A bit of a dramatic headline, perhaps, but Sin City aka Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, is where I’m headed on Sunday morning on a Virgin Atlantic flight where I’ll be for most of next week, back here in the UK on Thursday morning. It’s been a few years since I was last in Vegas. Each time I’ve been there, it’s been on business and this upcoming trip is no different. So no ‘sin’ in sight yet I always have a feeling of excitement and wonder on a visit to a city that’s an icon, a … [Read more...] about Spending most of a week in Sin City
Archives for November 2009
Introducing new FIR reporter Mark Story
If you listen to FIR episode #504, you’ll hear a report filed by a new correspondent – long-time listener Mark Story who’s based in Washington, DC. Mark is Director of New Media at the US Securities and Exchange Commission. He’s been the architect behind some interesting public experimentation with social media by the SEC including a Twitter account and live-tweeting an SEC press conference. As a contributor to FIR, Mark’s no stranger. In his guise as Adjunct Professor at … [Read more...] about Introducing new FIR reporter Mark Story
At the extremes with social media in the UK
I agree with Stephen Waddington: if you’re in PR in the UK, Econsultancy’s Social Media and Online PR Report is essential reading. I’ve not yet read the detailed report, published earlier this week, just scanned through the extract freely available on Econsultancy's website. Plus I’ve absorbed some of the commentary posted by PR influencers such as Wadds and others like Danny Whatmough. One of the metrics especially caught my eye as it accurately reflects what I see as a paradox – … [Read more...] about At the extremes with social media in the UK
The Hobson and Holtz Report – Podcast #504: November 26, 2009
Content summary: Happy Thanksgiving to our US listeners; welcoming Mark Story as an FIR correspondent; we're going to try Jeremy Hague's Vodburner app for Skype video calls; Dan York reports on Google Wave and LinkedIn APIs, and has a neat TweetDeck tip; the Media Monitoring Minute with CustomScoop; News That Fits: When the plug is pulled on BusinessWeek's bloggers, can a Facebook profile serve as a marketing channel?, the convergence of internet and TV quickens in the UK, did microblogging … [Read more...] about The Hobson and Holtz Report – Podcast #504: November 26, 2009
Software should be smarter
Earlier today, I updated a new program I’m trying out – Seesmic for Windows, which I wrote about last week. After the installer had updated the app, I launched it but got an alert from Norton Internet Security 2010. Up popped a security dialog saying “A program is behaving suspiciously on your computer. We recommend that you choose to block and remove it.†As you can see in the screenshot segment (click it to see full image), it’s the Seesmic app. As I know where the app came from … [Read more...] about Software should be smarter
The Hobson and Holtz Report – Podcast #503: November 23, 2009
Content summary: FIR Interview with Tac Anderson posted; the Media Monitoring Minute with CustomScoop; News That Fits: Texas hospital puts social media front and centre in Fort Hood shooting crisis, "Facebook for business" coming soon from Salesforce, Goldman Sachs' expensive and poorly-thought-out PR initiative, when too much information is bad for the office, the coming together of SEO and PR, what FIR listener @46alpha does with social media in his day job; listener comments … [Read more...] about The Hobson and Holtz Report – Podcast #503: November 23, 2009
WOMMA’s talkable tweets
A conference report with a difference, created by John Moore – a deck full of comments by participants at the WOMMA 2009 Summit last week on points of interest from their individual perspectives on presentations and keynotes, all told in 140-character bites posted to Twitter. As John describes them: talkable tweets. Talkable Tweets from WOMMA's 2009 SummitView more presentations from Word of Mouth Marketing Association. John explains: When you return from a conference chock-full of … [Read more...] about WOMMA’s talkable tweets
An outstanding customer service experience
I bought a new pair of shoes last week, a pair of Anatomic Gel slip-ons. The overall process, from first contact with the eventual retailer to delivery, was so outstanding that it’s the type of experience you really want to tell people about. I’d seen these particular shoes in the Jones the Bootmaker shop in Reading the week before and tried them on. Oh, what comfort! Soft leather and gel in the soles must all combine to provide such exquisite comfort. They didn’t have my size, though, … [Read more...] about An outstanding customer service experience