Just been reading my feeds (a little overdue admittedly) and saw a great post for Michael Litman about a presentation he saw at the Social Networking World Forum by Dirk Singer.
It’s all about justifying social media in these credit crunch times. I think it’s really interesting and a good way to get the point across to clients etc without all the hype and buzz words they don’t necessarily understand.
I went to see Watchmen last night and really loved it. I didn’t know what to expect, not being a DC Comics fan I hadn’t heard the story, and I didn’t initially think it would be my kind of film, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was a kind of cross between Sin City, Kill Bill and The Dark Knight.
The thing that impressed me most had to be the soundtrack. I absolutely loved it. The film uses a very Tarintino-style use of strange song choices to heighten the scenes and make the audience feel a bit confused or uncomfortable.
For example, the opening scene is a brutal and really violent fight sequence ending in someone being thrown out of a window. This is set to the beautiful ‘Unforgettable’ by Nat King Cole. To go from that to a montage of American history set to Bob Dylan’s ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’ has to be duly noted.
The characters were well developed and I genuinely cared for them (or was petrified of them in the case of Rorshack!)
There’s been a lot of hype about this film, mainly from DC Comic enthusiasts. The film’s online presence has been massive and really uniquely executed. I think their social media strategy has been fantastic. The main website links to a blog called ‘I watch the Watchmen’ which is totally interactive and a dream come true for fanatics (both social media and Watchmen).
There are a number of tools available including iPhone apps, a selection of character images so you can change your profile picture on your social networking sites, skins for blogs and websites, widgets, film clips that you can add yourself into and social bookmarking.
It’s great to see film companies and big-budget films using social media to engage with their audience and spread word of mouth online. I think these tactics will start to be used more and more often, which is great news because die-hard fans can totally immerse themselves in the film and feel part of the experience.
My colleague Jed said today that journalists and PR people do the same job. This started some heated debate between Chris, Becca and I. We all totally disagreed with him and said the two professions were completely different.
Although they both utilise the same skills - writing, communication, relationships, storytelling - they are very different. Journalism is independent publishing with an aim to sell papers. PR is telling a story on behalf of a client in order to create a certain perception.
Wikipedia defines public relations as:
And journalism as:
I suppose it goes without saying that Jed’s statement has created some healthy debate on Twitter. What are your thoughts?
I am a huge fan of Soap and Glory cosmetics and was delighted to see their products on 1/3 off at Boots at the moment. After splurging a ridiculous amount of money on goodies, I began thinking about the brand from a PR and social media point of view.
The brand has a bit of cult following and in my eyes is a more affordable version of Benefit (who coincidentally have just joined forces with GHD for a new combo package supported by a national ad campaign).
Soap and Glory’s presence online and in traditional consumer media is quite small - I did a quick Google search and only found a few pieces out there.
I would absolutely love the chance to work for a brand like this. I think there is so much potential to develop their presence online using social media tools in a quirky way that fit alongside their brand personality.
Social media is still a relatively untapped resource for cosmetic brands - so Soap and Glory could truly put themselves ahead of the curve by taking the opportunity now.
So Soap and Glory, if you’re listening, you know where I am 
