Puppy Bowl is a Can’t Miss Treat

It’s certainly tough for networks to counter program against the Super Bowl. This year’s event drew a household audience of 106.5 million homes, setting the all time viewing record, eclipsing the previous mark of over 105 million homes set in 1983 for the final episode of MASH. In the early years of the Super Bowl, it was not a difficult task as the game was still played in the afternoon, just like any other week during the NFL season and had not become the event it is today. However, once the Super Bowl attained spectacle status, alternative programming largely revolved around sacrificial repeats by other networks. It was as if the rest of the industry gave up and threw up the white flag and surrendered.
However, there are some networks that have not. The annual Puppy Bowl broadcast by cable channel Animal Planet has become a treat to watch on Super Bowl Sunday. This year’s event was Puppy Bowl VI and featured a new roster of puppy stars competing in Animal Planet Stadium.
This is an example of a creative marketing stunt that provides sponsors with a unique promotional platform, a cable network audience and rebroadcasts during the actual Super Bowl. Scheduled for its first airing from 3-5 pm on Super Bowl Sunday, Puppy Bowl VI gave fans, especially those households where Super Bowl parties are just getting under way, an entertaining alternative to the mind-numbing pre-game shows that start at 9 a.m. Sponsors of the event included Pedigree dog food and the Twizzler’s® blimp, piloted by a crew of hamsters.
The format is simple. An all-star lineup of rambunctious, rescue pups, run around a faux football field, complete with helmet-cam water bowls. As the puppies collide and tackle one another, a human referee controls the action. Viewers are treated to a variety of breeds all competing on the Animal Planet Stadium field. And, for the halftime show, Animal Planet spares no expense. Instead of bringing out a retread rock and roll band 30 years past their prime, a group of cute kittens provide the entertainment.
Animal Planet is not the only network that has used canines to provide entertaining programming alternatives to football. While the Puppy Bowl has become a mainstay on Super Bowl Sunday, NBC has also led the way with the National Dog Show Presented by Purina, which airs every Thanksgiving immediately following the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and smack dab against the annual Detroit Lions massacre on Fox.
Hosted by John O’Hurley and David Frei, this event is the most widely viewed dog show in America, reaching an audience of nearly 20 million viewers each year and is rapidly becoming an important American holiday tradition. I had the pleasure of assisting my former colleague Steve Griffith in publicizing the show in 2005 and 2006.
The event is hosted by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia during its annual cluster of dog shows which are sanctioned by the American Kennel Club (AKC). The show attracts over 2,000 of the top show dogs from across the country with over 150 different breeds and varieties compete for best of Breed, First in Group and the coveted title of Best in Show.

So if a network is looking for alternative programming to a major sporting event like the Super Bowl, it should look no further than man’s best friend. However, unlike Drew Brees, the winner of the Puppy Bowl doesn’t need a trip to Disney World; they just need a loving home.

Tom Cosentino

Radio Row is Where Action Is at Super Bowl

Today is the annual Super Bowl Media Day. Players from the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints are gathered in Miami to address serious and mundane questions from a couple of thousand media representatives from around the world. NFL.com is streaming this live. While there is a lot of attention focused on this event, the real action is done in the media center on radio row where dozens of radio shows and personalities from across the country broadcast during Super Bowl week. There, a plethora of publicists lead former and current athletes around like sheep, conducting one interview after another. The majority of these interviews revolve around promoting a brand that has no affiliation with the Super Bowl. It is a goldmine for companies wishing to cash in on America’s biggest sporting event. 

A couple of years ago I shuffled former Dallas Cowboys great, Ed “Too Tall” Jones in his pre-Geico commercial days, around radio row to promote the NFL Charity Bowling Event that was to be held the day before the big game. It was amazing how crowded the area was with athletes and personalities. In the span of a couple of hours, Jones conducted about 20 radio interviews, as well as ESPN and the NFL Network.

Radio row is just one of the many areas surrounding Super Bowl Week that is an opportune setting for getting your spokesperson interviewed. With the huge influx of media outlets from throughout the country and world descending on the Super Bowl city, there is no shortage of chances to book your spokesperson.

