CBS goes inside the Barack Obama campaign

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I’ve just found this fascinating video on the Total Politics site where CBS takes a camera crew inside the Barack Obama campaign to interview some of the backroom staffers.

Most telling for me was chief strategist, David Axelrod, talking about the difficulties of campaigning against friends in Primaries or internal party elections. Axelrod had worked for Hilary Clinton in her first Senate campaign and now found himself working on the other side.

I had exactly that experience when I worked as Director of Communications for Alan Johnson in the Labour deputy leadership elections. Hilary Benn, another of the six candidates, is an old friend of mine and as a Labour Party staff member I worked as his campaign manger in the Leeds Central by-election where he first won his seat.

XP: A PR Guy’s Musings

The Fakeness of Reality

Consider this – just over one hundred years ago, the Industrial Revolution brought about technological advances that were considered major advancements. Yet, the technological advances of those times would make even the most restrained modernist today scream for progress.

Reflect to ten years ago – the mainstream internet and mobile phone markets were just beginning to take off. The world was on the cusp of using instantaneous communications to its advantage … well, as instant as your dial-up speed allowed you to be.

Think of now. Instantaneous communication is not expected – it is a given. Can you imagine a world where you can’t just log onto your laptop and hook up to a hotspot to look at your friend’s holiday pictures on one of their many social networking profiles? A world where you have to schedule in a face-to-face visit to ooh and aah over the actual prints? Or how about a world where you have to wait for the postman to deliver your party invite instead of being able to RSVP at the click of a button in your Facebook Events?

The internet has had the fastest penetration rate of any form of communication and has changed social interactions and how we communicate with one another, even more so since the launch of MySpace in 2003 and Facebook in 2004. Distance has become irrelevant. The internet’s promise of now has become our accepted reality; yet we once dismissed this as a ‘virtual reality’ as it didn’t take place in the flesh. But, in today’s world, the offline and online bounce back and forth between one another faster than a ball served by one of the Williams’ sisters at Wimbledon.

The great thing about the internet is, yes, you can use it to communicate about your hobbies with complete strangers across the other side of the world, but likewise, you can use it to contact your friend who lives down the street to arrange lunch. Its range and diversity is incredible, but what about the more sinister side of the ease of the internet?

Take Facebook. Facebook is described as “a social utility that enables people to understand the world around them, facilitating the spread of relevant information through social networks, allowing people to share information online the same way they do in the real world through the creation of individual profiles”. Sounds lovely in theory that Facebook is enhancing society offline, but in practice? The reality is somewhat more dubious because of the uncertainty about the value of the information we are presented with – it is often unreliable and unverifiable – even though as a communication tool, Facebook does work.

The trouble I found with my research into Facebook is that people ‘play up’ their profile information, so how can it be a reality? It’s all about self-promotion because you know other people can view your little piece of cyberspace, and worst still, they can, and will, use it to judge you. As one person said to me:

My Facebook profile is simply a virtual portrayal of a person called X, nothing else. I don’t believe an internet profile can express who I am.

It’s all a big act – the razzle dazzle of the digital age – but if your identity constructs your very source of meaning and experience, what does that say about us all when we’re carefully selecting and editing our identity online? What’s the downside to all this wonderful technological advancement?

Take a look at people’s profiles if you’re on Facebook – a good look – notice anything? Typically, there are no admissions of dodgy characteristics lurking around. Take these rather tame examples from the ‘About Me’ section:

I’m X and I’m ace. So there.

You can’t beat me, I’m a rockstar! 

And isn’t that a nice photo? Used Photoshop by any chance? Let’s have a look at some photo albums. Ah, yes. There’s a trip to the Maldives. Notice how no one seems to create albums entitled ‘Sunday trip to B&Q’? The biggest problem with Facebook is that you have to take it all with a pinch of salt, at face value – what you see is what you get – at least online anyway. It’s like the Hollywood of the digital world – all airbrushed images and carefully constructed releases – but real life isn’t like that. We are not advertisements of a version of ourselves, as much as we pretend and would like to be.

I could go on and on about the fakeness of our new reality, but I won’t. Being online is brilliant because effectively you have the whole world (wide web) available at your fingertips; you’re no longer restricted by time or spatial constraints; and it has allowed us all access to an audience – a chance to use our voice, whether we want to blog, share images or music – but on the downside … just like the dot-com bubble burst, what happens when the social networking bubble bursts and we have to face up to the reality of who we really are?

Junior designer wanted at Raw Creative

Our sister agency Raw Creative is looking for a fresh faced and talented designer to join their team and help their small agency grow even further.

They are looking for enthusiasm, so they want somebody who jumps out of bed on a morning and makes a good cup of tea - only kidding.

This person will work alongside the senior designer and on their own, so the ability to see a project through from concept to artwork would be ideal.

The candidate will need a degree or equivalent in graphic design, and experience using Quark Xpress, Illustrator and Photoshop is essential.

Raw has a broad range of clients and projects so no one day is the same.

