anyagram - London fashion week

With london fashion week around the corner designer Anya Hindmarch has created a new website to find your anyagram. it says you can fashion a new identity for yourself to tie in with LFW. I used my name to complete the website and have posted the picture below of the anyagrams for my name. The website has brought fun and excitement to everyone, even those who do not care about fashion. So how will be you be using your anyagram?
http://anyagrams.com/

Dulux - the brits

After the brits on Wednesday night Dulux decided to jump on the hype and tweeted about the use of colours Damien Hurst used on his version of the brit award. This was brilliantly implemented and reinforced ideas of Dulux's image they portray. The company have looked at current trends and used these to their advantage as to what to focus. Although not much notice was taken in Dulux's tweet it has identified that they are current and how important it is to have this quality in the world of PR.

Tweet not speak

I just came across this lovely idea for introducing new Public Relations students to Leeds Met University. The students used Twitter to demonstrate the power of social media. The campaign was called #tweetnotspeak. They had to use twitter and the hashtag to communiate in the class rather than talking to each other. Maybe the University of Greenwich will adopt this hands on and creative approach when looking at social media as I know I would have loved an activity like this in lectures.

http://www.leedsmet.ac.uk/news/leeds-met-pr-students-get-creative-with-tweet-not-speak-campaign27112012.htm?type=student

Pink Ponies Case Study

This video highlights how PR, advertising and marketing are all entwined. I LOVE it!!!

Selfridges - no noise campaign

Selfridges no noise campaign video

Recently I went to London with my family and noticed that Selfridge's had started their no noise campaign. They say the aim is to 'celebrate the power of quiet, see the beauty in function and find calming among the crowds'.
I loved this stunt/campaign. The use of so many different public relations elements worked well together. Part of the campaign involved de-branding products such as Heinz baked beans and ketchup to beats by Dr Dre. Not only does this provide publicity for Selfridges but also for all the brands invovled.
The whole campaign intrigued me to think about how powerful branding can be for a consumer and the persuasion and influence it has on consumer choices. Although not all of the branding was completely removed the names were and does this alone create even more of a want by consumers as it will become a 'collectible item' or will the de branding have no affect?
As part of the campaign headspace pods were set up around the shop along with a silence room. This aimed at recreating the idea which Harry Selfridge created in 1909 when the shop first opened. How effective will this be for customers and the business. I loved this idea and creativity of creating not only a normal shopping experience but an original and relaxing shopping experience where consumers feel at ease and can consider buying choices.

I definitely think that January has been Selfridges month with TV programmes and this extraordiary campaign. Generally business' suffer with bad takings in January it will be intersting to see how this PR campaign will affect business for the competition and Selfridges!

Dumb ways to die

I really love this website - it's a brilliant piece of PR. Reminding people to be safe around trains has always been a hard topic to address to the public yet this video manages to give an element of humour to the topic and hopefully will help. The video is family friendly as well so suitable for a wide audience.

Social Media - good or bad?

Is social media really effective PR or is it a 'cop out'. Whilst writing an assignment for university it got me thinking does social media really class as effective PR. For it could be argued that the practitioner is not doing any work and is using the power of social media as a bit of an easy ride in their job. Is this why so many businesses and organisations are obsessed with sites such as Twitter and creating hashtags because someone somewhere can not be bothered to do their job to an acceptable level. Yet, on the other hand is social media that much of an influence on peoples opinions and behaviour that this is the new way forward and this explains the dramatic emphasis with organisations. Personally, I could see the rise of social media in PR falling just as quickly in the future. For every 'good' PR campaign through social media you see one which has gone terribly wrong. For example, the waitrose "I shop at waitrose because..." campaign which could have said to failed miserably.

So will social media last in the PR practice?