As Olympics go, it’s not going to be about only sports. There are PR, marketing, and reputation issues shaping up, even as the USOC wrestles with how to manage these side-shows.

I have been in touch with someone who will be ‘reporting’ on marketing-related events, and we (meaning you readers) get to ask questions. We may even get a few exclusives.

Grab an RSS feed, and stay tuned!

Scottsdale Job Network (SJN) LinkedIn workshop for job seekers
Tues, August 19, 2008 - 1 p.m. & 3 p.m.

LinkedIn is a business oriented social networking site mainly used for professional business networking. Use of LinkedIn by recruiters and job seekers has been growing steadily. Many job seekers now use it to find contacts at their target companies who can help educate them about the company, get an inside look at particular positions or perform due diligence and follow-up on negotiating job offers.

LinkedIn also provides employers and recruiters the ability to post jobs, and job seekers the ability to search for jobs.

LinkedIn has more than 20 million registered users across 150 industries and more than 400 economic/geographic regions. Users create and maintain a list of contacts containing the details of people they know and trust. This contact list can be searched–and the contact list of each contact two levels below can be searched–for a variety of purposes.

Don’t miss the August 19 presentation if you want to learn how to:

Effectively use LinkedIn to grow your network

- Build your profile to become findable
- Import contacts
- Invite group members
- Identify hiring managers at target companies
- Use your LinkedIn Network to:
- Reach recruiters
- Establish relationships to help you land that job
- Hone Search techniques and strategies
- Hone Interaction techniques and strategies

Optional (not required): Bring a laptop with a wireless card to do the things explained and get immediate real value.

Workshop facilitator, Bill Austin is:

- One of the top three most connecte LinkedIn users in the Greater Phoenix Arizona area
- An expert in Social Media Marketing
- Vice President and Board Member of SJN
- Vice President of Business Development for AZhttp, Inc.

Workshop fee: Cost is $25 for members, $35 for non members. Pay at the door via cash or check to Scottsdale Job Network.

Workshop Location: Temple Chai, 4645 E. Marilyn Road, Phoenix, AZ 85032

Scottsdale Job Network, Inc. is a charitable corporation in the State of Arizona and the group has applied to the IRS for 501(c)(3) status. Meetings are held on the first and third Tuesday mornings, 9:00-11:30 a.m. at Temple Chai, 4645 E. Marilyn Road, Phoenix, AZ 85032-4839. Job seekers are offered the opportunity to network, learn new job search skills, and work with people who genuinely care about them. See Events Calendar for meeting dates and programs scheduled.

Someone in Circuit City’s Corporate communications moved quickly to retake the story, but it was not his apology that was smart, but the fact that he responded at all: “The parody of our newspaper ad in the August MAD was very clever. Most of us at Circuit City share a rich sense of humor and irony…but there are occasional temporary lapses.”

He could have easily fired back at Mad magazine with “The parody of our newspaper is completely unfair, and in very poor taste. We are a customer-centric organization with some of the highest satisfaction rates. Our unbeatable price guarantee. …bla bla bla…”

Instead he ‘rewarded’ the editor with a gift card. And read how he ended his letter about the very product made fun of.

What else could Circuit City have done in this situation?

The sisters were the lead story on today’s Extra Mustard Hot Clicks, an area on the SI Web site filled with stuff one expects to see on the E Network and TMZ. Now, I’m not one to look a gift babe in the mouth, so of course I flipped through the photos of these lovely young ladies. All of a sudden the Olympics had some appeal.

But being the crack journalist that I am, I went to the official site of the Beijing Games to get some more details about these athletic Ariels. And wouldn’t you know it — Brazil doesn’t even have a synchronized swimming team (here’s a list of the sports the country is actually participating in). Well, alas, I shall be forced to skip synchronized swimming once again as I glue myself to the TV for the next fortnight.

Really though, it’s not hard to imagine the folks at the International Olympic Committee or even the marketing wizards at NBC (which is advertising it’s going to show like three million hours of coverage) making this stuff up to increase interest. Because really, aside from Michael Phelps and the NBA versus the world, this is shaping up to be a pretty dull event. More people will tune in to see if the Chinese government will pull the plug on the cameras if its basketball team falls behind by 30 points.

Are men this gullible? Dumb question, of course we are! I bet the page hits for the photos of Brazilian synchronized swimming twins Bia and Branca Feres were off the charts (FYI guys, these photos may not be safe for work if you know what I mean).

Is it a good PR stunt? I imagine the ladies will get plenty of major offers from magazines around the world. So yes, if the PR job was to get exposure (ehem) for the girls, job well done. If it was some conspiracy to get more viewers for NBC…the jury is still out. I for one, was duly impressed by their…credentials.

Name:

1. What do you do? Produce and host an entertaining talk radio show for entrepreneurs and small business owners. The first hour is broadcast live on Fridays from 9a to 10a, and the pre-recorded second hour airs Saturdays 8a to 9a.

