comScore surveyed only 30,000 U.S. mobile subscribers, but the stats are still indicative of the trends in the US mobile market. Interestingly, Samsung is the top handset manufacturer overall with 25.5 percent market share, followed by LG, Motorola, Apple and RIM. Apple strengthened its position at #4 with 10.8 percent share of mobile subscribers (up 1.3 percentage points), while all other manufacturers, except Samsung, lost points.

Post from: eWritings - Online Public Relations

Google Android, Still Top Smartphone Platform in the US

If you don’t know how the 80% tax exemption in Luxembourg would work, the answer comes from VAYTON Brand Capital that recently launched a new DotBrand service, for all companies interested in registering a branded domain. VAYTON can help businesses auto-finance the registration through strategic use of business-friendly IP (intellectual property) legislation in Luxembourg.

To take advantage of the new ICANN gTLD program, announced by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers this June, companies may hire VAYTON to manage 100% of the project from filing to budgeting, allowing companies to focus on other essential growth aspects of their business.

Interested companies may find the official VAYTON press release here, an official Luxembourg IP legislation, and my in-depth article on the issue, ICANN Dot Branding: Half Full for Some Half Empty for Others at Everything PR.

Image credit – carolsg – Fotolia.com 

Post from: eWritings - Online Public Relations

Useful News for .brand Pursuers in the EU

The insights offered by ComContext, together with AtomicPR’s approach to combining the newest forms of media with traditional PR methods, has resulted in great success for AtomicPR clients. Some clients report a 100% improvement across PR performance measures.

This combination of public relations and technology earned Atomic PR the designation of “US Tech PR Agency of the Year” by The Holmes Report. The Holmes Report is an influential, impartial and independent publication covering the public relations industry around the globe.

The Holmes Report’s selection of AtomicPR for the award reinforces what many of Atomic PR‘s clients already know: ComContext works. Data analysis, metrics and analytics, just as they are used for business functions, work equally as well when applied to public relations campaigns. The top tech agency designation highlights Atomic PR’s leadership and vision for the future of public relations. A new way to manage public relations is emerging and AtomicPR is leading the way.

Post from: eWritings - Online Public Relations

AtomicPR’s Data-Driven PR Planning Achieves Results

Erin Andrews Peephole Case Solved By FBI [video]
Erin Andrews peephole case solved. A Chicago man was arrested on Friday in connection with illegal videos taken of Andrews nude in her hotel room. The FBI arrested Michael David Barrett at O’Hare airport, and he is scheduled to be arraigned in Federal Court today. Andrews issued a statement through her attorneys and PR Newswire as well. Prominent instances of this video are still on the Web, so we suggest Andrew’s attorney ask that they be removed. (link provided)

The PR Power of a White Paper
Business is booming with white papers. With recently published reports on how the technology industry is taking advantage of this important marketing tool, one cannot ignore how PR has the power to harness the white paper.

Are Companies Going Too Far with Breast Cancer Awareness Month?
There are those who feel that the Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month has gone a little too far and that companies are now just exploiting the cause. The big question is . . . does it matter?

Keep Hidden Meanings From Ruining Your PR Campaign
PR goofs may be funny, but they can ruin your campaign. Learn some ways to avoid PR mistakes before they happen.

Robert Joe Halderman’s Day of Fame and the Saga of Destroyed Reputations
David Letterman, Joe Halderman and Stephanie Birkitt are the main actors of a PR scandal without precedent.

Liz Claman of Fox Business Network Defines Business Sexy
Anchor Liz Claman offers her recipe for being sexy without detracting from the news she reports. Desribed as one of the most “camera ready” lady on the news, Claman is really more concerned with the issues than she is with her sex appeal. Perhaps this is so because her “method” has been honed so well she does not have to think about it. For this writer, I would never have thought such a big deal would be made out of something every “Hollywood” news lady would know?

Top Ten Reasons Why Female Late Show Employees Had Sex With Letterman by PRDude
Another reason to smile, this time by an anonymous author who calls himself the “PRDude” on Twitter.

PR Funny of the Day: “Word of mouse” by Kwittken & Company
Don’t judge the value of a company by typos and small errors. Look for the value of the ideas instead.

Mercedes Benz Sales Still Plummeting, And It’s No Wonder
Daimler’s Mercedes Benz may be in be trouble. Conflicting sales numbers and inadvisable or failed deals spotlight a company struggling to get its feet back under it. In a failing economy, amid losses of jobs everywhere, can Mercedes afford to depart from their core expertise? From failed customer support to failed partnerships Daimler may need to look into new leadership rather than new markets like China.

