The Spin Within

Even at this time of year, there is no rest for the Wiki.

Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia that allows collaborative editing of its content, is seeking funds to cover its operations. This is because Wikipedia is a non-profit. Anyone who visits the site regularly, and pays attention, might notice there are no ads on Wikipedia to support its operations and staff of 95 people.

But as we know, few good things in life are free. If a web site carries advertisements, it might not need our donations, but we are surely paying. Any … Continue Reading

There were plenty of candidates for our list of the top PR blunders of 2011. In most cases the difference between a public relations blunder that irreparably damages your reputation and one that is just a blip on the radar hinges on how quickly, authentically and transparently the company (or the person) responds. The public is incredibly forgiving but their bullish&%t meters are high.

Netflix – Netflix ticked off millions of customers this fall when CEO Reed Hastings announced he was splitting the company in two, essentially doubling the monthly fees … Continue Reading

This is a stocking stuffer of a blog item, a posting that merely passes on some news to those of you who are not already aware. It’s intended simply to add mirth to the holiday season. So, if there are still gifts to be purchased, better tend to that.

It seems the Twitter world went into a twizzy a few days ago over the death of Lil’ Kim, the only female rapper outside of Missy Elliott to have at least three platinum albums. You know:

I got everybody rappin’ about jewelry and cars
Lil’ Kim give you a platinum sixteen bars
I’m the real … Continue Reading

There are many ways a social media user can get snowed these days. For instance, while Facebook succeeded in frosting its members by secretly tracking their behavior, LinkedIn has warmed our hearts by sending us frosty greetings disguised as personal tracking.

The greeting comes in the form of Snow E. Mann, an “Independent Snow Management Consultant,” whose profile photo is a cartoon snowman. He arrives to us via one of the cool features on LinkedIn, which is a regular update of who has recently viewed our profiles.

On Dec. 19, when I checked … Continue Reading

When travelling by air, everyone has their own in-flight persona. We’ll call it sky style. There are the chatters, the nervous ones, the kicking-toddler types, the over-served boisterous ones, the snorers, the loud talkers and the quiet worker bees.

I would classify myself as a quiet worker bee. If I’m on a business trip, the in-flight time is perfect for catching up on email or working on a presentation. For personal travel, I spend my time reading or doing crosswords and Sudoku. I’ll give a smile and the courtesy of a “Hi” when … Continue Reading

Ohio Governor John Kasich at the TQL Press Conference

We often tell our clients that the most beautifully written press release won’t work if it isn’t based on real news.  The inverse is true as well.  When you have a big, compelling story, you almost can’t keep the media away.

That was the case today when we were privileged to help Total Quality Logistics (TQL) hold a press conference with Ohio Governor John Kasich where they announced that they were adding 1,000 new … Continue Reading

Earlier this week, I kept seeing posts on Facebook urging people to boycott Lowe’s and mark its page as ‘hate speech’ and I couldn’t think of one thing the hardware store could have possibly done to get everyone so angry. So I went to the Lowe’s page and saw this note posted December 10:
“It appears that we managed to step into a hotly contested debate with strong views from virtually every angle and perspective – social, political and otherwise – and we’ve managed to make some people very unhappy. We … Continue Reading

And no, I’m not talking about that jolly fellow in a sleigh.  This year, the one delivering the presents is MANta Claus.

Clad only in a towel and a festive holiday scarf, the Old Spice Man is back and busier than ever this holiday season.  He has vowed to give a gift all seven billion people on the planet.

Seems like a pretty lofty goal, but with the help of Youtube, it looks like he’s done it.

With a series of short videos (currently he’s at  36), The Old Spice MANta Claus has been handing out gifts via his Youtube channel to … Continue Reading

Those who know me know that I’m about as much of a sports fan as Alec Baldwin is a loyal American Airlines frequent flyer. However, there are two sporting events a year I really look forward to…the Super Bowl, purely for its social aspect, and the Crosstown Shootout, because I’m a Xavier alum.

By now we’ve all formed our own opinions as to who was at fault, and there’s certainly enough blame to go around. With just over 9 seconds left in the hometown rivalry showdown expressions of verbal anger, coupled with … Continue Reading

I recently came across this post on Graydon Head’s legal blog.  It raises the very interesting question about whether bloggers are considered journalists, and if their sources are protected.  Here’s an excerpt of the post:

An Oregon woman who ran several blogs got some bad news recently, when a judge ruled she was not a journalist for purposes of Oregon’s “shield law.” That decision paved the way for a libel judgment against her in the amount of $2.5 million.

The woman, Crystal Cox, ran a blog called obsidianfinancesucks.com. On it, … Continue Reading