Image Credit: "New Zoo Review"

It’s hard to believe the semester is almost over, but it most certainly is — at least if we can trust our calendars.

As a way of reviewing what we covered and learned in SPC 4350 (Social Media for PR and Advertising), each student will:

• Choose a toy animal from a basket in class.
• Name the animal.
• Write the letters of the animal’s name down the left margin of a paper.
• Come up with something we discussed in SPC 4350 that starts with each letter.
• Reply to this blog post with a comment including the animal’s name & what they learned. Put a star/asterisk in front of the most important thing learned.

After each student is done with this, we’ll go around the room and each student will share his/her starred item — the key learning.

Any why is  ”New Zoo Revue” in the title of this post? It was among my favorite childhood TV shows. (It’s a little painful watching the production values in the show now, but I loved it as a child.)

For our PR Writing class, create a 30-second public service announcement or radio news release for your client. (If you have a nonprofit or gov’t client, write a PSA. If you have a for-profit client, write a radio news release.) Review the information in Chapter 9, especially pages 208-222 for tips on how to write.

Things to keep in mind:

• Thirty seconds is not very long, approximately 75 words. You’ll need to get to the point quickly.
• You’re writing information that will be spoken, not read silently. There’s a BIG difference between the two. Ask a friend or two to read your PSA or radio news release aloud. Edit and adjust as needed.
• Write conversationally.
• Use the same standard header that you have used on previous news release assignments (for contact information, etc.)
• Feel free to write on the same topic as you have in previous releases, as long as the topic can fit this assignment.

Additional resources:

• Writing for the Ear (the NewsU course that’s required this week)
• Defense Information School Broadcast Writing Style Guide
  • Take special note of “SINS” AND “TIPS” OF BROADCAST WRITING, starting on page 29
• Broadcast Writing Style
• Tips from Southern California Broadcasters Association

Of all the ads in the game, which one is your favorite and least favorite? Why?

UPDATE @ end of this post

Did you see that Pepsi Co. has released an iPhone app for its Amp energy drink? It’s called … wait for it … Amp Up Before You Score.  (I intentionally did not link to the app, as I don’t want to drive traffic its way.)

In theory, having an app (not this one) for your brand could be smart, maybe even cool. But when you see what the app does, you may change your mind.

InventorSpot describes the offensive app in this way:

Here’s how it works:

1. Identify Her Type: Got your eye on a girl, and aren’t sure how to get started? Pick out her profile, flip the card, and study up quick with a cheatsheet on the stuff she’s into, with lists, links and some surefire opening lines. (Surefire to what, we won’t say.)

2. Keep a List: Get lucky? Add her to your Brag List. You can include a name, date and whatever details you remember.

3. Brag: You got it? Flaunt it. Keep your buddies in the loop on email, Facebook or Twitter. Here’s who you get:

Artist Aspiring Actress Athlete Bookworm Businesswoman Celebrity Cougar Dancer Foreign Exchange Student Goth Girl Indie Rock Girl Married Military Girl Nerd Out-Of-Your-League Girl Political Girl Princess Punk Rock Girl Rebound Girl Sorority Girl Treehugger Trouble Twins Women’s Studies Major

If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch, take a look at the app. And see what people are saying about “Amp Up Before You Score.” Make up your own mind about the app. But for me, I am disappointed in PepsiCo. I expected better from a company like this.

Put in Twitter terminology, it’s a major #PepsiFail.

[Hat tip to Liz Pullen for calling my attention to this iPhone app.]

UPDATE as of 3:00pm on October 12:

Just a few moments ago, the Twitter account for AMP (@AMPwhatsnext) posted an apology for the “Amp Up Before You Score” app. As far as 140-character apologies go, it’s a good one. I’ve already sent AMP my feedback.

In this episode, which was based on a botched promotion from a radio station in Atlanta, live turkeys dropped from a helicopter. Chaos ensues.

What can we learn about how NOT to do a promotion from Mr. Carlson’s fiasco? I’ll get the list started:

1. Communicate with your entire team before launching a promotional campaign (or a turkey).
2. Do your research! It’s best to learn ahead of time that turkeys don’t fly.
3. Get permission before doing a stunt.
4. Know what is considered news in your local market. Giving away turkeys for Thanskgiving wasn’t news. (But watching live turkeys plummet from a helicopter probably would be news.)
5. Brainstorm for what could possibly go wrong before you proceed with a promotion.

What would you add to this list?

Magician and mentalist Derren Brown explains in this short video how subliminal messages may affect us. (I would have embedded the video from YouTube, but embedding for this specific video was disabled.)

Many thanks to the folks at Stuff You Should Know for mentioning this video in their podcast on How Deja Vu Works.

Which one is your favorite?

I particularly liked the Hulu ad, starring Alec Baldwin, and the two eTrade ads. And did you know that the parents of the eTrade Baby let him have a Twitter account?