Just to add in further links giving an idea of how the media rather turned on Apple over its UK launch. Certainly looks as though something of an agenda. Were Apple aware of what was going to hit them? Like the sub-head in the Register - an ironic; I'm a journalist let me through. Supported by coverage in one of the mobile online media showing pictures of all the Carphone Warehouse stores on the opening day hardly heaving with customers.
More significantly for Apple, the mobile phone operators such as Vodafone have made life difficult for them such as in Germany where the courts have forced Apple to open u the system to competing networks. This has now affected coverage in the USA. Certainly it highlights the relevance of the approach taken by the Channel 4 journalist even though Apple did not like it.
We are also now getting the mobile phone industry publications starting to come out with detailed analysis of the sales in the first week or so - and the sales do not appear to be that impressive particularly compared with hype. In PR terms it is worth noting that Apple will have no particular track record with the mobile phone industry media. If the mobile phone industry and media feels that Apple is arrogant towards it, then potentially a difficult road ahead, until consumers really say this is the must have item. Currently that does not appear to be the case in Europe.
Final comment on this little saga. The original Channel 4 piece outtakes on YouTube has now been watched the same number of times as Steve Jobs' piece at MacWorld announcing iPhone.
Take a chance to look at Steve Jobs - he is a master showman!
Thursday 22 November 2007
Sunday 18 November 2007
Apple PR - not good at having a conversation
Apple is an interesting company. Highly innovative and successful although by all accounts particularly in PR terms very controlling. Fortune magazine this week has highlighted the company getting caught out when being asked questions about the iPhone launch by a Channel 4 journalist.
Interesting example of networked story and movemement between mass media and blogsphere. Here is approximate timetable:
1. Apple has major launch of iPhone with set piece press event coinciding with people queuing to get the first units at its Oxfor Street HQ. Friday 9th Nov.
2. Interview by Benjamin Graham, Technology Editor of ITN/Channel 4 News takes sceptical note and highlighting range of concerns. In Apple terms goes from bad to worse with interview with Schiller, Apple VP Marketing when it turns to iTunes and iPhone and monopoly. Interview terminated and Channel 4 team get thrown out of event. Note journalists were pretty sceptical of event - is it because Apple has poor relations with UK technology media. Anyway news piece runs on Channel 4 main news programme at 7pm. Also goes up on Channel 4 web site.
3. Whole interview including outtakes from Channel 4 put up on YouTube by user (what is his or her agenda and background?). This attracts widespread interest, over 20,000 people have accessed this video compared with low hundreds for the other Apple iPhone videos. Video put up on Nov.9th. The interview extract has according to YouTube becomes the most popular video in Germany in Science and Technology section on YouTube.
4. Rupert Goodwin, major UK technology commentator has story on his blog on ZDNet, a major technology publishing and media online operation. He had story on the same day, 9th Nov. and then returned to it again on the 12th Nov.
5. Story picked up by leading West Coast blog site called Valleywag on November 15th. Further 7000 pick up the story from Valleywag.
6. Story also spreads to Dutch technology blog site.
7. Story goes mainstream again on mass media when Fortune picks up (17th Nov)from Valleyway site on its web site. I don't think it is in the current issue of the magazine (European edition) which I get but may be next week.
8. Search on Google News suggests that story is widening. Picked up by Robert Scobie, another influential west coast blogger. Also 17th Nov. Also gone into mobile trade and technical media
Interesting example of networked story and movemement between mass media and blogsphere. Here is approximate timetable:
1. Apple has major launch of iPhone with set piece press event coinciding with people queuing to get the first units at its Oxfor Street HQ. Friday 9th Nov.
2. Interview by Benjamin Graham, Technology Editor of ITN/Channel 4 News takes sceptical note and highlighting range of concerns. In Apple terms goes from bad to worse with interview with Schiller, Apple VP Marketing when it turns to iTunes and iPhone and monopoly. Interview terminated and Channel 4 team get thrown out of event. Note journalists were pretty sceptical of event - is it because Apple has poor relations with UK technology media. Anyway news piece runs on Channel 4 main news programme at 7pm. Also goes up on Channel 4 web site.
3. Whole interview including outtakes from Channel 4 put up on YouTube by user (what is his or her agenda and background?). This attracts widespread interest, over 20,000 people have accessed this video compared with low hundreds for the other Apple iPhone videos. Video put up on Nov.9th. The interview extract has according to YouTube becomes the most popular video in Germany in Science and Technology section on YouTube.
4. Rupert Goodwin, major UK technology commentator has story on his blog on ZDNet, a major technology publishing and media online operation. He had story on the same day, 9th Nov. and then returned to it again on the 12th Nov.
5. Story picked up by leading West Coast blog site called Valleywag on November 15th. Further 7000 pick up the story from Valleywag.
6. Story also spreads to Dutch technology blog site.
7. Story goes mainstream again on mass media when Fortune picks up (17th Nov)from Valleyway site on its web site. I don't think it is in the current issue of the magazine (European edition) which I get but may be next week.
