StratComm success! Why? PBS invites viewers to explore new ideas & broaden horizons by creating thought-provoking content, including documentaries that open up new worlds.

Well, they’ve certainly done a good job with this Reddit micro-doc. So good, in fact, that at least one of my Fall class groups will get to experiment with a soon-to-be-developed Reddit-StratComm project.

Stay tuned for details. And thanks, PBS, for this excellent video.

explore-blog:

New PBS Off Book micro-documentary explores the culture of Reddit, which over the past years has given us such stimulating threads as the web’s most thought-provoking sites and such fascinating subreddits as Today I Learned and Ask Science.

Previous episodes have explored typography, product design, art in the age of the internet, book art and papercraft, generative art, the explosion of animated GIFs, LEGO art, and the art of film and TV title design.

A Pew study finds Twitter use in America is on the rise. Digiday reports that Twitter inked its biggest deal ever with Pepsi. I’m teaching an online section of Examining Social Media Networks for Brand Value beginning Saturday, 6/9. And now this crazy news nugget from the reputable futurejournalismproject? Pinch me. Today’s not going to be so bad, after all. futurejournalismproject: @boonepickens just stunted on me heavy. Via Gizmodo: There has never before been a point in history when a young black guy rich off of Canadian soap operas and luxury super-rap could exchange words with a quasi-eccentric super-rich octogenarian who loves wind power. Now they can—in public. And that, simply, is awesome. Twitter: where world’s collide, and that’s a good thing.
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A Pew study finds Twitter use in America is on the rise. Digiday reports that Twitter inked its biggest deal ever with Pepsi. I’m teaching an online section of Examining Social Media Networks for Brand Value beginning Saturday, 6/9.

And now this crazy news nugget from the reputable futurejournalismproject?

Pinch me. Today’s not going to be so bad, after all.

futurejournalismproject:

@boonepickens just stunted on me heavy.

Via Gizmodo:

There has never before been a point in history when a young black guy rich off of Canadian soap operas and luxury super-rap could exchange words with a quasi-eccentric super-rich octogenarian who loves wind power. Now they can—in public. And that, simply, is awesome.

Twitter: where world’s collide, and that’s a good thing.

Between now and June 21, Claudia Castaneda is going to investigate the 2012 London Olympics StratComm scene in her newly launched Tumblr blog.  Long-form blogging has a place in the StratComm mix, but social microblogging is the golden child. We’re keeping up with trends here, so the Strategic Communications crew is experimenting with a new Tumblr-StratComm project concept. This is how it works: Select a topic/Industry. Immerse yourself. Examine the topic from a StratComm lens. Think like a journalist/blogger. Create a Tumblr blog. Report what’s happening. Share. Discover. Here’s what they’re working on: True BeautyGirls Want to Have FunI Witness Harlem2012 London OlympicsTeen DepressionA Spot of Green TeaCorporate SoulMarvel StratComm PortalLukasz’s IPO/Finance CenterAirlines World
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Between now and June 21, Claudia Castaneda is going to investigate the 2012 London Olympics StratComm scene in her newly launched Tumblr blog. 

Long-form blogging has a place in the StratComm mix, but social microblogging is the golden child. We’re keeping up with trends here, so the Strategic Communications crew is experimenting with a new Tumblr-StratComm project concept.

This is how it works: Select a topic/Industry. Immerse yourself. Examine the topic from a StratComm lens. Think like a journalist/blogger. Create a Tumblr blog. Report what’s happening. Share. Discover.

Here’s what they’re working on:

True Beauty
Girls Want to Have Fun
I Witness Harlem
2012 London Olympics
Teen Depression
A Spot of Green Tea
Corporate Soul
Marvel StratComm Portal
Lukasz’s IPO/Finance Center
Airlines World

A tip for new StratCommers who are creating a Tumblr blog for the very first time. In your mind, think of yourself as a reporter/blogger who is creating a hypothetical industry blog called [Your Tumblr Topic of Interest] StratCommer News. It is your job to do two things:  (1) find current, newsworthy items related to your topic of interest; and (2) find and/or create blog post angles that are relevant to  StratCommers. So, for example, if your topic is corporate philanthropy programs, you’re going to create posts that focus on all-things StratComm and corporate philanthropy.  Or, if your topic is the green tea industry, you’re going to showcase how green tea is becoming a more prominent beverage-of-choice because of the StratComm programs that food & beverage companies, restaurants, green tea producers, etc. aim at consumers. Final consideration: Seek out current StratComm programs. Share what’s happening today, right now. Or in the near future. Relevance is important. How do you seek out topic-specific angles?  You’ll definitely want to follow Tumblrs that will help you spark ideas. This Copyblogger article also serves up 50 tips & techniques.
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A tip for new StratCommers who are creating a Tumblr blog for the very first time.