If this opportunity sounds appealing just send an email with your CV to craig@rawcreativeleeds.com and he will be in touch shortly.

Cross posted: Norton’s Notes

An unfriendly Facebook user gives the thumbs down to Facebook Chat

There I was, checking my friend requests and reading my private messages when all of a sudden I was bombarded with several instant messages from my ‘Facebook-friends’. I’m not sure I am a fan of the social networking sites new upgrade. Facebook have just launched a new instant messaging facility, where you can chat to your online friends. For a week or so now I have been quickly exiting Facebook as soon as one of my ‘foreign-friends’ (who I have never met but still, for some reason unbeknown to me, wanted to add me) starts talking to me. Luckily Beth has informed me that there is the option to set myself ‘offline’ if I am feeling un-friendly. Although my Facebook account has become more essential to me than my mobile phone, I can’t help but feel that my privacy is slowly slipping further and further away…

In hindsight though, I guess the new facility is another useful communication tool, which most people (me included) have for many years now, looked to MSN Messenger for. Personally I think the visuals of the Facebook Chat facility leave a lot to be desired and it’s really annoying that if you leave Facebook, your chat automatically ends. I still much prefer MSN’s version of instant messenger, but as so many young people nowadays spend hours a day on Facebook, perhaps MSN will see a decline in the usage?

Recently, the BBC’s technology program ‘Click’ found a potential flaw in Facebook’s security. After creating a malicious program, masquerading as a harmless application, they were able to steal personal data, without the users knowing. I am constantly receiving applications which is a huge down side to the site in my opinion. ‘How Barbie are you?” and “Which Hollyoaks  character are you?” are just two which have been sent to me today and which I have automatically deleted, as I always do. However, it is obvious that some people actually enjoy downloading these applications and it is now apparent that they need to take caution. These applications are run on third-party servers, not Facebook but maybe it’s time Facebook took back control and started to decrease them?

Technorati Tags: Facebook, Facebook chat, social networks, msn, bbc, bbc click, facebook applications

Are you looking for work experience in public relations or social media?

Calling all students - are you bored of getting up at 3pm? Are you tired of drinking and partying until mid-day? Has cold pepperoni pizza really lost its appeal at breakfast time?

Right then, listen up, social media specialist Wolfstar is again on the hunt for some enthusiastic recruits to join its team on a part-time work experience basis.

Are you interested in a career in public relations? Do you have an interest in social media and word of mouth marketing? Do you want to find out how this all fits within the marketing mix? Well, if the answer to all of these questions is yes, we have a great opportunity for you right here with us.

We are currently looking for a couple of professional but fun students to join in the action. If you would like to gain some fantastic experience with a young team of communications professionals, drop me an email with your CV at chrisn@wolfstarconsultancy.com.

If you have any fears about starting to work, have a look at this.

Time to get writing chaps……

Technorati Tags: Students,Wolfstar,Work experience

Is 21 the perfect age?

Hi my name’s Beth Jones and I’ve just started a work placement at Wolfstar.  Although I have almost finished studying for a Broadcast Journalism degree at the University of Leeds,  I have decided that PR is the way forward and what better place to start learning than at Wolfstar.

Finishing uni is just starting to sink in and it’s a horrible thought, despite this I have come to the conclusion that 21 is the perfect age, or at least with my limited experience I think it is. After my holiday in Atlanta this Easter visiting my folks I realised that I must appreciate every minute of being 21. I could see the nostalgia engulfing my dad as he rattled off stories from the good old days. The one which stuck in my head, and probably the one he was most passionate about, was his drunken antics on his 21^st birthday while posted by the RAF in the Borneo jungle.

Clearly I have already had the brilliant experience of visiting Atlanta this year. Apart from the lovely weather and friendly people, there is so much else that makes it such a great city. Firstly there was the scintillating dinner at the renowned Sundial restaurant, then there is the endless number of shops in Lennox Square but my favourite activity, which any visitor to Atlanta must do is visit the Turner Field  for a Braves game. I was a baseball virgin before this trip but having watched my first game, I’m hooked! Even if you don’t want to get immersed in the game itself there is so else much to do, the best part had to be watching the crowd on the big screen, laughing and waving desperately once they realised they had been caught by the camera. Ahhh good memories!

Not only does being 21 and a student allow the freedom to travel, it grants you the luxury of time. So my next venture is likely to be a festival. As an avid fan of Global Gathering (having been three years on the trot) I think it’s time to spread my wings. However this poses a problem, as I look to fellow friends hoping for some guidance in what to do, I end up torn between Barcelona’s Sonar festival  and Benicassim near Valencia. Hmmm who knows? Any advice? Either way it’s going to be an experience not to be missed!

If your looking for something a bit different, check out the Guardian’s guide to ‘20 British festival’s you’ll never have heard of’.

All I know is I won’t stay 21 forever and as my final summer of ‘no work and all play’ draws nearer I am on a mission to make it the best yet before I embark on my journey into the depths of the world of PR.

Save Scrabulous!

