What form of media/advertising do consumers trust the most?

Sixty-nine percent of consumers still trust editorial content in newspapers more than most advertising including mobile ads, tv and radio ads, billboards, ads in search engines etc. Editorial content was fourth in the trust table behind recommendations from people I know (90%), brand websites (70%) and consumer opinons posted online (70%). The least trusted form of media/advertising was mobile ads at 24%.

The study was carried out by Neilson Online during their 2009 Global Online Consumer Survey.

Companies looking to build their reputation among their publics should aim to focus on the most trusted forms of media/advertising.

A good local example of PR

My favourite restaurant on Lamma Island, The Waterfront, had a kitchen fire a couple of months ago. Thankfully, no one was hurt but they had to close down the kitchen for a while. Meantime, they tried to keep business going by grilling steaks and salmon using an outdoor barbecue unit. This helped keep the interest of some of their loyal customers but about 75% of their diners disappeared.

They recently installed a new kitchen but diners did not return.

So last wednesday they decided to do something different to entice diners back. They had a curry night.They promoted the event on the island community blog http://www.lamma.com.hk/ and through word of mouth. Subsequently the restaurant was jam-packed on Wednesday. On the night, the owners also revealed that they were revamping their menu including introducing a regular bbq night on Monday's. And the owner, who we rarely saw before, came to each table and personally thanked everyone for coming back to the restaurant.

The Waterfront Restaurant through PR got their customers back. In simple terms, they had a crisis. They averted this crisis by making changes, they researched what customers wanted and delivered it. They then used the local online media tool read by their target audience to promote their new offering and thank their loyal customers. And then the owner engaged positively face-to-face with his audience on the night.

The food was delicious too.

WTF is Twitter and why should I care?

A really good presentation on Twitter for those who want to know more. That said, use Twitter carefully as a social marketing tool and make sure your target audience use it too before you embark on a campaign. Manage your reputation by keeping an eye on what is being said about your company on Twitter too..

WTF is Twitter and why should I care?

View more presentations from 3w pr .

Twitter is not for teens, Morgan Stanley told by 15-year-old expert

I love this story http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/jul/13/twitter-teenage-media-habits. It's about Matthew Robson, a 15 year old boy, who while working for Morgan Stanley as a summer intern did a report on how teens use media.

Many people have questioned whether we should be listening to what a 15 year old says. But I actually think we should be listening to what 15 year olds are saying - they are after all a key audience for many marketeers and the drivers of future trends. (However, I do question the methodology used i.e. how many of his "friends" did he interview in order to make his research scientific)

The most controversial part of his research, which has got so many social media gurus knickers in a twist, is that he said that teenagers don't like, or use, twitter. Matthew says that most teenagers have signed up for the service but stopped using it when they realised no one really cared what they were tweeting! However, teenagers love facebook, and use it over four times per week, because it is highly engaging. Exactly how communications should be.

Read the actual report here http://i.thisislondon.co.uk/i/pix/2009/07/TEENAGERS1.pdf .

PR agencies in UK failing in online media

Great at doing PR. Just not very good at PRing themselves!

Bigmouthmedia’s 2009 online PR survey recently revealed that most of the UK’s leading PR firms have failed to get fully involved in online media.

According to Bigmouthmedia's latest survey of Britain’s 100 leading press and public relations agencies, the number of PR firms offering online PR and social media services has undergone a sharp rise over the last year, with 40% now providing a range of internet services. A 90% year-on-year increase.

However, 60% of agencies said they had yet to include online PR as part of their offerings. And only 45% of the group who claim to offer online media publish their own blogs despite widespread recognition of the value and importance of blogging as a media tool.

So in total, only 22% of UK PR consultancies currently use blogs to communicate with clients, colleagues and the wider marketplace. London agencies take the lead.

Although this is a UK story, I wonder if HK suffers from the same infliction.

The cardinal sin of blogging, and the opportunities lost

I've created the cardinal sin of blogging. I haven't been able to update my blog properly or put anything of great value on it for a while due to being super busy in a new job.

Not having regular updates on your blog can drive visitors away. It's important to build a valuable site for your audience, which they find engaging and useful. Continue to review your blog to make sure it still reflects your objectives. And keep it updated. Otherwise it is a lost opportunity.

A corporate blog is a great way to keep your customers up to date with your company, products and services in an informal and entertaining way. It can build a sense of community. You can engage customers through feedback and even earn money from advertisers if your blog is read by a highly targeted audience. You can easily measure its impact too (although I'm frustratingly unable to measure my blog at present).

Many PR agencies now offer blogging as a communications service. They can help you to come up with a strategy for blogging, assist you with the design and also write and edit your blog.

A blog can be a great internal communications tool too. A weekly blog by your CEO is a fantastic way to motivate employees. It shows the human side of the top man or woman and keeps employees abreast of what's happening in the company on a regular basis. The CEO can also use it to reaffirm the company's mission during tough times. It's also a great tool for reaching people around the world if your employees are stationed in many different countries. Continious communication with employees, such as blogging, is extremely important during these challenging times.

Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival launches first PR award

On June 22, the Cannes International Advertising Festival announced the winner of their brand new category for PR. This is another boost to the PR industry which is continually becoming more and more important worldwide.

Cumminsnitro in Brisbane, were the winners of the inaugural PR Grand Prix for Tourism Queensland’s ‘Best Job in the World’. In its first year the PR category received 431 entries from which the jury also chose to award 17 PR Lions from an initial shortlist of 37.

The International Advertising Festival - Cannes Lions - is the largest gathering of worldwide advertising professionals and advertisers as well as the most prestigious annual advertising awards. More than 10,000 registered delegates from 94 countries and around 12,000 total visitors from the advertising and allied industries attend this event to celebrate the best of creativity across all media mix, discuss industry issues and network with one another.

You can find out more about the winners and the awards at www.canneslions.com.