8. Search on Google News suggests that story is widening. Picked up by Robert Scobie, another influential west coast blogger. Also 17th Nov. Also gone into mobile trade and technical media
Monday 12 November 2007
Search and branding
PR is not mentioned by John Batelle in a recent piece, 7th November, regarding the difference and importance between search and brand advertising but it is clearly at the party. Interesting analysis he has carried out on a fairly standard search enquiry on Google and seeing what is happening to a particular brand, in terms of which search enquiries can be termed demand creation (brand) or demand fulfillment (search). He says "In short, there are a lot of conversations out there that marketers can't "control", but that are vital to the brand's perception, consideration, and performance." These come from forums, blogs etc, very much areas of the conversational mix which would come under PR's responsibility.
The Economist this week also has a piece about marketing and online conversations.
The Economist this week also has a piece about marketing and online conversations.
Advertisers seek to have conversation on Facebook
Facebook's recent announcement about Facebook Ads - what has been termed the equivalent of Google's Adwords - has highlighted the way that advertising, just like PR, is seeking to have a conversation with its customers on the socially valuable social networks. Today's Financial Times quotes an analyst from Forrester saying "There has to be a conversation between the brand and the marketplace."
Certainly it is a very fertile and innovative time in terms of new developments and techniques in online advertising in developing the technology to build one to one advertising campaigns, but above all the acceptance by consumers in allowing advertisers to enter their social networks. Just the same dilemma faces PR communicators how to access social networks in an ethical and acceptable way that does not damage the ecology of particular social networks.
I cannot remember a time when industry collectively has been so concerned about damaging the ecology of a medium which they wish to use to communicate with customers. Perhaps an example of how influential and ingrained ethical issues have become in corporate thinking or just an awareness of the potential loss of reputation for a major corporation being one of the first users to clumsily address social networks.
Certainly it is a very fertile and innovative time in terms of new developments and techniques in online advertising in developing the technology to build one to one advertising campaigns, but above all the acceptance by consumers in allowing advertisers to enter their social networks. Just the same dilemma faces PR communicators how to access social networks in an ethical and acceptable way that does not damage the ecology of particular social networks.
I cannot remember a time when industry collectively has been so concerned about damaging the ecology of a medium which they wish to use to communicate with customers. Perhaps an example of how influential and ingrained ethical issues have become in corporate thinking or just an awareness of the potential loss of reputation for a major corporation being one of the first users to clumsily address social networks.
Sunday 4 November 2007
Networks
Just when we thought that Facebook was the only social network in town, Google is potentially changing the rules of the game with Open Social.
In network terms, Google is saying the social networks are currently too closed and is suggesting that through common APIs (common software code) we can make them all potentially speak to each other. Very interesting move. Anything which links networks together makes it theoretically more powerful and dynamic and of course interesting in terms of communication flows. John Batelle gives initial insight on this and his blog will be worth following over this in the coming months. Potentially very significant for the PR industry as theoretically would allow common approaches to social network campaign/announcement rather than as currently which would require separate approaches to Facebook and MySpace networks.
In network terms, Google is saying the social networks are currently too closed and is suggesting that through common APIs (common software code) we can make them all potentially speak to each other. Very interesting move. Anything which links networks together makes it theoretically more powerful and dynamic and of course interesting in terms of communication flows. John Batelle gives initial insight on this and his blog will be worth following over this in the coming months. Potentially very significant for the PR industry as theoretically would allow common approaches to social network campaign/announcement rather than as currently which would require separate approaches to Facebook and MySpace networks.
Positive feedback when major blogger turns against misguided PR approaches
Take a look at Chris Anderson's blog on Long Tail Economics. Very influential site last year, perhaps not so strong this year but still worth following if you are interested in discussions regarding online environment and business models. As editor of Wired, the major US high technology magazine, he obviously gets a great deal of PR activity crossing his desk. He is now totally fed up with misdirected and ill-thought out press releases/invites heading across his desk/email. So he has named and shamed. This has led to nearly 300 comments on the subject on his blog, probably a record. Take a look at the email addresses he has put up, many of the major companies are mentioned: Edelman, Text100 etc.
Subject of blog and number of commentators is good example of positive feedback forces which can work online. Positive in this context does not mean good or bad. Just example of forces which are amplified and which can exhibit non-linear characteristics. Most PR is based on negative feedback where PR initiatives seek to protect reputation, and bring stakeholder opinion into line with agenda of dominant coalition which they represent. Remember Grunig's two way symmetrical model of communications. We will be looking at complexity theory and positive and negative feedback and considering in context of online PR during the programme.
Subject of blog and number of commentators is good example of positive feedback forces which can work online. Positive in this context does not mean good or bad. Just example of forces which are amplified and which can exhibit non-linear characteristics. Most PR is based on negative feedback where PR initiatives seek to protect reputation, and bring stakeholder opinion into line with agenda of dominant coalition which they represent. Remember Grunig's two way symmetrical model of communications. We will be looking at complexity theory and positive and negative feedback and considering in context of online PR during the programme.
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