Lots of you will be inspired by this module (no, really). You'll listen to the guest speakers, see how much they love their jobs, be inspired by the creativity that PR can embrace and and be thinking that PR is the career for you - BUT, according to PR Week, their are now 48 applications for every graduate vacancy. Read the article here to find out why the number of places is falling while the number of eager graduates is climbing, and to hear from graduates about how they got the job of their dreams. Also do come and talk to me if you need any help or advice.

Lego have invited 5 agencies to pitch for their £175,000 account, to strengthen their brand credentials. At a time when 'snazzier' toys with batteries or on computer screens are competing with this very traditional brand, what would you do for Lego (and for £175K)?

Interestingly the biggest publicity Lego are likely to get this year probably wasn't prompted by their PR agencies at all: James May (Top Gear) is building a Lego house. A full size Lego house he plans to live in. Check out the Daily Mail (perhaps the first and last time I will link to this rag) for the story. Now that's the kind of creative thinking we're after....

Early (belated) enthusiasm for this blogging lark leads me to send you in the direction of another blog - from John Borthwick, CEO of betaworks, and internet media company, and

"If there is a wizard behind the curtain of the real-time stream economy, it’s the West London born and bred John Borthwick, an ex Time Warner executive, who now runs Betaworks, the New York City-based incubator of Twitter ecosystem companies including the search-engine Summize (which he sold to Twitter last year), the URL shortener Bitly and Tweetdeck, the most popular of all Twitter apps" Andrew Keen, The Telegraph, 14/07/09

He comments on real time info flows, symmetry issues and power: all stuff you'll be hearing lots about on this course.

So, PR. Here I am, respectable social marketer and all round ethical do-gooder, lecturing in PR. Teaching the great minds of tomorrow how to spin, swerve, side-step and schmooze through the PR world. Or am I in the best position possible to show how much influence PR really has on our everyday lives and how we can use it to promote not just the mega-corporations but also the little guys - and perhaps a lot more cost-effectively than the usual advertising options...the challenge is on...