It's the time of year when everyone is tempted to look backward and forward. The Newspaper Licensing Agency appears to be the exception to the rule, by looking forward and thinking backward.
For those who haven't followed the debate, here's a summary... the NLA, gawd bless'em and the past Century they still live in, has adapted its terms to charge parties for clicking on hyperlinks to content on their members' websites.
That might not have sunk in on a cursory read. You might think I have mistyped or something. But yes, you did read it right... I know, it's incredible isn't it. If you are sent a hyperlink to coverage on a newspaper website, you have to pay the NLA a license fee to click on it! More exclamation marks warranted!!!
I think this is simply appalling, so I was delighted to read a post from Stephen Waddington this week describing Meltwater's announcement that they are to take the NLA to copyright tribunal over the matter. I'm not shy in my criticism of the NLA ("NLA, Agency or Anachronism") and I will support this effort anyway I can, and I do hope you can offer or show your support too.
On a considerably more enlightening note, David Meerman Scott has posted about a great ebook compiled by Seth Godin called "What happens now?" comprising 1-page contributions from many thought leaders, including David of course. Check it out. An fascinating source of inspiration as 2010 ticks closer.
And with that, we'll say goodbye for 2009. We wish you a Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year, Philip and the MarCom Professional team.
PR to Face the Best and Worst of Times in 2010 and Beyond
by Trevor Young PR Warrior of Parkyoung
I WROTE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE FOR MARKETING MAGAZINE'S JUST-RELEASED '2010 MEDIA SURVIVAL GUIDE'.
The annual guide is a bumper read, and provides a range of insights and commentary from experts across public relations, events and experiential, print media, TV/radio, mobile, web and social media.
Featured writers in the section on social media include Laurel Papworth, Gavin Heaton and Stephen Collins.
Okay, on with the article...
In his classic novel The Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens wrote: More...
What Matters Now
by David Meerman Scott of David Meerman Scott
As we wind down 2009, it’s time to think about what matters for 2010.
My friend Seth Godin has pulled together a remarkable group of more than 70 people who each contributed a one-page essay with a one-word title to create a free ebook called What Matters Now.
What Matters Now will inspire you to make some changes in 2010, and to keep doing work that matters.
Download What Matters Now. (Note: 3 MB file size.) Please share!
Read Seth's blog post about the ebook here.
Remember, big thoughts and small actions make a difference. More...
The death of TV was called early: social web drives TV audiences
by Stephen Waddington of Speed Communications
Almost all of my TV viewing is via time shift via the internet or Sky+. But I’m in a minority in the UK. The web is failing to make a significant dent on traditional TV viewing habits. At least that’s what the latest numbers from BARB and Nielsen tell us. According to TV number crunchers writing in the latest bulletin from BARB (PDF), time-shift viewing accounts for less than 6 per cent of total view in July 2009 up from 1.2 per cent in July 2005.
BARB doesn’t monitor internet TV viewing habits but a recent Ipos Mori survey commissioned on its behalf calculated that 10 per cent of adults had watched TV via the internet in the last week for approximately an hour and three-quarters. More...
Last carnival of the mobilists for the decade #cotm
by Andrew Grill of London Calling
I have the pleasure of rounding out 2009 with the final Carnival of the Mobilists for the year – and for the decade! When I think back to where I was and what I was doing 10 years ago in 1999, and where I am the world is now – it has been an amazing journey.
10 years ago I was single and living in Sydney – working for Telstra Corporation in the Telstra.com area. New Years Eve 1999 I will remember forever – we were at the Overseas Passenger Terminal on Sydney Harbour – More...
The Future of Interactive Marketing
by Brian Solis of PR 2.0
Source: ShutterstockForrester recently released a new report tracking the future of US interactive marketing through 2014. Authored by Shar VanBoskirk, with Christine Spivey Overby, Niki Scevak, and Angie Polanco, Forrester predicts that interactive marketing is poised to grow at a 16% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).
Even though interactive marketing will approach $55 billion by 2014, the report also observes that not all industries will keep pace with this growth. Retail and financial services are expected to dominate the greatest share of all interactive marketing. More...
Only 9% of Inc 500 do not use social media in 2009
by Walter Adamson of NewLeaseG2M
Reporting on other surveys of social media trends I said that "The only thing certain about surveys of the business use of social media is that the trend is UP."
This was confirmed again by the Center for Marketing Research at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth which has followed up on its 2007 and 2008 studies of social media usage by the Inc. 500 with the release of its 2009 survey.
Adoption and awareness continue to trend upward, with 91% of firms using at least one social media tool in 2009 and three-quarters describing themselves as “very familiar” More...
Meltwater to challenge NLA web licensing via UK Copyright Tribunal
by Stephen Waddington of Speed Communications
Meltwater customers received an email this morning in which Meltwater says that it is challenging the NLA web licensing scheme via the UK Copyright Tribunal. This is likely to take as long as 12 months during which Meltwater says that it will continue to serve links to its business-to-business customers. The full text of the email follows below: Dear Meltwater Customer, You may or may not be aware that the Newspaper Licensing Agency (NLA) recently decided to extend its hardcopy licensing regime to cover links to newspaper website content. More...
Cool Job Alert: Video interview with Allan Schoenberg CMEGroup
by David Meerman Scott of David Meerman Scott
I spent yesterday morning with Allan Schoenberg, who is Director of Corporate Communications for the CME Group, the world's largest derivatives marketplace (futures exchange).
We spent most of our time on the historic trading floor of the Chicago Board of Trade, the first organized futures exchange, founded in 1848.
Allan has a really cool job. Imagine working in corporate communications in what I think of as "the center of the news universe."
Please take about 7 minutes to watch this fascinating video interview. More...
Facebook Brings Fans into Focus
by Brian Solis of PR 2.0
Source: ShutterstockAs brands and personalities race to establish online communities and host meaningful conversations in Social Media, Facebook continues to pave the roads that connect them.
If your customers, prospects, and the peers who influence them are active in Facebook, Facebook Fan Pages are then not a question of if, but when and how they’re implemented and cultivated.
Many brands and personalities underestimate the value and reach of social networking, instead opting to drive traffic and activity back to the primary dot com (brand home page). More...
Government 'Spin' Story Leaves PR Warrior With a Heavy Heart
by Trevor Young PR Warrior of Parkyoung
I read with interest a feature article in The Sunday Age this week titled 'Calling The Tune' in which the author Tom Hyland examines how "governments and their PR machines are so intertwined it's hard for journalists to tell where the spins stars and ends".
When I say I read the article with interest, I should also add I did so with a heavy heart.
Why so morose PR Warrior?
Firstly, there is this obsession by the media that PR is all about them. In many journalists' More...
Twitter study proves your website needs to be entertaining
by Graham Jones of Internet Psychology
Entertainers top the charts on a study of Twitter influence. According to the phone manufacturer, INQ, the most influential people on Twitter are mostly entertainers and celebrity sports people. Fourteen of the Top 20 influencers are entertainers and well-known sporting legends. There are only two business people in the list - Pete Cashmore and Biz Stone. Pete is the founder of the social media site, Mashable, and Biz is the co-founder of Twitter.
Remarkably, they sit amongst a list of celebrities and entertainers who not only have large numbers of followers, but also get re-tweeted a great deal, who make large numbers of posts themselves and who are referred to many times over by other Twitter users. More...