Post from: eWritings - Online Public Relations

PR News from Everything PR

Yahoo! are not the first trying to market software that merges Internet with television, but previous attempts by other companies failed lamentably. It was never the public’s fault – the public is actually ready for Internet connected television, as ready as it was for the iPhone. The reason why previous attempts of bringing Internet content on TV failed lays in technology, at both hardware and software levels.

Yahoo! TV, in cooperation with Intel, developed software that would let users call up websites right alongside programs they are watching on TV with just a remote. The innovation was presented this month at CES. Among the early adopters of Yahoo!’s technology we number LG, Samsung, Sony and VIZIO. The service will be thus included in TV sets sold in America and 10 European countries.

An Open Source Platform

Yahoo!’s declared their TV widgets open platform – pretty much like Apple’s iPhone. Third party developers will be able to write widgets that will be included in Yahoo!’s widget directory and made available for the public only after they pass Yahoo!’s scrutiny.

When the TV Widgets go public later this year, the directory will include about 20 different widgets, with online services like Yahoo! Weather, Twitter, MySpace, New York Times and others.

The widgets at launch are free and are all downloadable from an online “widget gallery.” The service will also have controls for parents who want to keep their children away from inappropriate content.

Yahoo! made no disclosure about the monetization plans for this service – apparently they are waiting to see whether the public enjoys the service before including ads. On a later stage widget developers will be allowed to set up their own widget download prices, sharing the revenue with Yahoo!

Equal Opportunities for all Brands

The widget gallery is not exclusive to big brands. Any new widget needs Yahoo!’s approval before being made available for download. However, this minor impediment should not stop serious brands from creating their own widgets and submitting them to Yahoo! widget gallery. Delivering content to the customers’ TVs is definitely a new boundary to explore.

If Yahoo! is successful we will assist at the birth of some new trends: optimizing a site for TV, new types of TV advertising, etc.

What do you think? Will Yahoo! be successful or are we just hearing the swan’s song?

Related articles from the Web:

• Yahoo!’s Next Frontier: Internet TV
• Yahoo’s Web TV faces uphill battle
• HDTVs and Internet Tie Knot in Vegas

Post from: eWritings - Online Public Relations

Internet TV, Thy Maker Is Yahoo!

Founded on January 6, 2009, Everything PR is a webblog dedicated to reviewing and promoting public relations companies and services; corporate communications and marketing trends; as well as various social media aspects of the Web. The site will also review Web startups and the way they conduct their public relations campaigns. In addition to covering PR news, we also write PR and marketing editorials that analyze current online PR, marketing and communication trends.

The site is our first of many improvements that will expand Pamil Visions PR’s influence in the PR industry. Next we will re-launch www.pamil-visions.com with an improved corporate design, interactive features like live chat and rating/reviewing system, a comprehensive list of PR resources for professionals and novices alike and much more.

eWritings will remain a resource for those interested in different aspects of PR and SEO, and as usual it will also cover other aspects like body language and personal opinions of its author, Mihaela Lica (that’s me).

Post from: eWritings - Online Public Relations

Everything PR Hits the High and Low Spots of Public Relations Online

There are no simple decisions in business, especially not when we are dealing with situations that impact the brand. The change of a logo, part of a more extensive re-branding process, is obviously such a situation. As Pamil Visions grows I felt the need to move from the unprofessional logo I made in 2005 to one that encompasses the company vision, mission and values.

It was not easy to choose an identity designer to do the job. I spent at least two weeks looking at designers’ portfolios online, emailing, chatting with logo designers, trying to find someone with the right vision and business approach to ensure a long-term collaboration with Pamil Visions. I needed a designer ready to take over brochure designs, catalogs and work for our clients as well. Believe me, it’s hard to find someone able to answer in a timely manner and someone who also has a very professional conduit.

Eventually Alina Popescu recommended Beatrice Jach of GreenIdentity. Her portfolio alone gave me a positive feeling “This is an artist who will understand what we want.”

Her first reply to my inquiry impressed me even more: Beatrice was traveling at that point, but she still took the time to respond to my questions and to make a quote. So here there were, the two plus points that made the first impression certitude: Beatrice will sign the new Pamil Visions logo.