In your mind, think of yourself as a reporter/blogger who is creating a hypothetical industry blog called [Your Tumblr Topic of Interest] StratCommer News.

It is your job to do two things:  (1) find current, newsworthy items related to your topic of interest; and (2) find and/or create blog post angles that are relevant to  StratCommers.

So, for example, if your topic is corporate philanthropy programs, you’re going to create posts that focus on all-things StratComm and corporate philanthropy. 

Or, if your topic is the green tea industry, you’re going to showcase how green tea is becoming a more prominent beverage-of-choice because of the StratComm programs that food & beverage companies, restaurants, green tea producers, etc. aim at consumers.

Final consideration: Seek out current StratComm programs. Share what’s happening today, right now. Or in the near future. Relevance is important.

How do you seek out topic-specific angles?  You’ll definitely want to follow Tumblrs that will help you spark ideas. This Copyblogger article also serves up 50 tips & techniques.

Creating events, attending conferences and throwing parties all fall under event marketing. And event marketing is another tool in the StratComm toolbox. The same rules apply: set your goal, pinpoint your audience & go after them.

Most important?

“The difference between a good and a truly great event is attention to detail. It is having a point of view that steps outside of what you’ve seen before.”

fastcompany:

What will differentiate Googa Mooga? “The difference between a good and a truly great event is attention to detail. It is having a point of view that steps outside of what you’ve seen before,” says Goodstone before Mayers cuts in, “The big pig that’s going to shoot fire out of it? We didn’t have to do it. But we want to. And the fact is, we’re doing it because we can. Because if you have the opportunity to make peoples’ jaws drop, and exceed their expectations? That’s a really cool thing.”

The people that brought you Bonnaroo have cooked up a new Brooklyn festival that unites food and music. Read on->

This is Brian Solis, for those who are new-ish to the social media world. He’s like a household name in social media circles. You know … the thought leader. I don’t say that with snark, either. The guy knows what he’s talking about, hands-down. The  Strategic Communications crew is tweeting, many for the very first time. Brian’s article,  Nine Ways to Improve the Signal to Noise Ratio on Twitter, is a great read.   For the newbies, #2, #3, #4 & #6 are golden. And the comment from Chuck Frey (first one in the comments section) is  also worth a read.
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This is Brian Solis, for those who are new-ish to the social media world. He’s like a household name in social media circles. You know … the thought leader.

I don’t say that with snark, either. The guy knows what he’s talking about, hands-down.

The  Strategic Communications crew is tweeting, many for the very first time. Brian’s article,  Nine Ways to Improve the Signal to Noise Ratio on Twitter, is a great read.  

For the newbies, #2, #3, #4 & #6 are golden. And the comment from Chuck Frey (first one in the comments section) is  also worth a read.

This is the one-and-only Joy Bergmann on her recent trip to Thailand. Joy created The Clear Writing Workshop specifically for Strategic Communications about two years ago. The goal: Muscular, Flab-Free Writing. The CWW is now a core session for Strategic Communications & Public Relations Functions & Practices courses. Sadly, Joy is unable to join us this time around, so I’ll be stepping in Thursday night. While I can never fill her shoes, Joy shared this bit of advice: You will be a superstar, Prof. C. Just have a double espresso and apply orchid lipgloss, and you’ll be a perfect replica of Ms. B. :) We’ll miss you, Ms. B.
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This is the one-and-only Joy Bergmann on her recent trip to Thailand. Joy created The Clear Writing Workshop specifically for Strategic Communications about two years ago.

The goal: Muscular, Flab-Free Writing.

The CWW is now a core session for Strategic Communications & Public Relations Functions & Practices courses.

Sadly, Joy is unable to join us this time around, so I’ll be stepping in Thursday night. While I can never fill her shoes, Joy shared this bit of advice:

You will be a superstar, Prof. C. Just have a double espresso and apply orchid lipgloss, and you’ll be a perfect replica of Ms. B. :)

We’ll miss you, Ms. B.