Of course, you’ll need the right individual to carry your message. And, you’ll need to plan and budget for this way before next year’s game. Prices vary for athletes depending on their standing. Companies looking to capitalize on the Super Bowl next year in Indianapolis can use an outside athlete representation firm like our friends at The Agency to secure the right person for their brands. That spokesman will ensure a brand’s message is heard round the world, as they travel radio row and beyond.
Tom Cosentino

Will Apple Tablet Boost Publishing Industry?

There’s a very informative story in the New York Times today about the impact the Apple tablet computer, which will be introduced on Wednesday in San Francisco, will have on creating revenue for potential media content providers. The potential though, may come with a price not only for consumers that subscribe, but for media outlets that provide their content. As the piece states:

People who have seen the tablet say Apple will market it not just as a way to read news, books and other material, but also a way for companies to charge for all that content. By marrying its famously slick software and slender designs with the iTunes payment system, Apple could help create a way for media companies to alter the economics and consumer attitudes of the digital era.

This opportunity, however, comes with a sizable catch: Steven P. Jobs.

Mr. Jobs, the chief executive, made Apple the most important distributor of music by imposing its own will on the music labels, bullying them into accepting Apple’s pricing and other terms. Apple sold lots of music, but the music labels claimed that iTunes had destroyed the concept of the album and damaged their already deteriorating bottom lines.

With the new tablet, media companies could be submitting themselves to similar pricing restrictions and sacrificing their direct relationship with customers to Apple.

“The iPhone was a harbinger,” said Trip Hawkins, a founder of Electronic Arts and now chief executive of Digital Chocolate, which makes games for cellphones. “When you have a device that is this convenient and fun for consumers to use, you can get a lot more people interested in paying for and engaging with the content. Big media companies should be all over this like a cheap suit.”

Media companies, including the New York Times, have been creating models for not only developing content in tablet formats, but  pricing models as well for the digital marketplace.

A dearth of ad sales has closed numerous publications over the past couple of years. With subscriptions down, advertisers were losing eyeballs for their products and thus placed their outreach elsewhere, notably in social media. Now, a paid subscription service delivered in a digital format that is amenable to users may be the key to luring some of these advertisers back to the tablet version of news and lifestyle publications.

Whether the media content providers can make money from the cost structure imposed, will be a key factor. As the piece points out:

Media companies may have to swallow hard before tethering their futures to any high-tech company, let alone Apple. Many publishers believe their economic health depends on finding a direct line to their customers, and it is not clear whether Apple — and other aggregators of Internet content — will allow that.

There’s no question the iPhone has had a revolutionary affect on communications. Will Apple’s new tablet create a revolution for publishers as well? That may be a question that makes or breaks an entire industry.

Tom Cosentino

Should Newspapers Still Be A PR Target?

Last week a new survey conducted by Adweek Media and the Harris Poll found that only two in five Americans read a newspaper each day, and not surprisingly, the demographic of readership skews towards an older population. With newspapers folding up across the country and mainstays like the New York Times preparing to launch a paid online subscription model, the question for public relations executives is how much effort should be devoted to securing newspaper placements for clients?

Here at iMedia Public Relations, we see this study for what it is, more proof of the diminishing impact that newspapers have. However, we also see it as reinforcement for the need to be strategic in looking for placement opportunities for clients.

According to the press release announcing the survey’s findings:

Just two in five U.S. adults (43%) say they read a daily newspaper, either online or in print almost every day. Just over seven in ten Americans (72%) say they read one at least once a week while 81% read a daily newspaper at least once a month. One in ten adults (10%) says they never read a daily newspaper.

These are some of the findings of a new Adweek Media/ Harris Poll, survey of 2,136 U.S. adults surveyed online between December 14 and 16, 2009 by Harris Interactive.

The Graying Newspaper Reader
One reason for the dying of the daily newspaper is the graying of the daily readership. Almost two-thirds of those aged 55 and older (64%) say they still read a daily newspaper almost every day. The younger one is, however, the less often they read newspapers. Just over two in five of those aged 45-54 (44%) read a paper almost every day as do 36% of those aged 35-44. But less than one quarter of those aged 18-34 (23%) say they read a newspaper almost every day while 17% in this age group say they never read a daily newspaper.