I needed something simple, elegant, positive and creative and this is exactly what Beatrice delivered. I wanted something that conveys the company’s new slogan “real dreams” and this is what you see…

The symbol, the dreamcatcher, is meant to be dynamic and bold to get as much attention as the lettering without overpowering it, it can easily be used as a recognizable mark on any printed material. I tried to go with a slightly not so perfect symmetrical shape to give it a movement feel, like the wind is blowing in the dreamcatcher… – explains Beatrice.

The following are three variations of the logo and I would like your opinions to help me choose the one that will represent Pamil Visions in the years to come.

So which one would it be and why? 1a, 1b or 2a? Any additional comments you have are most than welcome. Beatrice herself will be reading your comments and I am sure she will appreciate feedback and constructive criticism.

Post from: eWritings - Online Public Relations

New Logo for Pamil Visions – Which One Would You Choose?

I had to redesign my business website. The old one was cluttered with needless ads, not enough quality information and the structure was poor. It was full of color, all right, but the color was splashed randomly here and there. So I tried a different approach.

A “web 2.0” design that allows a better pagination and the focus on the content. Sure, I still have a lot to do – like changing the poor resolution pictures in the header with something clearer and more expressive, but you get the idea. There are no Google ads… yet. I’ll have commercials in the “knowledge base” where I intend to publish some articles, but no ads on the main pages.

The site will become a genuine resource for everyone who wants to learn about SEO, online PR and social media. So bookmark it and revisit each week: I’ll always have a special treat.

Now that you know about the redesign, do you have any suggestions? Is there something I should change? Improve? I am counting on your feedback.

Post from: eWritings - Online Public Relations

Pamil-visions.com Redesigned

I’d like to mention here some of my favorite blogs, for you to celebrate today. I think this is a meme of a kind. Lillie made her choice of Magic Fives and she’s done me the honor of including eWritings. For me it is hard to choose a favorite out of the many I read (not so often lately, I give, but August ends today and I hope September will bring more time for the things that really matter).

My first choice is called Upper Fort Stewart and it is a blog about books. It is one of my favorite reads, although I rarely take the time to comment. But you know me: I only comment when I have something to say. Anyway, this blog has got it all: design, structure, good content and a great fellow blogger to add at your list of friends. Bookmark this blog. It’s really worth your time!

As no one really said I am not allowed to mention blogs in other languages, I’d like to recommend for my Italian readers the WebFruits Blog. This is a great resource for web designers and the host Sonia is a very talented designer too. I see she’s changed the design of the blog: great work!

Another wonderful place to be, and this is not the first time I recommend this blog, is Beaman’s World. There are many reasons for you to go there, but my personal reason has a lot to do with poetry and… Germany.

A blog I simply love is called Micro Persuasion. Clean layout, clear writing, a great resource for professionals and novices, this blog is authored by Steve Rubel. Yes, you’ve probably heard his name. He is a guru of a kind, but he excels at… modesty.

Last, but not least, I give you a link to an article on blog usability. No, it is not a blog, but it is a resource, one of the best of its kind if not the best. Jakob Nielsen, the author of this remarkable web page, is one of the most committed minds of the Web: he introduced the very concept of web accessibility, wrote books on this theme and he is still actively involved in making the web a valuable resource for all.

I cannot go today without announcing the Google and The Eiffel Tower entry at The Dog Yard and without embedding this cool YouTube video here: it’s a parody on how people will use Google search in the year 2020.

Post from: eWritings - Online Public Relations

Google Fun and Happy Blog Day 2007

Red Dog’s blog has now just a blue, standard, WordPress face, because our talented designers Pascal Ortega and Julien Perera are still working at the new “skin.” I am sure you will have a nice surprise…

I’ve decided to begin the Red Dog blogging experience with a topic that might be of interest for all of you: Corporate Blogging: Don’t Be an Island.

Although many of you are not involved in corporate blogging, you do run online businesses and I am sure you will enjoy the article.

There will be many rubrics on the new blog, including a “Ask Yardley” category (Yardley is the Red Dog mascot) where you could post questions related to SEO, web design, blogging, online marketing and so on. We plan this blog as a resource, so you’ll find some good free ebooks too – not yet though… we still have a lot of work to do (finish the design, proofread, etc).

But in the end, this blog will have it all: sugar, spice and everything nice. Enjoy!

Post from: eWritings - Online Public Relations

Introducing The Dog Yard