http://www.psfk.com Your Go-To Source For New Ideas And Inspiration Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:24:26 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.psfk.com/2011/11/adidas-unveils-first-corporate-blog-maintained-by-employees.html Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:57:49 +0000 The sports apparel leader lets the world into its heart and company values as it showcases a wide variety of articles written by Adidas group staff. ]]> http://www.psfk.com/2011/07/dominos-spins-its-bad-rap-into-good-press-headlines.html Wed, 20 Jul 2011 15:26:58 +0000 Uses social media, Domino's pizza re-establishes its brand as a company that values transparency.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2011/04/seo-ing-your-social-capital.html Mon, 04 Apr 2011 14:37:19 +0000 Reputation management has been the preserve of big brands and companies for some time now but there is a growing trend in "online reputation management" services for the personal consumer.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2011/03/monocolumn-syria-revolts-pr-put-on-ice.html Wed, 30 Mar 2011 15:47:50 +0000 Syria is going on a bit of a PR drive, with its photogenic British-born first lady, Asma al-Assad, as its lynchpin. A fawning profile in the March issue of American Vogue was to be followed by the forum, which Mrs al-Assad was due to host. ]]> http://www.psfk.com/2010/11/monocolumn-finland-loses-its-religion.html Mon, 22 Nov 2010 15:30:38 +0000 The weeks leading up to Christmas should be a joyous time for the Evangelical Lutheran Church. In Finland though, the past month has turned out to be quite the opposite.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2010/06/george-parker-should-we-can-cannes.html Tue, 29 Jun 2010 11:01:14 +0000 George Parker is the perpetrator of adscam.typepad.com. Every week he shares his opinions on the advertising world with PSFK.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2010/05/this-week-in-branding-advertising-2.html Thu, 20 May 2010 09:59:17 +0000 PSFK curates some of the branding, digital and advertising news pieces and ideas catching our attention this week.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2010/03/ikea-furnishes-parisian-subways.html Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:40:26 +0000 IKEA has demonstrated creativity in a recent guerrilla marketing initiative by furnishing Parisian subway stops.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2010/02/infographics-four-ways-of-looking-at-twitter.html Wed, 24 Feb 2010 07:00:42 +0000 Providing some new eye candy for data visualization junkies, Jeff Clark of Neoformix has built four applications that visualize Twitter data. ]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/01/a-note-to-pr-people-from-the-bloggers.html Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:50:55 +0000 An article by Eric Karjaluto on his blog IdeasOnIdeas resounded very well with us in the office. In his post he provides some suggestions on how PR people can share information with bloggers without pissing them off. He says right now PR people seem to see email in the same way people used to use fax – blast it to as many writers as possible in the hope that someone might pick it up and write about it. Every week I receive a handful of emails from PR firms, wanting me to write about something they’re helping promote. I rarelyRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/12/simpsons-satirize-apple-brand-culture.html Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:20:04 +0000 On last night’s episode of The Simpsons, Springfield was graced with the appearance of a fake Apple store, known as Mapple.  The iconic cube store appeared in cartoon form complete with MyPods, MyPhones, MyCubes and an appearance by Steve Mobs reminiscent of the 1984 commercial.  Should Apple take offense or is satire is the sincerest form of flattery? [via Laughing Squid]]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/11/innocent-drinks-fosters-user-feedback.html Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:54:49 +0000 The folks at innocent drinks, makers of tasty smoothies, have revamped their site to include a rating and review section. Hoping to foster a more robust brand culture and connection with their audience, innocent is trying out a consumer-centric website. The new feedback area provides simple ratings along with more detailed reviews. A built-in feature promises to randomly select comments to be highlighted on the homepage and further entices visitors by awarding funky prizes each month. The site layout was designed by Soup with a goal of pushing the playful nature of the company into the digital arena. [via EllieRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/10/building-a-citys-brand-sometimes-its-the-small-things-2.html Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:09:22 +0000 Creative Cities Summit 2.0 concluded this week in Detroit, Michigan, a three-day conference bringing together creative practitioners from across industries (from city planners to educators) in a discussion about the integration of innovation, social entrepreneurship, sustainability, arts & culture and business and their roles in our urban ecologies. Brand Avenue points us to one of the conference’s most enlightening panels – a talk between Who’s Your City?