The New View From Object Towers

Who sent the first press release via e-mail in the UK?

Somebody asked me today who sent the first press release via e-mail in the UK? I've always given that accolade to Frank O'Mahony, the then Apple UK PR Manager in 1990. I claimed the number 2 spot a month  or so after Frank - at least according to what Jack Schofield wrote at the time.

However, I'm more than happy to be told otherwise. Anybody got any ideas?

Tagcloud: the PRs friend or foe?

Canuckflack reports on how Tagcrowd can be used by PRs to quickly analyse text to check for key words and  messages. He says it:

• shines a light on underlying tone (positive, negative, inspirational)
• helps you understand the emotion being communicated (strong, responsive, dedicated, things like that)
• provides a 50 word impression of the text and the intentions of its authors
• much cheaper than contracted media analysis, with a similar level of accuracy

Tag clouds are also helpful in comparing texts. Over at pollster.com, you can see an analysis of the speeches delivered by the Democratic presidential candidates on Thursday night.

The breakthrough of TagCrowd is the easy capability to develop a tag cloud from any text - online or off line. This is a practical application of 2.0 technology to our everyday work as communicators and marketers.

As more web apps and mashups can be applied to offline tasks, these forms of technology will be integrated into the everyday work of all communicators and marketers - not just by early adopters and the technically saavy.

But journalists can use it too - they can analyse press releases to quickly see what message the PR wants them to believe - and then decide for themselves whether they'll buy it or not. All this Web 2.0 stuff has a double edged sword.

Dowie Dishes The Dirt on PR

As Strumpette says, this  is a must-read piece - the story of Doug Dowie, the former head of Fleishman Hillard’s LA office wrongly convicted last year of masterminding an over-billing scheme with L.A.'s Department of Water and Power.

I can see the queues forming to write the screenplay based on this one.

The World's Leading (TWL) blogger soon to be unmasked?

Peter Kirwan of FullRun fame reports in his latest weekly newsletter (excellent issue BTW) that he has met TWL in the flesh - and that the identity of the UK's most (in)famous tech PR gossip-meister and satirist is soon to be revealed.

I confess I now know who it is - but I'll leave it to TWL to reveal themselves in good time.....

Blog voicemail - now added

Following the tip from Amanda Chapel at Strumpette I've added voicemail  to my blog - go to the top right of the home page and feel free to say what you think - all views considered.

A flack-resistant Wall Street Journal - Valleywag

MEDIA RELATIONS: A flack-resistant Journal - Valleywag

Valleywag reports that the new WSJ managing editor is "tired of the cosy arrangements" that have previously existed with big tech companies on embargoes. VW seems to think this move will be followed by others in the US.

Prick with a fork

This was actually sold in supermarkets - allegedly - until someone twigged....

Amazon patents cybernetic mind meld

As William Gibson said, the future is already here - it's just unevenly distributed:

Rough Type: Nicholas Carr's Blog: Amazon patents cybernetic mind meld.

SEO killed the PR star?

Daryl Willcox has just published his whitepaper on PR vs Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).

It's well worth a read - he raises a number of good points - I'll add my ten pence worth shortly.

It’s not who you know. It’s what you know about those you know that matters: Dennis Howlett

Dennis Howlett has posted about being approached by a US tech company for a recommendation for PR representation over here in Europe.

it reminded me that prospective clients often ask journalists for their views on who they regard as good PR companies. Most of the journalists I've ever talked invariably say they typically recommend smaller outfits over the larger shops - we often get such tips offs. However, this rarely seems to result in business. Clearly press opinion is only one factor in why clients pick an agency - but I'm bemused by why prospects often don't even seem to want to follow up a journalists recommendation.

Then again, perhaps things are changing - as Dennis says: "In business relationships, it’s not who you know. It’s what you know about those you know that matters. In an increasingly socialised world, that is a dimension that is becoming easier to tap into."