Making the social media rounds this week is a wonderful chart put together by CMO.com. This is a group for Chief Marketing Officers and is laden with useful information and tools. The chart below can be downloaded as a .pdf file by clicking here: Social Media Landscape

Now you know that Twitter is good for customer communication, and Linked In is awful for driving traffic to your site. Who knew? CMO knew!

The downside of living in Australia is the Oscars are held during our work day. While North Americans are snug in their TV rooms we’re in our cubicles hashing out assignments. It’s the nature of our time zone. Yes, one of the penalties of living in the world’s most livable city is we’re always a day ahead. Alas.

Yet on Oscar night the torment is all the worse. In the Age of Twitter, every update was available on the instant. Even Associated Press couldn’t post wire columns fast enough to keep up with the flow from Twitter. Charlize Theron’s dress?

Cherryandjoy: Just had my fix of the Oscars dresses- Rachel mcAdams looked fab in Elie Saab but what was Charlize Theron thinking?!

When some favourite films were overlooked?

She_Beautiful: WHAT THE F**K?!?!?! HOW DID PRECIOUSNOT WIN?!?? Yo this s**t is fkn FIXED! Ugh! #Oscars -____-
(Apologies She_Beautiful as I have corporate minders to watch so I asterisked your post!)

AllisonWestover: Why Oscar chose “Hurt Locker” over “Avatar” http://twurl.nl/bjyzhk http://bit.ly/ZoPj1

And of course the after-parties!

muthafcknerica: I have 2 admit Grammy after partiesare awsome, but Oscar parties are fabulous. Vanity Fair party was breathtaking. #nocomparison

Now why did Vanity Fair misplace my invitation again? That’s 20 years in a row!

The Twitter posts came so fast and so furious it was hard to keep up. Near the conclusion I entered “Oscars” and a slew of postings came up. In under one minute and additional 28 posts were made on the same subject.

Of course it was hard to concentrate at work as colleagues screamed out “Jeff Bridges” or “Sandra Bullock” or “Up”! In the end the show has yet to start here in Sydney but I already know all the winners. I suppose getting a photo to go along will add the glamour to the clamour!

Or maybe not - Thanks E! Online for all the photos…

I know you receive benefits from Centrelink, and that you shop on iTunes. Your medical coverage is with Medibank - there’s even your account number. You’re self-employed because I see the deposits of the client invoices, and the project descriptions. I know you live near Leichhardt because that’s where you buy petrol. When you were on holiday in Perth I know where you stayed and that you even got a traffic fine, which you paid on 23 February. I know where you grocery shop (Woolworths Leichhardt).

What do you know about me?

Last month St George Bank mailed the wrong personal banking information to the wrong customers. I got your statement. You have mine. See story here: http://tinyurl.com/ya54maf

But the bank cares. In their letter they said they’re investigating and will be certain this doesn’t happen again. They have a 24-7 dedicated telephone line. I called on Sunday at 12:00 noon - and was put on hold for 10 minutes (”Because your call is important”). When I asked who received my statement, the female operator started lecturing me that no one could tell who I was by my banking information.

Yet I know your wife is named Leanne - because when you made an Internet Withdrawal you wrote the memo that it was for Leanne’s hair products.

So tell me St George. I know this other person. I have their detailed financial history. You’ve made no effort to reclaim these statements and your bossy operator told me I needn’t worry. You’re taking this seriously. You’re conducting an investigation. Yet the front page of your web site gives none of that away - there’s no mention.

Great job St George. At least I know this statement isn’t for Westpac-St George CEO Gail Kelly. I don’t believe she received Centrelink payments. Nor would she like her personal information in another person’s hands. Just like me.

Yet across the Pacific it’s bad news in America. Not only is unemployment static at just under 10%, the length of unemployment exceeds anything seen in recent history. NPR reports the average length is six months - with some reporting of a year or more without work.

The fall-out in America of long-term unemployment is going to be felt at the polls. Any government in power when the economy is down fares badly. In Australia we may be unhappy with elements of government, but since the economy is doing so well we’ll just leave the incumbents in power. Obama’s mid-term elections occur in November.

Will this be the “Change” he spoke so passionately about?

But Jothy’s emails trying to tempt gold-diggersgold sellers were published. Now Jothy’s dodging camera crews in car parks and his employer refuses to acknowledge his existence. The story received national airplay in AUstralia on “Today Tonight” and “A Current Affair”.

A PR man’s worst nightmare? Maybe not.

One conspiracy theorist notes the responses and car park interviews are too polished. Was this guy caught out or stage managed? The crisis has forced gold buying parties into prominence never-before seen.

Now I know I’m supposed to be creative in my job. But it never occurred to me to fake a crisis in order to propel further media.

Is that what those Exxon Valdez guys were thinking?

Next week I am shaving my head for charity.  

The entire Sydney office has gotten behind “The World’s Greatest Shave” and, in my bravado, I volunteered to part with all my hair.  

Of course I can’t (and won’t) unless we reach our ambitious fund-raising target of $5,000. The entire office is out collecting. It appears they really want to see me bald!  

Could I kindly ask you for your contributions also? To make a donation please click here: http://my.imisfriendraising.com.au/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=337693. Please don’t be intimidated by my complete failure to raise funds yet. I registered this week!  I am happy and proud my nephew Dominic is a survivor of the disease, despite two rounds of intense illness.

Walter Jennings

 Arguably Australia’s most prominent television channel and primary broadcaster of the Vancouver Winter Olympic games, Channel 9 has been hit with a blizzard of complaints over homophobic comments made by former CEO and Winter Olympic host Eddie McGuire. McGuire’s comments were made along with fellow host, Australian comedian Mick Malloy, following U.S. athlete Johnny Weir’s routine in men’s figure skating. McGuire and Malloy commented on Weir’s clothing, and used terms including ‘flamboyant’ and ‘in the closet’. 

