THINKing

Why Steve Jobs’ Health Is A Public Concern

Apple’s Steve Jobs and his PR firm are bucking the notion that the health of the ill CEO is of public concern. Ragan.com reports,

Problem is Jobs, and his PR machine, think his health should be kept private. To meet this goal, they have been—to put it kindly—less than straight-forward. For example, back in June, Apple’s PR pros blamed their boss’s notable weight loss on a “common bug.”

Twittering Journalists List Redux

Twittering JournalistsI’ve had several reports that people can’t see the Twittering Journalists wiki I set up. If you are having trouble, go to the bottom of the upgrade page. In small type it says “No, not now, take me to my wiki.” Click on this and it takes you to the list.

Branding Lessons From Santa

Every Christmas Eve, a burglar named Santa busts into homes around the world, but he has never been charged with B&E. He has one of the best, most positive brands around and it continues to inoculate him against any hint of impropriety, as it has for generations.

A Holiday Gas

You have to love clients who clearly understand their brand, their audiences and have the courage to communicate with them in their vernacular. That’s why I love the folks at Newell Rubbermaid. They get it.

Random Readings

A few things I’ve been reading.

Businesses: Get Your Social Media On
Almost 60 percent of Americans interact with companies on a social media Web site, and one in four interact more than once per week. These are among the findings of the 2008 Cone Business in Social Media Study.

Word

The oldest form of media still is the best when it comes to spurring consumer action. Word-of-mouth from family and friends still is the most trusted source of information, despite all the hype about the digital world and social media. This is borne out by a Mediavest survey on trust in sources of political information. The survey indicates,

Top 8 Links On The Business Value Of Twitter

A few months back THINKing took a look at the tactical business use of Twitter. There are naysayers who think that Twitter – and social media for that matter -has little business value. I disagree. It can be an excellent tool for customer service and employee communication.

Links – 8/29/2008

From Cision’s Navigator enewsletter Media Update Column:
General News Category
Lifestyle/Entertainment Category
Business/Financial Category

Summer Blues For News

The Secret To WOM Marketing

The Future Of Social Media

From THINKing’s Dusty Archives:
Tell Me A Story
Tell Me A Story About Me
Brand Euthanasia

Links 8/22/2008

Online
Magazine Web Traffic: Surge or Embarrassment

Magazine Web Traffic: The Other Side Of The Story

Local Online Ads Moving Consumers

Toothpaste & Word-of-Mouth Seem To Go Together

PR
Getting PR For A Start-Up

Five Ways To Make Pitching More Productive

PitchEngine: A PR Tool For Savvy Practitioners

Editor’s Note: Today’s post comes from guest blogger, Jason Kintzler of PitchEngine. This is a terrific service that every PR practitioner should be using. So, get over there and sign up.