Archive
Year: 2013
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What Facebook’s Timeline Changes Mean to Brands
March 11, 2013
Facebook’s announcement of timeline updates late last week gives the option for users to filter out content from brands. The three main things coming to the newest version of Facebook’s News Feed are richer stories, new choice of feeds and mobile consistency. Both ads and stories will be richer, as photos and videos will now be larger across the feed. The photo size increase will affect posted photos and photos on posted links and extend...
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The Connection Between Teen Pop Icons and Technology PR
March 8, 2013
If the above heading left you pondering the correlation between the teen pop icon and the job of making technology interesting to the world at large, congratulations: you’re not alone. It was a test, you see. I spent days mulling over how the two were related, until it suddenly dawned on me. They’re actually not related at all. And herein lies the magic of PR. One of the often overlooked functions of PR is to...
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Successful Offshore Consulting Requires Much More Than Just Subject Expertise
March 6, 2013
Who remembers the saying: “The world is getting smaller by the day?” The metaphorical reference to the shrinking earth was often used by geography teachers - 40 years ago in my case - to illustrate how invention and innovation have dramatically narrowed the distance between people across the globe. Then, we marvelled at how, thanks to the aeroplane, one could wake up in Johannesburg, attend a meeting on the other side of the world and...
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How to Land the Ultimate Internship
February 28, 2013
The job market is tough- this we know. Every day at Fleishman-Hillard, we receive requests from students and recent graduates asking about internship opportunities. With so many people reaching out to us, it takes a little more to stand out. What can you do to impress and, hopefully, get that kick-starter internship? Bring your CV and cover letter to life Your only experience may be waitressing at Spur and accolades of that U17 hockey B...
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No Place for Antisocial Behaviour on Social Media…
February 26, 2013
South Africa has spent the better part of last week riveted by the Oscar Pistorius court case with a large portion of the population receiving the latest updates via Twitter or YouTube. Barry Bateman from Eyewitness News increased his following by over 50 000 people in a 24 hour period and a total of 120 000 in the first week, due to the fact that he supplied real-time updates about the court proceedings. In today’s digital age, citizens...
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Personal Lessons I’ve Learned About The Media
February 21, 2013
A solid relationship with the media is possibly the biggest selling point for any PR agency. Being in the business of generating valuable publicity, having regular and personal contact with a journalist and being aware of what catches their interest can transform a story or campaign from ‘good’ to ‘great’. Relationships of this nature are developed over time, requiring commitment from both sides to honour their promises and to do their utmost to assist where...
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Can PR be an effective tool in changing behaviour?
February 19, 2013
Traditionally the value of PR has been in advertising value’s but there has been a significant shift to using PR to change certain perceptions and thereby behaviour. Can PR really be effective when trying to change the behaviour of a consumer? We believe it can. It is a rare occasion when you can work on a brand that has a strong message – not just one that wants to increase sales. The Automobile Association of...
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Career development must definitely be a priority
February 14, 2013
We all have stories to share on how we entered the PR industry, some as ‘fresh out of the box’ university leavers and others by trialing a new career. One thing we can all relate to is a first day - the day you entered the agency doors for the very first time, being seen as a newbie or the intern with fresh talent and tons of expectations to fulfill. Tyler Perry once said, “What...
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Crises Communications and the Internet: Friend or Foe?
January 31, 2013
The internet has without a doubt caused a wave of change in corporate culture, operations, and interpersonal interaction. Companies have in the past made use of the internet as a means to communicate to their audiences in a controlled environment. However, technology has advanced at a remarkable rate and companies have had to rethink their strategies in order to effectively communicate with stakeholders. One cannot deny that there has been a major shift in communication...
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Without Humans, Social Media Has No Message
January 22, 2013
Technology and digital inventions haven’t always received a warm welcome. I remember the negative banter when shopping malls introduced automated ticket machines. City slickers were miserable about having to sort out the correct amount of change before leaving the mall and feeding it to a steel box. There was a firm belief that technology is replacing human beings. Upon reflection, I’ve come to realise that the grievance was not about the machine but rather about...