Another aspect of the survey focused on whether individuals would pay to read a newspaper’s online content. Of the more than 2,000 adults surveyed, 77% said they would not and of the 23% that would, they would be prepared to subscribe anywhere between $1-10 per month.

Armed with these statistics, where should a publicist turn in regards to seeking opportunities with newspaper outlets?

The first answer is to know your client’s target audience.  If you retain a client that has an event, product, book, etc. targeted to a youth or younger demographic audience, then social media is where you should be spending your billable time, not newsprint.

However, if you are working with a subject that appeals to a broader, older demographic, then the specific section applicable to that subject matter would remain a viable media option to pursue.

One print outlet, which we feel remains viable across a broad community spectrum, is the weekly suburban newspaper.  Since these are loaded with local advertising and, thus are usually delivered free to residences, they have wider appeal to a cross-section of readers.  We’d love to see a study done on the readership for these type publications.

Part of the overall appeal of the weekly suburban paper is not only that it is free, but it provides newsworthy coverage of local government, such as city council meetings and other issues affecting the municipality as well a ample coverage of local schools, sporting events, etc. 

So, in considering whether the daily newspaper should or should not be a source for your next publicity campaign, make sure keep the suburban weekly in mind as well.

You may find that it is the one print vehicle that delivers the biggest impact for your campaign.

Tom Cosentino

The Day Bart Simpson Got Me in Trouble

It was gratifying to see the 450^th episode of the Simpsons air this past Sunday night, knowing that there may be hundreds more shows down the pike for America’s favorite primetime family. While always a fan of the show, I must confess years ago, Bart Simpson got me in a heap of potential trouble with a client.

In the early 1990’s when the Simpsons cartoon series was just hitting it big nationally, Ice Capades struck a licensing deal with Matt Groening and Fox Television to include the costumed Simpsons characters in its touring ice show.  They had previously done the same with the California Raisins.  At the time, I was working for the firm lapin East/West, which handled the national publicity for Ice Capades. I was responsible for the account for the show’s run in the New York metropolitan region. A the time, the show would play a 2-3 week stint in the area, with runs at Madison Square Garden, the Nassau Coliseum and Meadowlands Arena.  The object of our public relations efforts was to keep it newsworthy throughout the run and gain media exposure in outlets that would benefit all three buildings.

Well, we were able to secure a live remote from Good Day New York.  Gordon Elliott used to do live remote segments for the morning show, visiting communities.  We pitched the show’s producers to have Elliott visit a community with Ice Capades skaters and the Bart Simpson costumed character and invite residents to come out and skate on a portable ice rink that we rented for the occasion.  A community in Queens, NY (memory tells me Bayside) was chosen and that morning, the portable ice rink was put in place and Elliott began knocking on doors with Bart Simpson, inviting home owners to come on out and skate with Ice Capades.  Of course, here’s where I got in trouble.

Under the licensing agreement, the Bart Simpson character was not allowed to speak.  Our intern, Dennis Williams was in the costume.  We had told Elliott that Bart could not speak and he agreed not to engage the character.  Then, during a commercial break, Elliott spoke to Dennis as they were outside a residence.   Without Dennis knowing, Elliott went live on the air and said something to Bart.  When Dennis spoke, thinking they were still off air, Elliott did a gotcha and said, “Hey Bart, you’re not supposed to talk, you’re going to get sued!”

Well, when discussing this with our Los Angeles office’s GM, Lisa Carey, a former Ice Capades skater, an eruption ensued.  While I cannot remember the dialog word for word since it was over 15 years ago, it went something like this: “How did this happen?”  “We can’t show this video to the client, they will go crazy?

My retort was to be honest with the client. Show them the great exposure they received on a Fox affiliate, plugging Ice Capades at all three buildings in the metropolitan area. Apologize for the foul-up but also let the client know that the on-air talent purposely deceived the kid in the costume strictly for on-air laughs.

I don’t know if the video clip was ever shown to the client or not.  All I know is for one morning Bart Simpson caused me a lot of grief…D’oh!

