If you're a Bostonian, or in the area on November 11th, check out the Boston Panel Discussion on Blogging . Looks like a good group of bloggers, and should be really good info for those that want to learn more. And, congrats to the BoSox. Publicity is always so interesting. The former publicist for Tatum and Ryan O'Neill sent out a press release to say that he has "no comment" on Tatum's Book, A Paper Life . If he hadn't sent that release, well, I guess he wouldn't have been able to coast and get some publicity for his firm. Dan Forbush, of Profnet fame, has pushed MediaInsider as a blog-only onto the scene. Publicity is always so interesting. Maria Perez - a very nice, funny woman who's from Spain - is the day-to-day overseer of the content. Tell her I said hi, and to buy a plant, for Pete's sake! Corante launches Flackster , with some very long posts by Michael O'Connor ...

Dan Gillmor, the blogger / journalist extraordinaire from the SJ Merc , blogged today about a PR pitch that he received about a new tracking tool. From the posting , here's the PR pitch: (PR client) is a market intelligence and media analysis services firm. (PR client) is working with F1000 companies who are using our services to Manage and Monitor Digital Influencers (such as blogs, message boards, user groups, complaint sites, etc.) as an intelligence and threat awareness tool. (Person's name), CEO could talk to you about 'What F1000 Companies are doing to take action against bloggers' and 'How companies are taking steps to protect their corporate reputations from bloggers/digital influencers.' Personally, I wish that he had left the name of the client, so others would know who it was that sent out the pitch. Once again, though, a pitch like this brings up what Jack O'Dwyer said during my interview with him for the Global PR Blog Week : Right no...

Or, really bad omens. The Financial Times - the wonderful pink paper that is a must read if you care about international business - is lauching an Australian edition, and charterd the Spirit of Australia, one of the contenders from the 1992 America's Cup. The sailboat hit rocks and sank. Now, when you are putting together an event or stunt for a PR campaign, you try to think of everything that might happen, and plan for contingencies. I am pretty sure that the FT PR people didn't have in their plan: if sailboat sinks, do X. I have no doubts that FT Oz will do well, but what a way to begin. On the bright side, it made international news, and I'm sure local news in Australia, so now everyone knows about the new FT edition.

I love Crispin Porter & Bogusky . I think the commercials and online viral campaigns that they have done for Burger King rock, and almost make me want to go there - the whole purpose of a commercial (that, for some reason, advertisers sometimes forget). Such great examples include: Subservient Chicken The 70's throwback commericals - I'm sorry, my brutha, but you've got to get your own Chicken Fight For Chicken Fight, Burger King/CPB has also put together a free pay-per-view on Direct TV, and supported the campaign with commercials. If you have seen a commercial, though, your first thought might be aligned with mine: um, isn't this promoting cockfights (which, I believe, are illegal in all 50 states). And, it gets a little worse, with one of the costumed chickens chasing a real, live chicken around an alley. Oh, for good measure, the commercial throws in a Spanish speaking trainer, to give it more of the barrio feel. Well, the complaints hav...

I wanted to thank all the people that sent me Happy Birthday messages. For those that sent e-cards / cards, I am in the midst of writing you responses, etc. To the Auburn gang , thank you very much. It really made me smile on my Bday, which I always found somewhat of a blah day - it all goes back to not getting that Atari when I was younger ....

According to today's NYT, Comedy Central has worked out a deal for product placement within a cartoon series on the network , Shorties Watchin' Shorties . The NYT notes that Although it is difficult to identify firsts in marketing, this is thought to be the first time that paid placements will be a regular part of a cartoon series. Characters from animated series have appeared in commercials through the decades, from the Flintstones for Winston cigarettes, to the Simpsons for Butterfinger candy bars, but the products have not been embedded in the shows. Recently some products like Sprite, the soft drink, have appeared in the NBC animated series "Father of the Pride," but they were not paid placements. I disagree. This isn't the first time that a cartoon has been used for products, but might be the first time it's blatant for products that are not necessarily thought of as part of the cartoon. Think of any childhood cartoon. Those aren't cartoons, but are ...

Richard Edelman has a very touching post today about Gus Weill, Jr., a PR practitioner that took his life a few weeks ago. I didn't know Weill, but I can attest to the fact that this industry can take a toll at times. If you're in the industry long enough, you'll have your war stories about Tums and caffeine. If you are feeling charitable, Richard Edelman and Chris K of Burson-Marsteller, have set up a fund for Gus's son. The information is on Richard's blog.

Okay, it's the same blog as this. But, psuedo-mirrored. I didn't want someone else to claim poppr.blogspot.com , so I did it yesterday. So, each time I post something on this blog , I'll also post it to the other blog . Well, most of the time (like this won't go up, nor the bday post). It somewhat mirrors the actions I had to take for pop-pr.com and poppr.com . Just covering the bases....

