Great article (and response threads) by Dan Gilmore in Supply Chain Magazine on the merits of saving U.S. manufacturing.

The Content Factor is again participating in the successful Social Status Seminar Series. This time, some of us so-called experts are going to make marketing and promotional recommendations for Earth University that utilize social media.

Just wading in...

http://twitter.com/McKeonPaul

Wish me luck!

Subject: Great Advertising and Marketing Concepts

Dear sir, This is Bhaskar from Hyderabad, India. Working for a Fortune 10 Company. I am closely watching present market scenarios both in India and abroad. Now its time to redefine the marketing strategies according to the current financial situations. I designed some concepts for the better advertising. That will make the product to penetrate into the market. I am sure these captions will become the most popular for your customers. My services include

* I can help you in providing Marketing strategies for the current situations
* I designed some Advertising Captions for the companies.

I Provide these with very low cost. You just try me, I am sure i wont let you down. Apart from this I have very beautiful tips and concepts for creative ad making.

You can reach me at Mail :
Mobile:

Thanks and Regards,
Bhaskar

I was watching TV this past Sunday morning and saw this piece from Jeff Greenfield on CBS' Sunday Morning show. I thought it was very insightful. Leave it to the "old media" to best sum up the implications of the "new media." I especially liked his commentary at the end about what doesn't change.

I used to be a Partner at Ketchum so I feel bad for my friends there. I also dabble and work in social media, so I can see the other side of this story too.

It's a prime example of the opposing pull of business discretion with self expression as our professional and social lives become more blended. Discretion is certainly required in any client/service relationship, and self expression is almost mandated if you want to be noticed in the online social world.

It looks like Ketchumite James Andrews got caught in a trap not unlike the unwitting college graduate who gets turned down for a job because the recruiter went to his Facebook page.

If you are wondering what I am talking about, the whole sordid mess is laid out in a series of posts on David Henderson's blog. If nothing else, it's interesting reading.

Ketchum has done great work for FedEx for years, so hopefully FedEx will remember that. And while I've used just about every other sort of social media, I haven't yet ventured into Twitter.

Maybe I'll wait a while.

Labels: public relations, social communities, social network content

Anyone that thinks that is the case need look no further than the U.S. automakers appeal for close to a $35 billion bailout. As this CNN article suggests, public opinion is now significantly against the government bailout. Before the auto executives showed up on Capitol Hill in their highly-publicized corporate jets, public opinion was 50/50.

This PR faux pas could end up costing them close to $35 billion.

Before starting The Content Factor, I spent 15 years in public relations. The old pros have a saying: "Not only must it be right, it should 'appear' right."