Tom Cosentino

Know What You’re Pitching

We have often written about the importance of establishing relationships with the media.  As a public relations agency it is our responsibility to know how and where to position our clients in the press.  One of the biggest drawbacks to hiring a big agency is the fact that senior executives at the public relations firm come in to make the pitch but once the account is awarded, junior staffers are the ones charged with getting coverage for the new retainer client.  For many of these publicists, the only concern is how many placements they can get for the client.  Thus, they take a scattershot approach to pitching the client’s product, event or service and lose track of what will benefit the client  most.

The biggest criticism of public relations professionals by media is the fact that publicists do not take the time to read what an individual writes and reports on.  This includes broadcast news producers, magazine editors and now, bloggers and other social media groups as well.

If one is not taking the time to know how their client’s message fits the respective media outlet they are targeting, then why should the media member care about taking a look? 

I have had producers that we’ve worked with tell me that they get tons of email pitches a day and automatically delete those that have nothing to do with what the show or news organization would cover or for that matter, are poorly written and thus, not deserving of being opened.

Recently, iMedia Public Relations was able to work with Judy Chapman, editor of Garden State Woman on creating a video piece with New Jersey chiropractor, Dr. Tami Hartman. Our client is the Association of NJ Chiropractors.  Our intent was to have a female chiropractor discuss how families can benefit from chiropractic care.  The Garden State Woman website has a specific area for health features. We pitched Chapman and she developed an interview piece with Dr. Hartman.

When the piece was finally posted, we noticed a separate column that Chapman posted on Getting Coverage. In it, she lamented some of the poor pitches she receives from executives and public relations professionals.  Here are some excerpts:

We get PR firms and/or heads of emerging companies calling us all the time to “pitch” a story idea to us. Most often we never get to the next step because the approach to us is so bad.

In many cases the people calling us with editorial ideas know nothing about our organization, our objectives or our audience, have not taken the time to visit our web site, have never tried to meet with us and have not really thought through why the idea they are “pitching” would be important to us or to our audience.

If you want to get media coverage and attention for your client or your business, take the time to learn about the media organization being targeted. Visit their web site. Send for their media kit and, if you really want to set yourself apart, call and arrange to go visit them. See their operations first-hand. Get to know the editorial decision makers and be looking for ways that you can be helpful to them. It’s best to have this type of meeting in advance of a specific idea, person, product or service you are trying to get covered.

The media will respond very well to you investing your time in trying to develop a long-term, win-win relationship. People in the media world are no different than anyone else. They want to do business with those they know, respect and trust.

As the communications industry has changed, the endgame for public relations professionals has not.  The mission is to position your client in the best possible manner with the appropriate media so that their message is conveyed in a proper and effective manner.  It’s called strategic media relations and those companies that do not practice this, will effectively end up having their pitches turn up in the deleted items folder.

Tom Cosentino

http://www.gswoman.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=89:getting-media-coverage-for-your-business&catid=56:managing&Itemid=185

A New Decade Ushers in Its Own History

What a difference a decade makes.  There was buzz aplenty as 1999 wound down.  It was all about the millennium then. The year 2000 had a magical feel to it and there was certainly great anticipation. Who can forget the Y2K fears?

What a difference a decade makes.  Is anyone really excited to head into 2010 and the start of a new decade? Just think what the last 10 years delivered.  It started with a contested presidential election and then came the terrorist attacks of 9/11.  Then, war in Afghanistan followed by Iraq. The election of the nation’s first African-American president, Barack Obama and the start of his administration certainly caused excitement in the final year of the decade, but that was tempered by an economy ravaged by recession, continued warfare in Afghanistan and Iraq, and, on Christmas Day, a failed terrorist act on a Detroit-bound flight.

While there may not be as much excitement heading into 2010, businesses, like ours here at iMedia Public Relations and individuals alike surely hope for better returns.  As we approach the new decade, I thought it might be interesting to turn the clock back 100 years to see what the leading events were heading into the new decade, starting in 1910.

