North Carolina
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On March 5, Conan O’Brien sent out this tweet:
“I've decided to follow someone at random. She likes peanut butter and gummy dinosaurs. Sarah Killen, your life is about to change”
as he decided to make the 19-year-old student the one and only person he is following on Twitter. Turns out he was right.
comment | 03/09/2010
After NBC’s PR disaster in January, it seemed to me that the network’s ratings would suffer permanent damage. The showdown between Conan O’Brien and Jay Leno, both vying for airtime position as host of the Tonight Show, became an embarrassing mud-slinging fight for an already struggling network. With various celebrities (like Rosie O’Donnell, Jimmy Fallon, and Roger Ebert) showing their support for O’Brien, and what seemed like a social media army behind “Team Conan,” only one media circus might be able to save it. The Olympics. And it looks like it has.
comment | 02/26/2010
As if Google didn’t already rule the world, they’ve now released their own social media tool. In the new “Google Buzz,” users are able to share updates, videos, and photos with their contacts. In theory, Buzz is no different from a tweet or a status update on Facebook.
comment | 02/12/2010
Who can forget the PR frenzy that started this time last year when the world found out that Nadya Suleman had given birth to eight babies? The initial fascination over the mother who made history by giving birth to the world’s longest-living set of octuplets soon turned to mass criticism.
comment | 01/29/2010
While many fans are anxiously watching their NFL teams in the playoffs, hoping they get a shot at playing in the Super Bowl, the media world is concerned about who's buying what ad during the big game.
comment | 01/14/2010
With the print media industry shrinking, reporters are becoming harder and harder to come by, and that has many professional sports teams scrambling for new ideas to ensure they receive media coverage. What have they come up with? Hiring their own reporter!
1 comment | 12/18/2009
To continue the trend of typically non-credible tabloid sources breaking headline news – you may recall TMZ confirming Michael Jackson’s death back in June – the gossip magazine US Weekly announced on its front page this morning that they have exclusive details about Tiger Woods’ 31-month affair with LA cocktail waitress Jaimee Grubbs, including documented proof in the form of 300 text messages and a voicemail left by Woods on Nov. 24.
comment | 12/04/2009
Scores of tweens and teens have been eagerly awaiting today’s release of The Twilight Saga: New Moon, but surprisingly, so are many of their mothers...
comment | 11/20/2009
The votes are in for Wake County elections, and one thing is for sure – Scott Lassiter is out. The 22-year-old candidate running for a spot on the town council has become known for his less-than-subtle campaign techniques, which include driving around a 1985 Chevy Conversion van bearing a larger-than-life picture of him giving the classic double thumbs up.
comment | 11/06/2009
When you think of the state fair, images of chowing down on questionable deep-fried foods, petting goats, people-watching with the locals and being relentlessly provoked by the man working the whack-a-mole booth all come to mind. It seems simple enough, but getting the word out about this year’s festivities, themed “A Whole Lotta Happy,” was anything but.
comment | 10/26/2009
We see what seems like a new version of the same story almost every day: “Mother Arrested for Making Online Threats to Daughter’s Friend,” “Employee Fired for Dissing Boss Via Facebook Status,” “Reporter Tweets Obama’s Comments on Kanye West” – and now – “Secret Service Probing Facebook Poll That Asked Whether Obama Should Be Killed.” This weekend the Secret Service launched an official investigation over the internet poll that was posted using a third-party application via the popular social networking Web site Facebook. While the government does its job to unveil the intent of the poll’s creator, the rest of us are forced once again to ask ourselves the begging question: Is the internet the modern weapon of choice when it comes to crime?
comment | 10/14/2009
When it comes to North Carolina State University these days, there is one obvious fact that is hard to argue – they could use some good PR right about now. Between dealing with budget cuts, free speech issues and corrupt officials, the university has spent the last several months being publicly stoned, taking one momentous blow after another.
comment | 09/14/2009
In today’s business climate it is essential for successful companies to have well established online communities. Online communities allow users to engage with companies’ brands products and services. This online engagement fosters brand awareness and in many cases, brand loyalty. Today a well designed Web site is just not enough. Businesses must enter the realm of social media. According to one article, the number of active Facebook users was expected to reach 200 million by the end of March with the fastest growing demographic being those 25 years old and older and most of these users are logging on multiple times a week, if not everyday.
2 comments | 04/16/2009
What is the one thing that connects politicians, protestors and everyone in-between at the G20 Summit?
The ideological opposed groups do not discriminate when it comes to social media.
comment | 04/03/2009
In an attempt to reach out to the hi-tech citizens that brought him to the White House, President Obama held an online town hall for citizens to ask questions relating to the economy on Thursday morning. The experimental online town hall called “Open for Questions” was the first of its kind for the White House.
comment | 03/27/2009
It looks as if Christian Bale’s out of control temper has risen again. Just last summer he was arrested and accused of assaulting his mother and sister in London and now has reportedly went on verbal tirade on the set of his new film Terminator Salvation.
comment | 02/04/2009
I know I’ve already written one blog about the Carolina Panthers, and I’m sure that all of you remember that I concluded by saying that the Panthers would win the Super Bowl. Well, it’s more than halfway through the regular season and who would have thought that it’s actually possible?
comment | 11/13/2008
Barack Obama is all about change, that’s no secret, but who would have thought that he could possibly change the way that politicians contact one of the hardest demographics to reach? Obama has decided to use video games to advertise to young males, 18-34. Advertisements in this medium are nothing new.
comment | 10/16/2008
McCain this, Obama that. It seems that everywhere you turn all you here about is the election. Not that the election isn’t important, it’s just that every once in a while you need a break from it. So let’s turn to something a little more interesting, like NC State football …on second thought, an under-achieving team with only two wins and six losses isn’t that interesting. Well, we always have hope for basketball!
comment | 10/06/2008
Bill Gates is trying to re-invent his company for a new generation after rival Apple has aired ads that depict Microsoft as the stodgy has been company of the 20th century. So what does he do? He creates an incredibly long commercial (over 90 seconds), makes no mention of a groundbreaking new product, and hires a 90’s sitcom star whose only claim to fame this century is an insect movie about stolen honey!
comment | 09/10/2008
