Clever Video Comic Book Promotion :: Johnny Bunko

Kevin Dugan, of the Strategic Public Relations blog, recently shared the following videos via FriendFeed, a social network sharing tool. (Students, check out FriendFeed.)

Both are good examples of video used in creative and compelling ways.

The Johnny Bunko video isn’t unique, as we’ve seen comic book videos many times. But, watch it. They poke fun at old business books. They use their own content to create the video which is certainly more entertaining than the usual interview with the author, for example.  It does more to sell the book than anything else I can imagine.  Viral?  It has been watched more than 25,000 times.

The book has a Web site, Johnny Bunko. It also has its Amazon.com site and a rank of #3,200 in books overall, right now. Um. that’s impressive. Check out “The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You’ll Ever Need.” Read more

Camp ASCCA and Felicia Day :: People and Places I Love

I love a lot of people and places. You may think I throw around the word love, in that respect, but no … I really do love them. You know, in that respectful “You’ve made my life happy and better, so I want to say thank you” kind of way.

Examples? How about our interns at Camp ASCCA. Danika Kmetz, Kelli Hood and Zeb Ramey. These people are absolutely terrific and did such a wonderful job. Look at ASCCA Friends and the Camp ASCCA Journal to see all the great work they did this summer.

But, there is more. They did video, audio, photos, media pitching, releases, features, tours, marketing … the list goes on and on. Read more

Noel Hidalgo Deported from China for Qik Video of Protesters in Tiananmen Square

A world traveler and citizen journalist was deported from China for recording the video below. It is Noel Hidalgo’s chance encounter in Tiananmen Square with protesters from the West decrying the human rights violations in Tibet.

Noel is on a trip around the world: Read more

The Daily Show :: Obama Cartoon

This is just one reason why I love The Daily Show.

Barack Obama should in no way be upset about the cartoon that depicts him as a Muslim extremist, because you know who gets upset about cartoons? Muslim extremists.

Don’t we all wish we could do a rant like this one? The joke about the bears is really enough to tell the whole story, alone. Yet, the closing line says it all.  Read more

One Reason Nonprofits Should Use Video :: Testimonials :: Two Video Examples

For almost three years, Camp ASCCA has been using blogs, podcasts and now a full blown niche social network - ASCCA Friends - to connect with ASCCA’s campers and their parents.

Danika Kmetz, a great PR intern from Illinois State University (and President of her PRSSA chapter), has created two very fun videos with the best kind of testimonials possible. The first is from Hope, a camper at ASCCA’s Teen Week taking place this week on Lake Martin. The second is a mashup of clips from last week’s Adult Mentally Disabled camp.

There are many ideas at work behind these sites. The most important is to provide a look inside camp that will reach out to our campers, their parents and anyone that has yet to consider a therapeutic recreation opportunity. Read more

Yobi.tv :: Proof Positive That Online Viral Marketing Doesn’t Always Work

It especially won’t work if you have a bad product.

I can feel Jen O’Meara’s pain. We likely all can. She has a project she loves and it isn’t going anywhere. Frustration. We’ve all felt it, right?

David Meerman Scott shares A viral marketing story suitable for bedtime. It is a story of disappointment and sadness. But, at least the author, YOBI CIO Jen O’Meara, tries to tell it with a tongue-in-cheek spin.

Jen’s no dummy - you’d think. A Ph.D. under her belt, no less, she’s struggling to get her startup Yobi.tv site off the ground. Yobi.tv claims to be a “unique blend of social networking, reality show contests, and user-generated content (that) will revolutionize the world of online entertainment.” Well, it’s good to have a dream. Read more

Another PROpenMic Success :: Maria Garcia and Lindsey George at Converseon

The PROpenMic social network for PR students, faculty and practitioners continues to prove successful.

Paull Young, of Young PR and Converseon emailed me the other day with news. He reminded me of the two people at Converseon that found their way to the firm through social media, and PROpenMic, in particular.  Read more

The Other Side of the Coin is Rusting :: Powerful Video and Opportunity for Comparison and Rhetorical Analysis

Video is a powerful medium.

The YouTube video below started me thinking about a lot of things. My head was spinning. So, I’m just thinking out loud here. My mind is still running over possible lesson plans that may help those academics yet to explore emerging digital media an avenue to embrace it.

This video I’m referring to, you’re going to like it, made me think how interesting it would be to adapt this Comparison and Rhetorical Analysis class assignment to the video below.

What might we add to that assignment? Perhaps a discussion about the growth of internet usage, particularly internet video viewing habits, among tweens, teens and college students would fit - or extend the exploration. Is online video their new venue for activism?

Discuss how broad the use of video has spread in just a short time. From February 2005 until today, YouTube has been followed by numerous other video sharing sites and networks.