Well, it's my birthday this week, on October 21. This means I'm a Libra, and as I was told when I was 14, that means I will eventually crack from the injustice in the world. For those that know me, this isn't a shock. What it also means is that I take a long time to make a decision, then stick with it, and it's usually the right one. These same friends have called me up and said - um, we know you, but no clue what to get you. My Amazon Wish list is under the contacts on the right-hand side. It's a great eclectic mix - go try to figure out who I am by my requests :-) For instance, the Ralph Lauren Pink Pony is because I worked on the breast cancer stamp . Go buy those stamps!! I expect e-cards from my readers :-)

Okay, I really don't know what War Eagle means, but it must be an Auburn football thing. Tigers, eagles ... okay, I see the connection. They take their football very seriously down in Alabama. Auburn public relations and multimedia professor, Robert French, blogs. His blog, infOpinions has some pretty witty and fun commentary on the world, as well as things he points out to his students. Plus, he's said some nice things about me in the past. But, what I really think is cool of Robert - although his students might disagree - is that he requires his students to blog . Some have been more diligent about the project, others have been lagging, and others, it seems, don't realize that this is part of their grade. I have been reading his students' blogs off and on, and kept meaning to blog about them. I've had a few email conversations with Robert - kids, listen to him, take his advice, he seems like he'd be a great mentor! - about my perceptions about h...

According to my old hometown newspaper, the Detroit Free Press - from which I learned to read - Border's is testing the rebranding of Waldenbooks to Border's Express . Truth be told, Waldenbooks always freaked me out. I don't know why, but I must have had a bad experience in one. Border's, on the other hand, is a great place to go. I do have this odd desire to grab magazine's out of people's hands, and yell at them that Border's is not a library, but I usually just say that to the Border's employees, who give me that "I wish we could do that" look. This, to me, is a great brand extension and renaming of existing business. Waldenbooks could only improve with being more affiliated with Borders, and it will be interesting to see how this plays out. Then again, it will all depend on a great PR campaign, to get people to think of Border's while they are in malls. Hey Borders! Gimme a ring - I'm a good Michigander who has been to ...

Blogger is testing out new features, but it looks like you have to live in the Bay Area to partipate. Come on guys, it's the Internet. Wasn't this supposed to free us from the shackles of being tied down to one locale, and be able to telecommute and all that jazz?

Today's NY Post has a gossip piece with Ted Turner lamenting that "The Cartoon Network is drawing three times the ratings of CNN — what does that mean?" Just a guess ... how about that Cartoon Network has better programming than CNN? That Cartoon Network has evolved and continues to change, while CNN lost its footing and is stagnant and boring? That Cartoon Network has pushed the envelope with Adult Swim and other programming, and that CNN tries too hard to stay impartial and trots out Larry King as cutting edge? I love CNN. I have a lot of formative child memories that involve CNN and CNN Headline News, such as the explosion of the Challenger. I remember rushing home that day from school, and watching CNN Headline News for updates. I love Cartoon Network's Adult Swim - Aqua Teen Hunger Force rules! - and that the channel develops quirky programming that reaches key demograhics. But the fact is that CNN lost its footing and is trying to regain w...

According to Mediabistro 's media newsletter - I guess a good as source as any for news about Mediabistro - they went off and hired Elizabeth Spiers as the new editor-in-chief . I liked Spiers when she wrote for Gawker , liked Choire's writing more when he replaced her, and like Coen's writting now - but that's just because she's an MOT. Congratulations to my good buddy Laurel Touby for landing Spiers. Should be interesting to see what she does with it. Oh, an afterthought: Spier's qoute in the release was: "Given recent screaming headlines about forged memos, presidential debate coverage, and subpoenaed journalists, I think this is a great time to re-evaluate the way the media industry covers itself," says Spiers. "As we expand the breadth and depth of coverage and analysis on mediabistro.com, we’re well-positioned to be on the cutting edge of that. I’m very excited about the opportunity to build the site into something that’s trul...

I love this idea, and at the same time, I don't think I would be able to do it as POP! Public Relations . Vaughn Whelan , a veteran ad man, wants the Molson ad business , so much that he developed, produced and placed a 60-second television commercial in Canada and Vermont. The story is from the NY Post. This is just pushing the envelope. It's a great way for Whelan to get press for his firm, for him to get his ideas in front of Molson (and possibly get on the short list), and get other companies looking for an ad firm that can take risks, take chances, and do something fun and quirky. Can a public relations firm do this? I don't think so. Public relations is about messaging, messaging developed with the client. In pitches that POP! PR has been in against other local firms, some of the firms will deliver "hits" during the decision process, hoping to tip the scales. In one instance, this badly backfired against an agency, to the point that the inter...