

Here is an over view of my top ten Twitter feeds of 2009. This is a completely arbitrary list of my own making and I welcome any suggestions of additions in the comments section of this blog. I might open this up and include more Twitter users, and as you can see I am undecided on number 10.

1 – If you care about the world as we know it, then @newscientist is for you. Their coverage of the Copenhagen climate talks were a breath of fresh air. I’m no scientist but their coverage is always refreshing.

2 – @theeconomist forget boring features on fiscal policy, keynesian economics and Milton Friedman’s monetarism. The Economist brings to life why economics matters. As does @freakonomics

3 – If you care about crap journalism then @tabloidwatch is for you as is @badjournalism

4 – @Bloggerheads and @wikileaks are perfect for those interested in the dirty underbelly of media. Wikileaks can get a little dark for me…

5 – For random acts of internet giving you can’t beat @popurls, @shitmydadsays. Oh and then there is @thedailydust

6 – For everything social media @econsultancy is up there with the best. It’s not easy reading like Mashable but it certainly is a thought leader

7 – Forget Obama @jonprescott is clearly the number one politician on Twitter. You might not like his views but can’t argue with his application of technology which is open, honest and direct.

8 – If, like me, you like to keep up to date with what is happening in the US, the The Huff Post is great reading. @huffingtonPost . The same goes for @time

9 – @boingboing is the work of genius. Uncategorisable brilliance. Maybe this is an obvious choice as it is one of the biggest blogs in the world and nearly didn’t make it onto the list for that reason. However I do love it so…

10 – ? I can’t think of a ten. So I am opening it up to suggestions. What Twitter feed should I be following? Answers on a postcard please.

I have deliberately missed of the big Twitter hitters because with a little Google Searching it is very easy to find the likes of @mashable, @scoblizer @guykawasaki @techcrunch, @bbcnews etc as there are plenty of posts on the most popular Twitter feeds.

I also haven’t included any Twitter users focusing on my home town of Manchester, because so many readers of this blog are from further afield

Twiggy’s ‘airbrushed photo’ complaints are good business for PR

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Twiggy

There have been over 700 complaints about the airbrushing in a Procter and Gamble advert for Olay Definity.

Now there are calls for regulation against misleading advertising because, complainants say, the touch ups on Twiggy show her appearing more youthful than perhaps she is in real life. You can read about the complaints here.

I’m not here to comment on this case study or the morality of using Photoshop. I want to look at what any changes in regulation might have on the marketing industry.

Will increased regulation on the use of Photoshop techniques clamp down on airbrushing? Could regulation impact on the advertising industry and, instead, play into the hands of the PR practitioners?

PR consultants will still be able to provide touched up images of models both via print publications and social media, (largely) regardless of the advertising regulations, by editorialising their key messages, using subtle media relations techniques and third party endorsement.

Media outlets clamour for access to ‘property’ such as Twiggy and it is very easy to negotiate the inclusion of PR messages into major interviews.

Likewise, the same messages could very easily be editorialised in, say, a Youtube.com clip interviewing Twiggy, or whichever model it might be next. And her image can be used in countless other ways using this medium. The upshot is that ‘airbrushing’ is very difficult to regulate outside of the advertising world.

The outcome is that increased regulation on airbrushing in advertising will have a beneficial impact on the PR industry which can work loopholes in much more subtle and nuanced ways.

Google Wave publishing bot

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In this post I am testing a publishing bot on Google Wave.

If you have a Google Wave invitation, you should be able to log on to this Wave and write what you want in the Wave. I have made the Wave public so anyone can join it, so please be polite when commenting.

The tool is useful as it is a quick way to publish a chat via a blog, and in fact the bot has many more uses than just conversation, as the Wave could have anything in it, even a video conference. Anything.

The frustrating thing is that if you don’t have an invitation then you can’t see the Wave, then you’ll have to get an invitation.

If you want to use this bot yourself then the instructions are here: http://completewaveguide.com/guide/Wave_Bots


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