Let’s see what secrets have the brilliant minds of the blogosphere shared about marketing, Public Relations, communication and career development in October.

Google+ became available for Apps users and Jon Mitchell quickly summarised this development in his article. About time, Google, about time. If you’re on Google+, let’s connect!

The last day in October brought an insightful talk by Malcolm Gladwell about Norden bombsight. I am obsessed with Gladwell, his style of writing and his storytelling. This is impossible not to share.

Louise Fletcher started a new series called The Smart Job Search. Throughout the course of ten posts, she will guide you through marketing yourself in order to get a job you enjoy as opposed to getting one just to pay your bills.

Maintaining relationships with bloggers is not easy, but Ben Matthews tells us how to pitch to them right. I am sure you are going to love his example with The Bloggess.

Czech marketing magazine Strategie redesigned its layout. It now looks more like a lifestyle publication. There have been also some substantial staff changes – the old Editor-in-Chief is gone and Miroslav Honsů took his place. You can find more at mediar.cz (in Czech).

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A friend of mine let me know about this opportunity. Since I am happily employed, it would be a shame not to pass it on to you, crafty Internet people. Whoever is interested, please drop a line to Mike Comstock.

Do you love finding out what the coolest things to do around town are? Love travel, food & adrenaline activities? So do we! Lime&Tonic is an exciting new online City Guide for locals covering the coolest things to do in & around town. We are now in 5 destinations with ambitious plans to roll out globally. As such, we’re looking for a number of (bi-lingual) enthusiastic people to join our growing start-up team based in Prague.

In the role of a Blogger, you will be responsible for the launch and on-going management of a new destination blog in a selected city. Your role has the potential to evolve in to launching & managing multiple city blogs and to potentially move in to a Project Manager position. As a start-up company, you should be aware that your responsibilities will most definitely change so only apply if you’re a flexible character!

The role responsibilities will initially include:

• Translating & setting up the city blog for your given destination.
• Researching & creating blog content/articles and a weekly newsletter (tied to the blog).
• Development and execution of a (creative) subscriber acquisition plan, to include a strong social media strategy such as Facebook competitions.
• Sourcing & building affiliate relationships.
• Active management of the Facebook, Twitter & any other social media channels related to the blog.
• Dealing with all advertising, promotion or related activities of the blog.
• Handling any subscriber communications & experience recommendations or leads.
• Required to hit subscriber & read rate targets.

Requirements for the position are

• Past teaching / blogging or copywriting experience is ideal.
• Must be a self-starter who takes ownership of tasks and responsibilities.
• Experience in WordPress, online marketing, SEO, etc. is a big plus!
• Fun & easy-going personality. Must like wearing flip-flops to work.
• Must be fluent in English & a native speaker in the following languages (and ideally have spent time in the city in brackets)

• Czech (Prague)
• French (Paris)
• English- American (New York / San Francisco)
• English- British (London)
• English (Mumbai / New Delhi)
• Turkish (Istanbul)
• Vietnamese (Ho Chi Minh / Hanoi)
• Indonesian (Jakarta)
• Chinese (Hong Kong / Beijing / Shanghai)

We offer both part-time or full-time work with flexible hours, and the chance for ambitious individuals to join a fun global start-up in its early days. We also have some cool bonuses, like our monthly Beer Fridays & staff draws for free Lime&Tonic vouchers, as well as a very easy-going central office environment (actually, we’re currently searching for a bigger space so let us know if you hear of anything!).

If this sounds like you, please get in touch with us. Alternatively, if you know someone who might fit the profile- recommend them to us & we’ll give you a free Lime&Tonic voucher if we end up hiring them.

As I have mentioned a couple of months ago, 2011 is a year of the first Start-up Seminar being launched at UNYP. The organisational team has selected three highly motivated individuals to work with. Who are they and why have they joined this seminar? Let’s look at them one by one.

Petar Buha

In summation: As a person never satisfied with the “normal” and the “usual”, Petar has always wanted to be the best. Having culturally diverse upbringing and drive, he makes ideas come to fruition.

Achievements thus far: Participated in an NGO focused on suppressing aggressive conflict and protection of human rights. Petar had several internships while studying.

Aspirations and aims: Petar wants to make the most of his talents and learn crucial things one can never learn in school. His particular focus is on learning how to monetize ideas and turn them into successful business ventures.

