NEW ONLINE PUBLIC RELATIONS TOOLS

On today's ramble through cyberspace, I discovered a couple of new online tools. I thought that I would share them with you as I think that they are both worth bearing in mind when working on either you own or a client's online profile.

Knol:

Knol is a brand new offering from Google. It has been designed to go up against Wikipedia, which has dominated the online free-content encyclopaedia space since it was created back in 2001.

Unlike Wikipedia, you can write about anything on Knol- including individual businesses. I'm keen to see whether this will result in a huge, spaghetti like mess of useless information but, at the moment, the Knol site looks great, is easy to use and contains some very interesting entries.

As well as providing information on clients, Knol could also be used to educate more people on the benefits of public relations. There is already a PR related 'knol' listed on the site but if you don't agree with it or think that this writer has missed some key points, simply sign up and create your very own PR knol!

Ning:

Ning is a social networking site that was set up with the aim of competing with the big boys: Facebook and MySpace. Apparently, this site was launched in October, 2005. This means that either I am not as up-to-speed with the online landscape as I think I am or the founders have not put an awful lot of effort into marketing it!

There are a fair few NZ based social networks on here, ranging from a Northland Fishing Forum to a group for expats.

I think that a site like this could be great for mobilising people on specific issues. Unlike the better known networks, Ning users can set up a forum for their group, which could be useful for encouraging discussion and interaction with key audiences.

Anyway, those are my two new tools for the day. If anybody is already using these, I would love to hear what your experiences have been.

WHERE ARE ALL THE PUBLIC RELATIONS BLOGS HIDING?

I love Friday mornings. Friday mornings are when I settle down at my desk with a huge cup of milky coffee and get stuck into all of my online work. I check up on this blog, I browse the net for any online tools that may have been developed since I last checked (!) and I carry out any online PR plans that have been laid out for my clients.

I'm particularly enjoying this Friday as the sun is shining and the rain has almost stopped. Does anyone know if we had even one day free of rain this July? Anyway, I digress..

Today, I decided to go on a hunt for New Zealand based public relations blogs. I already knew of a few but wanted to make sure that I hadn't missed any. My findings are below:

• Bulletpoints (Bullet PR Blog)
• Michelle Boag
• Pursuit PR
• The PR Shop
• Absurdly and Dangerously

Is this it? If anyone else in New Zealand is blogging about PR, please let me know and I will add you to the list.

It would be a shame if these are the only PR related blogs in New Zealand. I would love to have access to a tool, through which public relations practitioners could swap thoughts and ideas on how to improve the industry. A website containing PR news and views would also be fantastic- perhaps something similar to the ad industry's Campaign Brief NZ?

BOOBS, BOTTOMS AND OTHER SUCH THINGS: HOW A PINCH OF CONTROVERSY CAN SOMETIMES DO WONDERS FOR A BRAND

Usually, business owners are advised to steer well clear of controversy. Everyone assumes that it is much better to be honest, transparent and well behaved. If a company does do anything to upset people, they normally murmur a humble apology and keep a low profile for a while. However, it occured to me today that a tiny bit of controversy can actually be a good thing.....

As me and my little red 1990 MX5 battled our way through roads masquarading as lakes this morning, I tuned in to The Edge radio station. The hosts were talking about Disney sweetheart, Miley Cyrus, and her alleged aligment with LifeStyles condoms. It is blatently obvious that Miley's advisors would never allow her to make such an alliance and LifeStyles have created quite a stir by offering her a lifetime supply of their product. I don't believe that there was ever any chance of Miley taking up this offer. I think that LifeStyles leaked the story for their own PR purposes. And guess what? It worked. Everybody, everywhere, is now talking about LifeStyles condoms.

Sloggi have also been the subject of many a blog recently with their search for 'The World's Best Bottom'. The outrage this has caused in certain circles (mainly Swedish ones) has no doubt boosted the profile of their lighthearted campaign. It certainly hasn't hurt it. Check out how many people have already submitted a photo of their derriere.

Closer to home, you only have to open the nearest newspaper to see what our own local brands have been doing to get people talking. Dear Steve Crow and his parade of bouncing bosoms are one such example. Crow is highly skilled at using those people that dislike what he does to boost publicity for his event, Erotica Lifestyles Expo. What the politicians and protestors don't seem to realise is that when they kick up a fuss, Steve Crow and his event get an larger slice of the media pie and even more people hear about his expo. Exactly what he wants!

The story in today's Herald states that: 'Despite political opposition, the event has become hugely popular, watched by tens of thousands of people.'

I would argue that this event has attracted so much attention because of political opposition and the subsequent media coverage.

All in all, the above examples go to show that sometimes a bit of debate over a product, service or event can actually be a great public relations tool. It can raise awareness of a brand and drive more people to carry out the action that you would like them to. It should definitely remind us all to think outside of the box a little and not to shy away from a little bit of controversy, if we come across the kind of client that might benefit from it...