Tag: Public Relations

Scotland is not blessed with Rome's basilicas or the Manhattan's skyscrapers. When your accidental national emblems are bagpipes and haggis, you need to adopt a creative approach to selling your country to the world as a tourist destination. Enter Scottish comedian Danny Bhoy, with this hilarious overview of his country's unique points of difference. (Salty language warning -- and we're not talking about the accents...)

In this age where there is a camera on almost every corner and in every pocket, video clips of car accidents and mishaps are a dime a dozen. But this CCTV footage from Canada of the 'worst parking job ever' has an extraordinary quality that has seen it become a YouTube sensation.

In this age where there is a camera on almost every corner and in every pocket, video clips of car accidents and mishaps are a dime a dozen. But this CCTV footage from Canada of the 'worst parking job ever' has an extraordinary quality that has seen it become a YouTube sensation.

At Anthill, we often find ourselves at the receiving end of unsolicited marketing gifts, from keyrings to… well… Beatles CDs. Last month, we decided to film our reactions and opinions about some of the best (and worst), and called it, ‘cool for comment’. The response was so positive (James got ambushed in a pub by a guy called Steve and Lachy's Auntie Jean thought it was 'swell') that we've decided to do it again, under the new and improved, more apt segment heading, 'the monthly schwag.'

Its latest campaign, The Fun Theory, is based on the idea that people's actions can be changed by something as simple as 'fun'. Played out (and filmed) on an unsuspecting public, a set of subway stairs transformed into a walking piano and a 'never-ending' bin manage to dramatically change people's typical behaviour for the better. And all of this with barely a reference to Volkswagen.

Its latest campaign, The Fun Theory, is based on the idea that people's actions can be changed by something as simple as 'fun'. Played out (and filmed) on an unsuspecting public, a set of subway stairs transformed into a walking piano and a 'never-ending' bin manage to dramatically change people's typical behaviour for the better. And all of this with barely a reference to Volkswagen.

Unless you've been living with your head under a doona over the last month and a half, you will have seen one of Target's many advertisements featuring kids and other happy customers swimming through their bed-linen, apparently in the throes of some pretty exciting dream-action.

Unless you've been living with your head under a doona over the last month and a half, you will have seen one of Target's many advertisements featuring kids and other happy customers swimming through their bed-linen, apparently in the throes of some pretty exciting dream-action.

The events surrounding the death, last week, of Sydney businessman Michael McGurk have attracted greater intrigue and speculation than a Sopranos cliff-hanger. How someone can build a career on intimidation and extortion is beyond this author's imagination. However, the fascinating events surrounding McGurk's demise have got me thinking. What can we, as business-people, learn from the tactics of a stand-over man? Fortunately, I have only one resource to rely on. Gangster fiction!

At Anthill, we often find ourselves at the receiving end of marketing gifts, from keyrings to... shoes. This week, we decided to film our reactions and opinions about some of the best (and worst). We're calling it, 'Cool for comment'.

It seems that with Anthill moving away from its print origins, the mainstream print media has become less coy about including Anthill activities as part of newspaper content. This weekend, Anthill made its News Ltd debut, appearing in the Herald Sun and its various 'sister' publications throughout our great nation. (It only took five years!) Despite the good exposure, the most valuable outcome, from our perspective, from these events is that they have forced us to start practicing what we preach and get some clarity around own branding. Can we be a 'magazine' without a regular print product? Are we a community, a channel, a media outlet? Perhaps we're something else yet again?

It seems that with Anthill moving away from its print origins, the mainstream print media has become less coy about including Anthill activities as part of newspaper content. This weekend, Anthill made its News Ltd debut, appearing in the Herald Sun and its various 'sister' publications throughout our great nation. (It only took five years!) Despite the good exposure, the most valuable outcome, from our perspective, from these events is that they have forced us to start practicing what we preach and get some clarity around own branding. Can we be a 'magazine' without a regular print product? Are we a community, a channel, a media outlet? Perhaps we're something else yet again?

Love them or hate them, PRs perform an important function - largely helping inept marketing managers and business owners communicate with the media in ways that don't make the already over-stuffed craniums of news men and women explode in frustration.

Love them or hate them, PRs perform an important function - largely helping inept marketing managers and business owners communicate with the media in ways that don't make the already over-stuffed craniums of news men and women explode in frustration.

Getting your message across to your audience is a complex and often scientific affair. Businesses and organisations spend millions of dollars and thousands of man-hours crafting campaigns that they believe will promote their service or sell their product.

In 2007, I was asked to play devil's advocate during the final judging round of the Queensland leg of Business Icon and grill a number of young entrepreneurs about their recently devised plans to launch a fictional product (created for the competition).

One way to insulate your business from the broader fluctuations of the economy is to build customer trust. Here are some ideas to get you started...

For most of us there will come a time (sometimes many) when we need to address our work colleagues, clients, customers or peers.

For most of us there will come a time (sometimes many) when we need to address our work colleagues, clients, customers or peers.

Why on earth do corporations continue to burn cash on print ads announcing internal promotions and new client updates? Surely their staff would prefer a holiday, the latest gadget / lavish gift / cash bonus, instead of their company spending a couple of thousand dollars making this type of announcement.