As you will see by some of the important events listed, courtesy of Brainy History, like 2009, there were some major developments that gave pause for great anticipation for the new decade.  Highlights of 1909 included the inauguration of President Taft; the formation of the NAACP; exploration achievements at the South and North Poles; the debut of the Lincoln head penny; Wright Brothers delivering first plane to US military; the invasion by the U.S. of Nicaragua; and multiple title defenses by heavyweight boxing champion Jack Johnson among other highlights.

Of course, 100 years from now, historians will look back at the major events of 2009. While we can name those we feel important now, since we’re living in these times, only history will record what was truly impactful.

Here, courtesy of Brainy History, are some of the significant historical events of 1909.  Happy New Year

Tom Cosentino

Jan. 16                  British explorer Ernest Shackleton finds magnetic South Pole; David, Mawson and Mackay reach south magnetic pole

Feb. 9                    First federal legislation prohibiting narcotics (opium)

Feb. 12                  National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) forms

Feb. 16                  First subway car with side doors goes into service in New York City; Serbia mobilizes against Austria-Hungary

Mar. 1                    First U.S. university school of nursing established, University of Minnesota

Mar. 4                   President Taft inaugurated as 27^th president in 10 inch snowstorm

Mar. 30                 Queensboro Bridge opens linking Manhattan and Queens

Apr. 6                    North Pole reached by Americans Robert Peary and Matthew Henson

Apr. 18                  Joan of Arc declared a saint

May 7                    Construction begins on first 100 houses in Ahuzat Bayit (Tel Aviv)

May 29                  Frank “Home Run” Baker’s 1st career home run

Jun. 12                  “Shine On, Harvest Moon” by Ada Jones and Billy Murray hits #1

Jun 16                   Jim Thorpe makes his pro baseball pitching debut for Rocky Mount (ECL) with 4-2 win, this will cause him to forfeit his Olympic medals

July 12                  16th Amendment approved, power to tax incomes

July 25                  France’s Louis Bleriot, makes 1st airplane flight across English Channel

July 27                  Orville Wright tests 1st U.S. Army airplane, flying 1h12m40s

July 30                 Wright Brothers deliver 1st military plane to the army

Aug. 2                   1st Lincoln head pennies minted; Army Air Corps formed as Army takes 1st delivery from Wright Brothers

Aug. 11                  SOS 1st used by an American ship, Arapahoe, off Cape Hatteras, NC

Aug. 19                 Indianapolis 500 race track opens

Aug. 24                 Workers start pouring concrete for Panama Canal

Sept. 6                  Word received, Admiral Peary discovers North Pole 5 months earlier

Sept. 9                  Jack Johnson fights Al Kaufman to no decision in 10 for boxing title

Oct. 9                    Ty Cobb steals home in World Series game

Oct. 14                  Pirates beat Tigers, 5-4, forces 1st full 7 game World Series

Oct. 16                  Jack Johnson KOs Stanley Ketchel in 12 for heavyweight boxing title

Nov. 11                  Construction of Navy base at Pearl Harbor begins

Nov. 18                 U.S. invades Nicaragua, later overthrows President Zelaya

Nov. 23                 Wright Brothers forms million dollar corp to manufacture airplanes

Dec. 1                    1st Christmas Club payment made, to Carlisle Trust Co, Pa

Dec. 11                  Colored moving pictures demonstrated at Madison Square Garden, New York City

Dec. 21                  University of Coopenhagen rejects Cook’s claim that he was 1st to North Pole

St. Nicholas Deserves Some PR

You cannot escape seeing the image of Santa Claus at this time of the year.  Although the Christmas season is really about the celebration of the birth of Jesus, the Santa Claus figure dominates the retail season and the mindsets of children worldwide as they anxiously await the toys and goodies he will bring on his sleigh come Christmas Eve.

For many of us, the innocence of childhood can best be reflected in our belief in this jolly old soul. From the letters we wrote to him at the North Pole, filled with our wish list of the toys we wanted for Christmas, our visits to him at the department store or mall and the numerous shows and movies we watched on television, Santa Claus was as real as the full head of hair on our childhood head.

But then, at some point along our path through grade school, our innocence was shattered as a fellow classmate, sibling or eventually our parents, broke the news that Santa wasn’t real at all.  Christmas was never the same again, until we had children of our own and suddenly, we couldn’t wait to share with them the stories of Santa and our beliefs in him. 