2. What kinds of stories are you looking for? We are looking for interesting and personable guests whose businesses are related to our weekly show topic and who will share their stories of success and failure. We look for inspiring stories that let other entrepreneurs and business owners know that no problem is insurmountable!

3. What’s the best way to approach you with a pitch? At this time, please email our producer, Mary Jo with the guest’s name, contact information, and business description. We are in the process of redesigning our website to include an online form for anyone who wishes to be considered for an interview on the show.

4. What recommendations do you have for PR professionals? Please keep in touch! I deeply appreciate your referrals and don’t get discouraged if you don’t hear back right away. We keep all referrals on file and review those options as we plan future shows.

5. What’s the strangest/weirdest pitch you’ve ever received? LOL…there have been some real doozies, but not that I can recall off the top. Of course, nothing weird has ever come from Charlotte Risch!

The August monthly luncheon will highlight case studies pertaining to ethics in journalism by Robert Leger, currently editorial page editor at the Scottsdale Republic and former national president of the Society of Professional Journalists. His presentation will touch upon ethics and philosophies from the media’s perspective, as well as how to deal with ethics in our technology-driven world.

When: Wednesday, August 27, 2008, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: University Club 39 E Monte Vista Rd, Phoenix, Arizona

Time: Registration and Networking begins at 11:30 a.m.; presentation begins at noon

Cost: $25 members; $40 nonmembers (add $5 for walk-ins)

Register: E-mail Kate Guess, APR,

Please note: No-Shows will be billed. Cancellations are required with 24-hour advance notice.

Two Sundays ago I heard this comment that was not just typical of their style, but it revealed how far ahead of the “join the conversation” trend they’ve always been.

“If we can’t answer it, our audience will answer it –because they are the ones with the brains and we are the morons.”

Their hallmark self-effacing comments about each other and the show (called “our lousy radio show” on the site!) and occasionally insulting a listener (one was called ‘the little twerp’) are a given. But consider what they also do in that throwaway line.

1. They give the audience huge credit for keeping the show going, and the motivation to continue to do so. Even though the call-ins are essentially to the Brothers.
2. They mean ‘wisdom of the crowds’ without laboring the point or patronizing the audience
3. Like their show, they simplify technical stuff for non-tech people. IT folks could learn a lot from this!

Certainly a different breed of talk show “morons!”

In the past 24 hours I have received the following e-mails, all of which defaulted into my SPAM folder:

Man-eating tribe abducted tourist and ate them

Drug bust on Snoop’s tour bus

Girl kills dog in Iowa

Pamela and Britney are lesbian lovers

Shia LeBeouf to lose hand

New National Anthem proposed by Bush

McCain says he is a young man trapped in old body

I have to say these headlines are much more creative than the old SPAM headlines I used to get. Interestingly though, the messages within the e-mails are still the same old Nigerian money scams, links to porn sites and images of various boxes of Levitra and M-tabs.

What do these headlines say about marketing? I think they say spammers are getting more savvy, because even I’ve been fooled into opening some just to make sure there isn’t something good inside. Aren’t you even slightly interested in reading about the man-eating tribe abducting tourists? Or maybe I’m just subconsciously looking for some good porn links.

The Sept. 10-12 Missouri School of Journalism Centennial and Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute Dedication is focused on journalism’s future. The Sept. 11 Futures Forum will include 20+ interactive discussions about the future of the profession with some of the world’s top journalists and strategic communicators. The Sept. 12 Technology Summit will focus on innovative storytelling, tools and revenue models that will shape the future. The Summit concludes with introduction of the EMERGING MEDIA 100 - the top ideas, trends, tools that will influence journalism in the next century. A one-stop website about the events is here.

The new Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute is run by Executive Director Pam Johnson, formerly in executive and managing editor positions at the Arizona Republic and Phoenix Gazette. The 30,000 square-foot facility on the University of Missouri campus will have state-of-the-art resources to test and demonstrate new technologies, experiment with convergence news production and delivery systems, and conduct real-time and virtual seminars and conferences.

There’s no word yet on whether the school’s most famous drop-out, master paparazzi and media handler Brad Pitt, will show.

~From Pat Elliott

When he showed me the site I realized it’s not only funny, but it’s a brilliant marketing strategy for a very powerful household blender called “The Total Blender.”  So often we PR and marketing gurus think we can help our clients sell a product by trying to create a viral video, but honestly I’m not sure if we have that power — perhaps that power is only given to society at large. Regardless, the folks at Will It Blend have come damn close. See for yourself:

You gotta admit, not only is the concept of blending everyday objects funny, it also showcases the best feature of the product. This blender is amazing! If it can blend a golf ball, tees and a golf club, imagine what it could do with a simple protein shake.

In addition to the blending itself, the whole ad concept is brilliant. The pitchman Tom Dickson has a “Mr. Wizard” quality and the music and graphics give the spots a 70s bad TV retro feel. Great stuff, and of course, it’s growing virally and they are selling blenders.