29 May 2009

Social marketing playing catch-up

Not sure why social media marketing is mentioned on a PR site (seems PR2 Squared has its wires crossed - in more ways than one).

That's obvious when you read the line from a recent article: "The focus of Social Media Marketing should be on the organic growth of long-term relationships. When you have a long-term relationship with a brand, you’ll give them the benefit of the doubt when they pull off a stunt; you are likely to enjoy it; you might even pass it along."

Well, knock me over with a feather. I thought PR had been doing this for years.


23 May 2009

Reserve Bank blind to conflict of interest

The Reserve Bank of Australia has a problem, but doesn't know it.

Its assistant governor, Robert Rankin, is involved with a company that has been linked to shady deals (Africa and Asia) overseas. Worse, that company supplies polymers (used to make money) to the Reserve.

Wait. There's more. Another two Reserve Bank appointees are also linked to the company.

Is there any acknowledgement from the Reserve there's a problem? Not a jot.

All the Bank says is that it will ask the company, Securency, about its methods.

Am I missing something?


17 May 2009

Sex and sport: when reputation doesn't matter

Something's not right when, in this day and age, peak sports bodies don't take action when they know there's an issue. I'm referring to the sex scandals involving Cronulla Rugby Leagues Club and the Australian Soccer Federation.

Sure, they will say they took action. But the Cronulla group sex act occurred seven years ago, and the Australian Youth soccer player appeared in court last September. The ASF says it didn't know its player had been charged. Really?


Their apparent (immediate) lack of concern for alleged victims is appalling. Their understanding of reputation management practices is also astounding.


This attitude is perhaps reflected in the response over the past three weeks to a national survey I am conducting of major sports bodies and clubs on reputation. Of 91 communications "professionals", only 16 bothered to respond.


Perhaps I can salvage something from the survey and ensuing interviews. I doubt whether these clubs can.
The sports media is compliant in all these "affairs". I spent 17 years on metro dailies. The journos don't report it because if they do the clubs cut off contact with them, so they're effectively out of a job. Liam Bartlett was the journalist who broke the Ben Cousins story, as he had nothing to lose. And on it goes.

It probably doesn't matter (well it does for the victims) because I believe much of professional sport will "eat itself", either because of the inability of Australia to support so many professional sports (e.g, basketball) or due to the continuing scandals (e.g, Manly, Cronulla) or a combination of both.


09 May 2009

Time for PR campaign on water

If ever there was a time for PR to demonstrate it's value, it's here in Western Australia.

In Perth we're all sitting around in t-shirts. The dams are at 39 per cent capacity. There has been no rain this year. Indeed, for at least the past five or six years we've had exceedingly dry winters. Global what?

I reckon it's about time the Water Corporation campaigned to ban all lawn watering. If ever there was a waste of water, this is it. After all, lawn is a weed.