I have never been a big fan of board games, Scrabble in particular was definitely my least favourite, I could never understand how the slow pace and debates over if a word was real or not could be called fun.

After turning down numerous invites to an application called Scrabulous on Facebook I finally gave it a try the other week. This game looks almost like Scrabble, it has the same board, numbered letters and the same set of rules. I presumed that it had been made by the same people as an attempt to reach new markets. I ended up spending most of my evening on it and now can’t help playing every time I’m near my computer, its more addictive than Facebook.

Over the weekend I read an article in The New York Times about how this new phenomena was actually made by two brothers who had nothing to do with the creation of the original game. Hasbro and Mattel (the joint owners of the Scrabble trademark) have denounced Scrabulous as piracy and threatened legal action against its creators hoping to have it shut down.

I’m finding myself torn between who I agree more with. On one hand I can understand the anger and frustration of Hasbro and Mattel and why they want it to be shut down. But, at the same time, this new development has shown them a great market opportunity that they might not have realised. Scrabulous currently has 658,461 daily active users, that’s 22% of the total users of Facebook. Tens of thousands of users have joined ‘Save Scrabulous’ groups, threatening to boycott Hasbro and Mattel products if this application is removed. As an addict myself I am hoping that they will somehow find some common ground, realise that this is a fantastic piece of new software that has attracted a lot of users and try to use it to their advantage. perhaps using it to advertise their other products or learning from Scrabulous’ success, reinvent some more of their games? Social networking has made this game popular to thousands of new users that might have never found it entertaining before.

CIPR Yorkshire & Lincolnshire launch Facebook Group

In my new role as social media coordinator for CIPR Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, I have advised that initially it creates an open Facebook group to share more information with its members and non-members.

To be honest, it’s not the most exciting item of social media/group to look at just yet (we only have 12 members as I write) as we still need some good official CIPR content to be added but it’s a start and it’s an organic thing, which means we can all begin to post items and provide updates to each other.

The group is open to anyone interested in PR in the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire regions, they don’t need to be members of the CIPR, just interested in communications.

The group will enable the CIPR to share knowledge, news, events, media coverage, blog posts and interesting videos.

It also has a notice board so its members can use it as a forum and ask questions of other members.

I am hoping this will mean that more younger non-members get to hear about the many events the CIPR is organising across the region this year.

Other interesting CIPR and PR Facebook groups include:

1. Wolfstar’s
2. Leeds Met PR Graduates
3. Young PRpros
4. Green Communications
5. PR Networking Group London

Cross posted: Norton’s Notes

Up and coming bands should benefit from social media

As part of my public relations degree, I have to put together a portfolio of work to be submitted in a couple of months. My sister’s boyfriend is in a band called ‘Billy the Kid’ and they are doing really well at the moment, they’ve just been signed by Oasis’ management ‘Ignition’. As they are just starting to get their feet in the door of success, they haven’t yet had any real public relations work done for the band. Therefore I got really excited at the thought of doing some work for them and started brainstorming some ideas. I really wanted to do a stunt of some sort; something different and exciting, but then I became stuck. What sort of stunt could I do that was unique and completely free? Celebrities such as Paris Hilton get caught drink driving (arguably a PR stunt) which excites the press, but surely it’s a bit too extreme to ask the lads in the band to risk their lives in order for some coverage. They might be eager to promote themselves but they’re not that desperate!

So this got me thinking, my target audience is people aged between 17-35, what sort of PR works best for them? I believe the answer lies mainly in social media.

They already have their own Myspace page where friends can listen to their songs and so on which is a start. Young people nowadays want to be able to talk to each other about their favourite bands, share in discussion and swap information about them which is why I think creating a blog would be really beneficial for them.

Technology such as ‘Technorati’ (a blog search engine) also makes it so much easier to find the blog you want to be part of. Other methods of social media I could use would be to create a bespoke YouTube channel for them and upload videos of the band and creating groups and profiles in the social networking sites such as Facebook and Bebo.

It will be interesting to see if the boys do gain anymore popularity (however small) after I take advantage of the huge audience these sites have to offer. This would again prove the potential the world of social media has to offer.

Some other cool up and coming bands from the North East are:

· The Cutters (indie)

· Twisted Wheel (indie)

· We Start Fires (punk/electro)

2008 - How are you celebrating the extra day?

At Wolfstar, we have decided to celebrate the fact 2008 is a leap year and has an extra day (Friday February 29th) by offering up our services to the local community. Yep, that’s right the team here have all agreed to help a local community group on the day in question.

We are willing to help you with anything we can - we are happy to get our hands dirty with whatever needs doing whether it’s litter picking or painting a local community centre.

We are also looking for any other companies from Leeds or Yorkshire who are willing to help - just for one day - by getting in contact with us too.

Community groups that can provide us with work should call Beth Kay on 0113 394 7960 or email bethk@wolfstarconsultancy.com, by 5pm on Wednesday February 27.

We will reveal the winning project on the blog on Thursday 28th February.

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