What has always struck me is why this need to raise the spirits of children, only to see them shattered when there is a true historical person that the legend of Santa Claus is based on.

Christians know him as St. Nicholas and history records him as Nicholas, Bishop of Myra.  His is a tale of great courage, charity and a love of children. It is no wonder why his life and legend became the basis for the Santa Claus character. This belief was brought to this country by Dutch settlers and was later immortalized in Clement C. Moore’s “The Night Before Christmas.”

Although St. Nicholas is not a client of iMedia Public Relations, I thought it was time that someone did a little publicity for his cause. We’re not the only ones that feel that way.

A tremendous resource for learning about the life of Nicholas is through the St. Nicholas Center, a registered non-profit corporation in the State of Michigan with federal tax exempt status, which cooperates with other organizations around the globe that share its concerns for St. Nicholas. They have created a virtual knowledge center about St. Nicholas. Their gives a great accounting to the life of Nicholas, his legend, good deeds and role in the early Christian Church.  Here’s a brief biological sketch of Nicholas taken from the home page.

The true story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara. At the time the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus’ words to “sell what you own and give the money to the poor,” Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas of Myra became known throughout the land for his generosity to those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships.

Under the Roman Emperor Diocletian who ruthlessly persecuted Christians, Bishop Nicholas suffered for his faith, was exiled and imprisoned. The prisons were so full of bishops, priests, and deacons, there was no room for the real criminals—murderers, thieves and robbers. After his release, Nicholas attended the Council of Nicea in AD 325. He died December 6, AD 343 in Myra and was buried in his cathedral church, where a unique relic, called manna, formed in his grave. This liquid substance, said to have healing powers, fostered the growth of devotion to Nicholas. The anniversary of his death became a day of celebration, St. Nicholas Day, December 6 (December 19 on the Julian calendar).

Through the centuries many stories and legends have been told of St. Nicholas’ life and deeds. These accounts help us understand his extraordinary character and why he is so beloved and revered as protector and helper of those in need.

One story tells of a poor man with three daughters. In those days a young woman’s father had to offer prospective husbands something of value—a dowry. The larger the dowry, the better the chance that a young woman would find a good husband. Without a dowry, a woman was unlikely to marry. This poor man’s daughters, without dowries, were therefore destined to be sold into slavery. Mysteriously, on three different occasions, a bag of gold appeared in their home-providing the needed dowries. The bags of gold, tossed through an open window, are said to have landed in stockings or shoes left before the fire to dry. This led to the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas. Sometimes the story is told with gold balls instead of bags of gold. That is why three gold balls, sometimes represented as oranges, are one of the symbols for St. Nicholas. And so St. Nicholas is a gift-giver.

In addition to the St. Nicholas Center it also appears that there soon will be a motion picture of Nicholas of Myra, which should help drive the message to the masses.

So, as we prepare to celebrate Christmas, let us all take a moment to give some publicity not to a costumed figure at the mall, but to the life of an individual who can truly inspire us all.  There’s no need to dampen the spirits of children the world over.  Teach them about a man who truly lived and followed the teachings of Jesus, the one the Christmas season is all about.  Nicholas was all about giving, and whether you’re a Christian, Muslim, Jew, Hindu, Buddhist or even an atheist, he is a person who inspires good in all of us. 

Now it’s up to us, to tell the world and our children about the real Santa named Nicholas.

Tom Cosentino

Google Adds Live Social Media Updates to Search

The announcement yesterday that Google will now supplement its search capabilities by providing instantaneous updates from postings on social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and MySpace, lends even more importance to creating a social media strategy for your company.

In the past, blog entries and other social media postings took several minutes before appearing in the Google search engine. According to a New York Times story on the announcement made in Mountainview, CA, Google recognized the need for instant access to these postings was reflective of today’s communications needs.

“Clearly in today’s world, that’s not fast enough,” Amit Singhal, a Google fellow, said at a press conference at the Computer History Museum here. “Information is being posted at a pace we’ve never seen before, and in this environment, seconds matter.”

