Sunday, October 31, 2010

Social Media with Gina Noble

This week we had to talk about social media. Our group decided to interview Gina Noble, a professor at Oklahoma State University in the School of Media and Strategic Communications. Check out what she has to say about keeping up social media as a student and other great tips about social media.

Social Media with Gina Noble

Want to know what we asked Professor Noble? These are the questions:
  • How has social media impacted your life thus far?
  • How have you seen social media transform your job from when it was non-existent to increasingly popular?
  • What are some problems you see in social media?
  • What advice would you give college students for maintaining a professional social media presence?
  • Do you recommend using social media when applying and searching for jobs? Why or why not?
  • What is your favorite social media site and why?
  • Where do you see social media moving to in the future?

Hope you enjoy the blog!
Thanks to Gina Noble for taking the time to talk to us!

Sunday, October 24, 2010

The power of podcast

If you are visiting London for the first time, podcasts can be really helpful. They range from short 3 minute clips of places to visit, to more detailed and descriptive pieces you take with you and listen to as you visit different areas of the city. When traveling, you can also upload them to your iPod or mp3 player and take it with you. Podcasts can also be in audio form only or video.

Podcasts are great to have because they can give you a persepective of London from people that have traveled there before or even those who live in the city. Having varying points of view, whether from the traveler or the eyes of a local, enhances what you are seeing, or planning to see, because you get the little facts and tips that not everyone is privy to. 

Although I didn't use a podcast when I traveled to London over spring break (luckily I had my own form of personal tour guide in my father who's been there enough times to know the ins and outs of the city) my parents used one when they went to Paris and loved it. They were able to learn about the historic parts of th city that they would not have gotten by just walking by. 

I went searching for a couple podcasts to share and found 2 short clips that give an overview of different things to do and see in London. A couple I've mentioned before, but other places are new. Check them out if you'd like. These are in video podcast form but podcasts about London can be found in audio form, too. 

One is from Visit London Podcasts. These guides are organized by different sections of London.


The second one is from Visit Britain Podcast. Check it out on YouTube here.

So, get out there, see the sights, and, if you want, create your own podcast about what you saw and the things you learned about London.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Inspiration

Social media, video, and other trends are changing the way we do PR and advertising. Public Relations and advertising in London is no different.
T-mobile created a "Life's for Sharing" campaign, where they got a large group of people to sing together and flashmob in the middle of a train station. And where did these occur? London.
I first saw the videos in my Advanced PR Media class.
In the first video, microphones were given out to people in Trafalgar Square, while giant screens showed the lyrics to "Hey Jude" by The Beatles. People of different gender, race, age, background, and so on came together to sing while life went on around them. Double Decker buses drove by, bicycles passed, and people got on their cell phones to share the moment. T-Mobile's name got out. Check out the video:

T-Mobile Sing-along

In the second video, T-Mobile got a group of people together to do a flashmob, a spontaneous choreographed dance, in the middle of Liverpool Street Station. This video alone has more than 23 million hits on YouTube.

The T-Mobile Dance

With a little time and a lot of inspiration from what T-Mobile did in London, my Advanced PR Media class created our own flashmob. As soon as we have the video I'll post.
The PR/Advertising by T-mobile impacted London. When watching that video, you recognize the surroundings and can later pick them out. Because I had gone to London before I saw the campaign videos in class, I immediately could connect with where thousands of people sang "Hey Jude" in unison. For people that see the video first, they might go by the National Gallery, see the architecture, stairs, and other statutes around it and think, "I've seen this on YouTube- it's where they filmed the T-mobile campaign!" It's like seeing some place you've been on television- it gets more exciting because you can connect with it and share your experience there with others.
After all, Life is for sharing.
Share it in London like T-Mobile did.