Looking for a job? Beware...

Last Tuesday a BBC expose focused on Modus Publicity, fashion PR agency, and their policy of employing up to 20 interns at a time - and paying them nothing. In an industry where work experience is vital and competition for jobs is tough, beware PR firms who seek mainly to take advantage of graduates desperate for jobs. See this PR Week article for more...

Starbucks mucks up?

Starsbuck coffee chain are having a bad time on the PR front. Despite the huge success of their CSR initiative to sell fairtrade coffee, making them the largest purchaser of fairtrade coffee in the world, elsewhere there is backlash. First they announced that they are withdrawing the chunky white coffee mugs in the UK - leading to revolt from consumers according to PR Week. Now they announce the launch of a drinks cup that is so large it could technically overfill many stomachs. This latter story has caught the imagination of the blogosphere...see here for more information. This story is now out of control, with a graphic that says a thousand words.

Quora - the new Twitter?

Quora, a new way to ask and answer questions online, set up by two founders of Facebook, is rumoured to be the next big thing in social media. With recommendations on Quora driving sales, or criticisms likely to damage brands, PR Week advise PR professionals to get to know the new site. Maybe you should too.

Toyota Product recall

Have Toyota learned a lesson after their disastrous handling of the product recalls due to faulty accelerators and brakes last year? As they now recall 1.7 million cars with potentially faulty fuel systems, commentators argue that this risk is tiny, but that Toyota have learned that complete transparency is the only way forward in this internet age.

2011 Edelman Trust Barometer

The 2011 Edelman Trust Barometer is out this week. The Barometer, from PR agency Edelman, is a PR exercise in their own right as thought leaders in PR. It shows that trust in CEOs is on the up for the second year in a row - an important issue for corporate PR as CEOs are key spokespeople for their companies. Meanwhile, trust in 'a person like me' dropped 3 places: the idea that we want friends to recommend brands etc underpins much of the use of social marketing in PR. Check their website out to also see how worldwide trust in th US (and therefore US brands and companies) is dropping and other useful insights. See PR Week's views for more information...

The Beast of Stroud

For more on developments in the eco-car world, see this article in the Guardian about the new 'Beast of Stroud' for Ecotricity. This is a rather different type of car to the 'Electra' but clearly an excellent piece of PR on behalf of the new car: have a think about what the press release that prompted this article would have looked like...

The BBC journalist Andrew Marr labelled bloggers as 'inadequate, pimpled and single' - yet I talk about the power of 7 Harry Potter bloggers to reach 250million people within 2 weeks... For more on the diversity, perils and value of bloggers read this week's PR Week and their article 'Know your Bloggers'. With valuable tips of who bloggers are and how to work with them, this expands well on the New Media lecture.