With all those video sites, and their enormous traffic, McLuhan’s hammer is now a sledge [medium (video) as an extension (the hammer) of ourselves]. Think of it. With the advent of TubeMogul.com, for instance, the reach of these messages extends to so many sites, so easily. I know, we’re just talking about the time it takes to upload videos. But, that time requirement/constraint is a barrier to entry. One upload via TubeMogul now means you’re posting to over a dozen video sharing sites at once.

Looking at this post from June 2006, Video sharing sites - Alexa rankings « Video on the Web, I began wondering where their rankings are now. A cursory look already shows that more are in the top traffic slots. I’ll investigate those sites (and the new ones) and post it later. (And yes, I know we have to look further than the traffic rankings of Alexa.)

Like I said, my mind is spinning and racing. The Comparison and Rhetorical Analysis is one more way to engage in emerging digital media discussions in class. Compare the reach of video online today to the reach of say movies in their earliest years and TV in its Golden Age? That’s another. After all, the numbers are staggering.

And all of this rather random thinking comes about due to this truly powerful video that involves the juxtaposition of images from the 3rd world and developed countries. Me? I imagine that most people are generally oblivious to the devastation taking place all around us. Sure, we know it is happening. We just don’t think about it. Videos like this one need to keep pinging us upside the head as a reminder that all is not well with our world.

Again, just thinking out loud. Gotta get my head around this. Watch the video. What do you think?

By the way, if one kookaid drunk new media (ack!) guru makes any comment about the term medium, I’ll pound you.

Interns Creating Video :: Features :: Photos :: Audio Podcasts

Auburn PR student, Kelli Hood, is one of three interns at Camp ASCCA this summer.

She, along with Danika Kmetz of Illinois State University and Zeb Ramey from the University of South Alabama, are already writing (and getting published) for a magazine and preparing stories for local newspapers as well as their online offerings. Below, you’ll find three videos - one from each of them.

It is online video that seems to attract the most attention from potential campers, their parents and volunteers for Easter Seals Camp ASCCA. The interns post these to two different sites Camp ASCCA Journal and ASCCA Friends, ASCCA’s own niche social network. The students then share the videos with the world via TubeMogul. That site allows you to post one video to numerous video sharing sites around the world. Traffic from these videos greatly enhances Camp ASCCA’s visibility. Awareness is being developed each day.

They are also using Utterz to easily post audio podcasts throughout the day. I got an inexpensive $30 prepaid cellphone (with 300 minutes already on it) and gave each intern one to play with creating audio interviews. Hey, we’re experimenting. Here are three examples. What do you think?

Danika Interviews Auburn Alum Ashley Dickerson at High Ropes

Zeb Interviews a Camper at the High Ropes Course

Kelli Interviews a Counselor and Camper at Cargo Net

Now, the videos… Read more

Latest Thought For A Class Project :: A New Loveliest Village Social Network

For the longest time, it seems, we’ve been doing projects for clients in our Style & Design class, as well as Campaigns, PR Writing and Survey Research.

I had a thought. Yes, I know … that’s often a dangerous thing.

Why not take our ongoing blogging and podcasting activities and fold them into a real, honest-to-goodness, social network?

So, here ya’ go … LoveliestVillage.org will now become … TheLoveliestVillage.org.

From now on, part of our ongoing projects will be — grow the network. It isn’t enough to just practice the art of writing for an online audience, or preparing podcasts, or dabbling in graphics and layout. All of that means bupkus if you don’t also know how to develop the network (audience) for your project. D’oh?

It is such a simple natural progression on what we’ve been doing, I wanna kick myself for not having done this sooner. Perhaps it is my new infatuation with ASCCAFriends.org and the power of Ning, but this seems like a pretty fun idea. I can see students becoming fairly engaged. A little competition between groups as to which one lands the most signups … huh? Ya’ think?

After all, the students (depending upon the semester and # of classes / class size) combine to crank out 140 to 300+ videos and 240 to 500+ blog posts each semester. To keep it sane, we can limit participation in the ‘open’ social network to the almost 1,000 students in our department and select outiders/alumni. Then, as we learn, perhaps open it up. (Don’t know about that.)

Now, if we can’t build a network of Auburn students and fans around all the video podcasts and blogging we’ve been doing - while letting the network members blog & post, too - well, I’ll feel pretty goofy. (More goofy? goofier?) I’m even thinking about doing some Facebook Ads (just among Auburn students) to get it rolling. Don’t worry, we won’t spend much. The process of creating and launching the ads alone, is worth the cost.

Not foresaking the traditional bread-n-butter PR practices, we build in the traditional elements such as research, media relations, press kit … well, we will have to decide what fits.

So, whatta’ ya’ think? I’m liking this … but, as always, crave feedback and critiques.

I’m thinking that any college, university … any school, could create such a network.