Jana Klucká

In summation: Jana is a fresh young mind possessing international experience, having lived in five different countries, and being fluent in four languages. She enjoys creative and challenging work to stretch her mind, body, and soul.

Achievements thus far: Organized and coordinated one day during a student conference of 40 participants devoted to EU-Russian cooperation in Brussels for the European Students’ Forum (AEGEE).

Aspirations and aims: To create a meaningful business by helping others to better their lives, while making a positive contribution to the society.

Martin Šlauf

In summation: A third year student of BBA with previous study and work experience from abroad who is interested in the fields of investment, finance and M&A.

Achievements thus far: Developed his leadership and team work skills by professional hockey playing and holds an MSc. in Bio-mechanical Engineering.

Aspirations and aims: Since in the Czech Republic, there is not a huge amount of junior investment positions as in the U.K. or the U.S.A., Martin would like to pursue his entrepreneurial interests in the field of investment banking or corporate finance.

Steve Jobs has died and the world has lost a visionary. Apart from the fact that it’s a tragedy for the company and perhaps the whole industry, a more pressing question arises. It is the question of Steve’s legacy.

Given that Steve Jobs was the embodiment of Apple, what is going to happen with the company after his death? Will Apple still remain the world leader in innovation and flawless product design? One issue is to preserve the market position in terms of stakeholder relations and financial stability. Another one is to preserve company culture in to stay competitive and manufacture products that will get better and better.

Financial matters – the easy part

In the world of finance, budgetary skills and clever allocation of resources determine the winner. Steve has long ceased worrying about this aspect of his entrepreneurship and has left it to the financial geniuses. Of course, we can expect a short-term share fall, but my bet is that in terms of financial performance, Apple will fare well in the long term.

Company culture – the difficult part

Corporate culture is no laughing matter because it directly influences the way the company creates products. If the creative energy stemming from Steve is gone, will Apple be able to sustain its position as an innovator?

Even though, Jobs has openly said that Woz was the innovator in the company, I have my doubts. Woz might have come up with the actual technical innovation, but it was Steve’s energy and authority that created the context in which innovation was possible. I contend that with Steve Jobs’ death, Apple has set on a path to decline.

While you were sleeping

The proof thereof lies in the decade between 1985 and 1996 when Apple was left without a strong leader. Its financial results plateaued and there was very little sense of direction.

The company had still been employing innovators and creating good products. Good products – yes. Great products – maybe. Revolutionary products – no. It took Steve’s second coming to turn Apple into an innovation giant it is now.

With king gone, what remains?

What happens next? Who knows? Maybe the great innovator has left a testament including an action plan and long-term vision for the company. Maybe not… It is irrefutable that Steve Jobs has left a major footprint in the technology world and his legacy will live for long.

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Let’s see what secrets have the brilliant minds of the blogosphere shared about marketing, Public Relations, communication and career development in September.

Raelene Thomas from 6S Marketing shares her perspective on how real-time Google Analytics data will impact the internet marketing community.

According to Seth Godin, fearing writer’s block is overrated. I agree.

Speaking of blocks, Marc McGuiness from Lateral Action discusses why there is no creative block and consequently advises us on breaking through creative blocks.

They say the grass is greener on the other side when it comes to agency vs. in-house employment, but Lindsay Olson puts it into perspective.

Lance Haun wrote a great post about defining the end game in blogging. Just read it.

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I have to hand it to small businesses and start-ups. They know how to work with talent and potential. Coincidentally, that are the only things they have, so it would be a shame if they didn’t know how to utilise it.

Big corporations, on the other hand, have a plenty of human and monetary resources at their disposal. Yet, they waste employee potential, the most precious commodity they have, on pointless issues like office politics.

There is no universal advice to give regarding better utilisation of human potential, because every company has to be evaluated on an individual basis. However, here are some communication strategies that helped me to bring this issue to light and survive the ensuing dialogue regarding office politics with my superior.

• Talk in a direct manner and don’t be ashamed to name fingers and point names.
• Steer the conversation in the direction of opportunity costs and wasted potentially productive time.
• Name the game.
• Voice your personal discontent with the situation.

What works for you when you get sucked in to office politics and want to solve it with your superior?

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Let’s see what secrets have the brilliant minds of the blogosphere shared about marketing, Public Relations, communication and career development in August.

PsyBlog explains six myths about memory.