‘s Richard Florida, COMEDIA’S Charles Landry, and The Creative Economy author John Howkins (moderated by Carol Coletta of Smart City Radio). As Brand Avenue retells, Landry brings up the important distinction between how bigRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/10/milk-marketing-in-the-21st-century.html Tue, 21 Oct 2008 20:35:56 +0000 The dairy lobby has always been a powerful force in America, but recently they saw their classic ad campaigns overtaken by cartoon characters that children more readily relate to.  These new school cultural icons easily sway children in purchasing choices.  The proliferation of SpongeBob snacks or Spiderman cereals drove Big Milk to form a modern marketing group known as “Milk Media.”  In the venture’s first deal, school milk consumption increased 34% after the implementation of Disney’s Doug into the milk campaign.  While milk has enemies, they certainly have fans in the federal government who wish to promote the milk alternativeRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/10/better-pr-through-friendfeed.html Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:49:15 +0000 The PR industry as we once knew it is dead.  We’ve written about this topic before, but recently we came across some advice on creating the best PR through the social aggregator, FriendFeed.  SocialTNT explains the most efficient way to market yourself or your company in a well organized article. The important lessons detailed involve staying current on the feed to maximize media research opportunities and taking advantage of the contacts you have.  In a new world that values usefulness over experience, staying current is critical.  Becoming involved is one of the central aims of FriendFeed and you can easilyRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/10/creative-approach-to-business-cards.html Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:43:43 +0000 Over the summer ISO50 linked a gallery of 70 business cards that are in a creative league of their own.  The business card is a time tested strategy to market oneself and many of those in the gallery exhibit unique characteristics that fit each business they represent.  These include a divorce lawyer with half a card, an asthma centers written on a balloon, a second hand store with the first contact info scratched out and plethora of simply laid out graphic designer cards.  The photos were all taken from a Flickr pool where people posted the coolest cards they’ve found,Read more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/08/microsoft-pokes-fun-at-the-death-of-advertising.html Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:07:10 +0000 Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions has come up with a series of videos that highlight the changing relationship between marketers and consumers. While it’s staged as a humorous love tryst, it does raise some valid and entertaining points on the ‘death of advertising.’ This advertising campaign begs companies to love the consumer and try their best to listen to them. Not only is it bizarre that the campaign is targeting other advertisers (rather than consumers) but it is also in the format of a full fledged movie, with a trailer and multiple lengthy episodes. However, the message of “The Couple” isRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2008/08/microsoft-pokes-fun-at-the-death-of-advertising-2.html Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:07:10 +0000 Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions has come up with a series of videos that highlight the changing relationship between marketers and consumers. While it’s staged as a humorous love tryst, it does raise some valid and entertaining points on the ‘death of advertising.’ This advertising campaign begs companies to love the consumer and try their best to listen to them. Not only is it bizarre that the campaign is targeting other advertisers (rather than consumers) but it is also in the format of a full fledged movie, with a trailer and multiple lengthy episodes. However, the message of “The Couple” isRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2007/08/annoying-brand-voices-2.html Wed, 08 Aug 2007 23:18:11 +0000 Over on Welcome to Optimism, London’s wieden + kennedy blog, there is a great example of when ‘the voice of the brand’ is taken too far. The article documents some of the Malmaison hotel‘s quirkier attempts at communicating with their consumers. Welcome to Optimism writes: Now, I like Malmaison. They provide quite nice hotel rooms and facilities at a fair price. I would actively choose to stay there and pay with my own money, even. But on a recent stay in Leeds, after a long day, when I got to my room I became irritated by the voice of theRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2007/06/sony-starts-blogging.html Tue, 12 Jun 2007 19:48:53 +0000 After several embarrassing attempts at utilizing blogs, Sony has learned from their mistakes and has created a much more transparent blog to create a dialog about their PS3. Reuters reports: Sony’s new effort is no mere toe in the water. Dave Karraker, head of Sony Computer Entertainment’s U.S. PR team, said the company spent 6 months getting the format right and then sent out a company-wide memo encouraging all employees — from hardware engineers to game testers — to post material, which will of course be reviewed to make sure corporate secrets are not exposed. Karraker: “The main thinking aboutRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2007/04/nikes-thank-you.html Thu, 19 Apr 2007 22:06:11 +0000 Nike sent me this email yesterday: And apparently it ran in the New York Times last Sunday too. It seems pretty smart of Nike to take on the whole Don Imus affair and with an intelligent point of view too.