Although providing access to these social media postings is not new for Google, the fact that they will now become instantly available in search listings can be a boon to those wishing to promote live events or appear prominently in stories surrounding breaking news.

The New York Times story reviewed a couple of cases on how the new search features were being incorporated into major news topics on Google.   

A search for “Copenhagen” on Google, for instance, where global climate talks are under way, produces the standard Web results, but with a box in the middle of the page where blog items, press releases, news articles and tweets scroll past.

The box updates every few seconds. A tweet from Tom Nguyen (@tomng) in the Bay Area read: “It’s snowing in North Beach. Explain that, Copenhagen.” Searching for “Pearl Harbor” on Monday, the 68th anniversary of the attack, turned up tweets from people who were memorializing those who died there, while the live results for “Tiger Woods” were less family-friendly.

For those companies looking to take advantage of these search engine capabilities, relevance remains the key element in the approach.  For companies like ours here at iMedia Public Relations, we’ll continue to look for ways to get our client’s message out on Twitter, Facebook and other outlets in a way that maximizes exposure for them and is relevant to news topics of the day.

Having a strategy and sticking to it starts you on the path. How you navigate it determines where others find you or your clients in their search for information.

 Tom Cosentino

Content Will Have a Price on the Web

This week in Washington DC, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission held a two-day workshop on the future of journalism in the Internet age.

According to a story in the Wall Street Journal, News Corp. Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch is still bullish on the industry.

The key to competing in tough economic times is to invest more, not less, in journalism, Mr. Murdoch said.

An advocate for charging for media content, Murdoch feels the industry needs to step up and provide content that consumers will be willing to pay for.   

“Good journalism is an expensive commodity,” he said. “Critics say people won’t pay,” Mr. Murdoch said. “I believe they will.”

While Mr. Murdoch gave his opinions on the future of editorial content on the web, another major media outlet is preparing to launch its own brand of content that will be appetizing to readers and sponsors alike.

AOL, which has been looking to eliminate about a third of its editorial staff, has been hiring freelancers for the purpose of developing original content.  However, this new editorial content system will directly be correlated to what readers feel are the most important stories.

Drew Grant wrote a piece on AOL’s new editorial strategy in the Nov. 30 issue of Media Bistro.

The company has also been hiring teams of freelancers to produce original content for its sites at a time when most media companies are cutting back, putting them in a unique position: AOL can produce original news without having to aggregate it from other sources. (However, despite its hiring blitz, AOL is still seeking to trim about a third of its staff in order to cut its budget for the New Year.)

And now it’s time, says AOL’s CEO Tim Armstrong, to start raking in the cash from this production after its split from Time Warner next month, through the use of an automated system that will tell editors and advertisers which content should draw the biggest audience.

While this all sounds like a new, inventive way to both produce news and give jobs back to writers, it comes at a cost: AOL sites’ advertisers, who will have a large role in what is being placed on the pages they pay for. Not directly, AOL promises, by overseeing the content, but marketers will be able determine how much freelancers will get paid. PaidContent.org suggests:

“AOL will be using the forthcoming site Seed.com to coordinate article assignments among its 3,000 freelancers. The new system will also help determine how much freelancers get paid, as it predicts how much marketers might pay to advertise on a particular article…The automated tracking system could also mean that AOL’s freelancers make additional money. Technology predicts marketers will pay to advertise next to their articles or videos. The predictions of what an advertiser might pay ranges from zero to over $100.”

So no, editorial on AOL’s website won’t be dictated by advertisers, though you might want to keep in mind the products sponsoring your site when writing freelance for the company, at least if you want to get paid.

The era of all Internet editorial content being free for consumers is quickly evaporating.  For media outlets it means survival.

Here at iMedia Public Relations, we have actively looked to create Internet-related content for clients, whether it is online video, blog postings, social media outreach or web site editorial.

Now, as the industry begins moving to a pay scale, opportunities may also come for clients as sponsors or direct content producers for media partners looking for information that will bring more viewers to their sites.

This new content era will create a fine line between what is editorial and what is commercial content.  The FTC will be watching and it will behoove all public relations professionals to monitor closely how content is developed and positioned for clients on the Internet.

Tom Cosentino