Ian Lurie echoes what every marketer should have known by now – effort is the key to success.

Contemplating a Master’s degree in Communications? Here are 33 different career paths where you can utilise it.

Karen Russel wrote that nearly all accredited higher education institution offering four years of study are using social media.

A picture is worth thousand words. Matt Brown knows all about it.

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“I don’t have pet peeves. I have major psychotic fucking hatreds!” said Geroge Carlin in one of his performances. I would add that if you work in PR and marketing, you are bound to have them. No matter whether you work as an in-house specialist or on the agency side. Here are some of mine.

1) I don’t like it!

Sadly enough, there are marketing managers who use the phrase “You have to re-do this because I don’t like it,” when judging advertising visuals or press releases. They should be shot in a town square, while their families are watching. Let me condescendingly pose a question to them. When will you finally understand that your feelings have no place in the evaluation process? The only possible exception is you being a member of the target audience. The decision-making process must focus on how the customer thinks and how he feels, not how a marketer feels.

2) He calls me fifteen times a day

Ad space salesmen who call at least twice a day every day to find out that all our media space is planned out a year ahead are driving me crazy. Persistence is one thing but such behaviour gets you nowhere, except a blacklist on my phone.

3) You’re doing it too theoretically, our customers are idiots

Yeah, it’s a good campaign concept, but it looks too theoretic. I don’t think the customers will get it.

What is too theoretic about having a customer segmentation? Or creating a campaign that plays on associations and is a bit more sophisticated? Can we please stop treating our customers like morons? I am a customer too and hate being treated like a twerp.

I am planning on expanding this list, so if you have any additions, feel free to share them in the comments section!

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Let’s see what secrets have the brilliant minds of the blogosphere shared about marketing, Public Relations, communication and career development in July.

Promoting a book? Amber Naslund advises how to do it more efficiently.

Richard Bailey makes the reader think about whether PR is really evolving or going backwards.

What are types of media attention? Scott Hepburn contends there are four of them – owned, paid, earned and leased.

Functional résumé is despite HR consultants’ and skilled résumé writers’ efforts still alive. When will it finally kick the bucket?

In case you are thinking about getting an MBA, here is a simple infographic listing what you will need.

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Simply put, they hate us because they must. I know this will upset everyone who claims that symbiosis between the journalists and the PROs must be revealed and respected publicly, but I can’t help it. I don’t mean to slam the media in any way – the journalist is doing his job as a PRO does. I’m not hating the player, I am hating the game.

The essence of PR

What are we the PR practitioners trading with? Our currency is credibility and trust. We are reliable sources for the journalists, although we are biased. Before you start criticising the nature and purpose of PR, tell me who is not biased. We need the journalists to trust us. If they didn’t, PR narratives would end up implicitly discarded.

Fact-finding journalists: a convenient myth

The journalist’s job is to present facts and provide space for discussion of all parties involved in a current issue about which the reporter is informing its audience. That’s it for the theory. What about the reporters’ day-to-day reality?

1. Do they have enough time to check the facts? No.
2. Are they encouraged by their editors to seek information from other sources, thereby prolonging date of publication? No.
3. Are they willing to get their hands dirty in pursuit of what they think is truth? Some of them are, most of them aren’t.
4. Do they have enough of information to write in-depth articles? Some of them do, but since the editorial offices keep cutting down staff, the number of generalists greatly increases.
5. Do they have enough of resources to seek out the good sources and critically evaluate their credibility? No.

As you can see, conditions for good journalism are deteriorating, even though the checklist isn’t extensive or complete. How have the journalists responded to the situation? They produce more content, more facts, more sensations. How do they do it? They source a lot of their reports from PR agencies and their clients.

The journalists trade with credibility as well – they need it to keep up their circulation. More credible news equals more subscribers and advertisers.

Necessary hatred

Since the media business positions itself as unbiased, it must by definition reject all biased information, otherwise nobody would believe the journalist is objective. In reality, the journalists happily copy and paste the content of the news releases they receive and move on to another topic.

Imagine they would admit it. “Oh yeah, we do almost zero fact-checking because it’s expensive and time-consuming. Instead of that, we just publish information that looks right to us.

That’s where necessity kicks in. The journalists need to state publicly that they resent PR practitioners and they need to say it aloud in order to preserve the aura of their own credibility.

In reality, they don’t hate or desipise us; they just can’t proclaim this sentiment in public.