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2007/03/eco-labeling.html Tue, 13 Mar 2007 18:28:30 +0000 ]]> http://www.psfk.com/2007/02/4-mistakes-blackberrys-made-in-social-media-marketing.html Mon, 26 Feb 2007 15:16:43 +0000 Rohit Bhargava writes an interesting and indepth analysis of the mistakes made by Blackberry when they tried a campaign to get users to share their stories. The first point is such a big issue: Mistake #1 – Not offering a payoff or incentive for users. Mistake #2 – Forgetting about photos and video. Mistake #3 – Only promoting campaign through advertising. Mistake #4 – Avoiding publishing contributions real time. Influential Interactive Marketing: Learning from Blackberry’s Social Media Marketing Mistakes]]> http://www.psfk.com/2007/02/jetblue-responds-via-youtube.html Tue, 20 Feb 2007 23:08:42 +0000 To respond to huge criticism, David Neeleman, CEO of JetBlue, has posted a video on the video sharing site YouTube apologizing for the events that took place during severe weather in the US. ]]> http://www.psfk.com/2007/02/fake-bloggers-will-be-named-shamed.html Tue, 13 Feb 2007 01:42:55 +0000 It was only a few days ago when we were writing about how Wikipedia was telling PR agencies to stop writing up their clients on the encyclopedia site. We even suggested that brands should declare that they are splog free. Now, the Times reports that brands in Europe will soon be forced to reveal their true identities in online forums like Amazon customer reviews: From December 31, when the change becomes law in the UK, they can be named and shamed by trading standards or taken to court. The Times has learnt that the new regulations also will apply toRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2007/02/brand-experience-virgin-america.html Mon, 12 Feb 2007 15:34:07 +0000 The guys at Engadget blog were recently invited to check out one of the currently grounded airline’s planes. They’ve come back with a huge report on the gadgets and entertainment experience the new airline is set to offer. They say: We’ve got a massive, massive gallery for you to check out (it’s really not to be missed); we toured the aft cargo area where the each plane’s servers live, the Red in-seat consoles (of course), the cockpit, even WiFi-enabled flight attendant handhelds. We’ve also got a full rundown of everything you need to know about Virgin America, Red, and theRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2007/01/wonderful-business-blogging-from-wk-london.html Mon, 29 Jan 2007 17:21:33 +0000 One of our favorite posts by a business blog in 2006 must have been “Pitch Disappointment” on the Welcome To Optimism by the Wieden + Kennedy guys in London. The post describes the ad team’s disappointment when they lose a pitch – the photo is a classic. At the time, we said: A brand who can write about their own failures and disappointment shows just how strong the brand is. Now, the W+K London guys have a new post that has every possibility of being our post of 2007. In ‘Goodbye Yakult’, the W+K describe the pain of losing aRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2007/01/filthy-wal-mart-gorilla-consumers.html Thu, 25 Jan 2007 18:37:06 +0000 A lot of time and effort goes into styling a food shoot: stylist’s and top photographer’s are hired and only the choicest produce makes the cut.  Lighting has to be just so, as does the ambiance in which it is shot. Not at Wal-Mart it seems if you check any of the recent upload photos sent to Flickr in a ‘photo-essay’ entitled Filthy Wal-Mart. The only thing required is a camera, lap top and strong stomach. Forget glossy ads, neon lighting never made anyone look so bad. The photo’s, 119 in all show Wal-Mart shelves that are barren and produceRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2007/01/pitching-social-media.html Tue, 23 Jan 2007 15:26:14 +0000 Over on his blog, Long Tail author Chris Anderson provides some commentary on the debate around pitching bloggers with a social media press release. He says: But what about the Long Tail of media–all those new influentials, from the micromedia of Techcrunch and Gizmodo to individual bloggers? And the social news aggregators like Digg and our own Reddit? They’re where the most powerful sort of marketing–word of mouth–starts, but most of them don’t want to hear from a PR person at all. Blogging is all about authenticity and the individual voice, not paid spin. Many bloggers seem just impedance mismatchedRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2007/01/online-seeding.html Mon, 22 Jan 2007 17:22:28 +0000 Some brands and their agencies think that putting a video on YouTube will bring instant awareness. Influx Insights blog has an excellent critique of Nokia’s attempts to start a discussion about future telephone trends. Influx suggests that Nokia’s taken the wrong route by putting the ads on YouTube and then just expecting them to take off. Influx says: The videos get posted up onto YT where they compete for attention with a gazillion others and because they aren’t entertaining, they go to the bottom of the pile. Not one of these scenarios is going to be a hit. The viewRead more...]]>