Just moments after the exchange on live television, a wave of outrage flooded Twitter from thousands of angry viewers. Here are a few examples.

• @Shhhannon Just saw Eddie McGuire step in it with an inappropriate comment about a male ice-skater. Watch this space for controversy!
• @nilesedgeUgggh who let Eddie mcguire near the winter olympics??
• @chicachowCan’t decide what he finds more offensive: channel nine’s vaguely homophobic figure skating commentating or Eddie mcguire’s face.
• @ozreedgal: eddie mcguire has made a number of little digs about competitors’ s-xuality since I’ve been watching 2night. He’s obsessed #olympics.

The outrage continuesin the aftermath of McGuire’s comments, above and beyond the competition and Olympic stars. Currently a Facebook group, ‘Eddie Mcguire is ruining the 2010 Winter Olympics coverage,’ has some 11,000 members – a figure that grew from just 195 people after McGuire’s comments on Weir.

So what’s the latest? Eddie McGuire is currently being investigated by an Australian anti-discrimination board following an outpouring of emotion and official complaints.  As television coverage rolls on and McGuire presides over what’s been a fascinating spectacle, the spotlight’s not just on the games themselves, but also on Eddie. In this case although the media’s covering the Vancouver games, social media is covering the media!

by Jarrod Baker

Notification of a death by Facebook isn’t uncommon. Teens build RIP and Memorial sites as soon as they learn of a friend’s death. This month in Sydney one family learned their son died via such a site. The police were challenged identifying the remains and couldn’t make a positive identification until five or six hours after the accident. In an SMS world, that’s equivalent to a week. By then RIP notices were popping up on the pages kept by the victim’s sisters.

The memorial site on Facebook is a perfect place for mourners to connect and share memories of the decedent. It is a safe and open site for all to gather - and memories to be shared.

Until recently.

Now Facebook memorial pages have become the targets of malice. In February 12 year old Elliot Fletcher was stabbed in the chest and killed during a schoolyard brawl. His assailant is incarcerated. That boy is 13.

If this tragedy weren’t sufficient, “opportunistic vandals” have degraded the memorial site for Elliot with notes of insult, hate and rage. Melbourne University’s Dr Lauren Rosewarne explains the attraction of international media and a high profile death attract people wanting attention. Hence they shock us all with their notes of hate on a site dedicated to a young victim.

The vast displays of mourning seemed to start after the death of Lady Diana. Stunned members of the public began leaving flowers at the gates of Buckingham Palace. Soon that delivery of flowers and stuffed animals and notes became the norm after a death. The short-lived tribute sites were usually at a victim’s home - or at the site where their body was discovered. It would be unthinkable to see these locations defaced.

Today police in the Queensland city of Bundaberg are monitoring Facebook sites devoted to eight year old murder victim Trinity Bates. While 3,900 people have joined one page, others have posted child pornography or messages in support of the apprehended murder suspect.

Perhaps technology is taking us too far. Perhaps there are some areas best left to face-to-face communication. After a death the natural place to gather is the victim’s home or funeral parlor. It allows a personal connection and sharing that on-line will never replicate. And if Drive Through Funeral Parlours open Down Under - like in America - you’ll be able to do so from the comfort of your car.

The audience of 150 people were predominantly from the client side, with fair representation from the major agencies. Leading banks, corporations, government departments and others attended.

The first speaker was Social Media Senior Advisor at Telstra – a real coal-face position. The last speaker was regional salesman for Dow Jones, Lars Voedisch (and former FH Singapore person!). In-between was yours truly!

Knowing many would focus on the tools and tips and case studies, I focused on the meta-trends (erosion of trust in institutions, explosion of publishing and thus the death of top-down communications). I said it would be a good deck for counsellors to use with their CEOs so they understood the framework for engaging in social media.

There was one reporter in attendance – Glen Frost from “The PR Report”. Also there was our new Account Director, Paris Brimo. I paired Glen and Paris so she’s now the “cover girl” for the next edition!

All in all a great way to spend the morning (and the better part of a day preparing the deck). If you need the slides they are here: http://www.slideshare.net/Wallyballoo

As I gaze out of the Skype video window into the classroom, I’ll see 16 students. Nate from Evansville has the wickedest sideburns I’ve ever seen. Ashley was inspired by a cruise at age 13 and one of her dream jobs is to work on a ship as liaison with international travelers. Sam is “super jealous” I get to live in Australia as he’s already been here - and is itching to get back! There’s Rachel from Chicago and Bene’ from Nashville (one of my favourite American cities). Alexei is keen to learn the cultures of Japan and India, while Shabrelle can’t decide between public relations and corporate law (is it because they’re both creative fields?).

Angela wants to know if we really say “G’Day Mate!” (We do.) Alex est Francophone parce’qu’elle adore la France (moi aussi)! Meanwhile Kristopher speaks Japanese which may not prove useful in South Bend (not South Park) but will be a bonus in Tokyo. Paula is from Tulsa and is keen to learn about Asian cultures (there’s a lot to learn). Samantha’s already done an internship and is fluent in Spanish. And Alexandra is already an officer with PRSSA - the student public relations association.

Finally I’ll see Professor Bright and his able assistant Kate Lee (who is privately cheering for her fellow Canadians in Vancouver now).

So as you all hunker in to the cold and wet and snow of Indiana, spare a moment’s thought for all of us trapped down here in Australia. (Speak to you soon!)