JUST GOOGLE IT!

The phase “I don’t know, just Google it” is part of our vocabulary today. The technological advancement has made information can be search at our finger tips. Google is such an influential search engine that display highly accurate result that helpful to all. We can Google about anything that we could ever think of from images to translating a language. The history of Google started when Larry and Sergey, now Stanford computer science grad students begin collaborating on a search engine called BackRub. BackRub operates on Stanford servers for more than a year and eventually taking up too much bandwidth to suit the university. Larry and Sergey decide that the BackRub search engine needs a new name. After some brainstorming, they go with Google, a play on the word “googol,” a mathematical term for the number represented by the numeral 1 followed by 100 zeros. The use of the term reflects their mission to organize a seemingly infinite amount of information on the web (Google, 2012).

Google has provide its consumer a new way of communications flow as it enables people to access information just by one click and from anywhere in the world.  Google can be perceived as general search engine displaying an almost blank starting page without advertisements and using an innovative indexing system to deliver highly accurate search results thus has brought many benefits to consumers. Google have definitely has benefits the user in so many ways.  It has made it possible for users to learn, play, advertise, share and many more. The community has become depended on Google as the source to go to in searching for anything. Google can be called as the digital library in this modern era. The impact of Google in the new media keeps increasing day by day in so many ways. Some of them are benefits and some of them are negative effects. In conclusion, what? Don’t know? “Just Google It”J.

WAN NUR IZAH WAN NOORDIN

Source : The Power of Google: First Mover Advantage or Abuse of a Dominant Position? By Sophie van Loon

New Media: A Platform to Be Famous

New Media is a 21^st century catchall term used to define all that is related to the internet and the interplay between technology images and sound (Bailey Socha and Barbara Eber-Schmid, 2009).

We can do many things when we learn new media. For example, entrepreneurs use new media as a medium to market their products. Reporters use new media, to spread new information.  Politiciansare using new media to gain trust from the society and Public Relations practitioners use new media to establish good relationships between an organization and its publics.

However, how about ordinary people like us? Some people see new media, like YouTube for example, as a platform to be famous.

Some people love to do stupid things or something that will embarrass themselves and simply upload it in YouTube. Surprisingly, it attracts many attentions from viewers and makes the person become famous.

Nevertheless, some people really want to show their talent to the society. For example, like Justin Bieber who is one of the most famous singers in the world. His talent was recognized through YouTube. In Malaysia, we also have people which have become famous because of YouTube, like Yuna, NajwaLatiff, Mat Luthfi and others. Nowadays, Yuna is a successful singer locally and internationally.

Mat Luthfi, student from Curtin University who is famous in YouTube

Yuna is one of the famous celebrity in Malaysia which her talent was recognized through YouTube

Anyone can upload their video in YouTube to be watched by many people all over the world. Just like that, than you will become famous. The different is either you become famous because of your talent or because of your “stupidity”.

By,

Siti Farha Binti Yaacob (2011476412)

AIR ASIA AND THE SOCIAL MEDIA

There is no such thing as pure technology. To understand technology, one must first understand social relationships. Understanding social relationships requires a grasp of communication. Everything about the adoption and uses of media is social (Eisenberg, 1996). Basically, individuals use media within the framework of their lives in order to accomplish their personal goals while on the other hand, technology shapes individual’s goals and actions.

            AirAsia charts another milestone in its efforts on the social media front when its Facebook Fan Page exceeded the 200,000 fans. AirAsia even claims that now they are at the positions as the leader in social media marketing. According to Kathleen Tan, the Regional Head of Commercial, the Facebook Fan Page has enabled the airline to turn away from the usual limitations of conventional marketing “which consumers are no longer reacting to” (Yeoh, 2010).

            AirAsia has started to build and invest in social media marketing since two years ago. Today, we can see that it has its own blog, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr as well as Youtube channel. Using new media or social media really needs a lot of commitment and resources to manage 24/7.

            However, there are many advantages of using new media or social media which the first one is through the Facebook Fan Page, the organization can be more relevant in providing content, based on feedback or requests from our guests instead of just sending out one way marketing push or product updates.

            Next, through Facebook Fan Page also AirAsia can optimize their engagement and interaction with their guests apart from creating a fun and creative platform among the social media community. This would help the organization to sustain good relationship with their customers.

            Lastly, the Facebook fan Page also enables guests to share their travel experiences, create travel networks as well as receive real-time information updates on its flight operations and local airport conditions such as the snowstorm in London.

            The world is different today. Consumers have become greatly empowered and the size of impact of social media will only grow as the numbers explode. The use of new media or social media is very important in order to enhance the image of organization.

References

Eisenberg, E.M. (1996). Communication Networks and  New ‘Media in Organizations. Retrieved October 5, 2012 from http://nosh.northwestern.edu/bookchapters/Eisenberg-1990.pdf

Yeoh, S.H. (2010). Air Asia Claims Social Media Victory, Admits Huge Resources Needed to Manage. Retrieved October 5, 2012 from http://www.tnooz.com/2010/04/07/news/air-asia-claims-social-media-victory-admits-huge-resources-needed-to-manage/

PUBLIC RELATIONS AND ONLINE MEDIA MONITORING

By:
nurulaini shah bt noor shah
2011837424

             Public Relations in many organizations have specific roles in order to maintain the organizations reputation in the eyes of the public. Image is one aspect which people in an organisation believe to be the impression outsiders have of the organisation. This could be an illusion bred of thinking because the knowledge and understanding of outside opinion of people are lacking. It is a common situation an organisation has a mind-set that everybody loves them. An opinion or image study could reveal the very different and most unexpected as well as disconcerting image exists. (Jefkins, 1983)

            Public Relations perform a task of monitoring about their organizations image through the blogs in analysing the information about their product, services or even staffs from their company. Media monitoring is the process of reading, watching, listening to the editorial content of media sources for example, blogs, and then identifying and analysing contents containing specific keywords or topics. For example, by monitoring organizations mention in various blogs, public relations can conduct a research on the problems and issues as well as improvements which could be done to increase the reputation of the company. Organizations could also identify the successfulness of their news releases, competitors and business opportunities.

            In recent years, the popular use of internet in informing others about a variety of information allows organizations in taking advantage of this situation. A well-known online media monitoring service which is CyberAlert has emerged to track down the company’s performance as well as of their competitors. Updates would be given on relevant information which public relations may find useful compared to using the old fashion media. Word of mouth of an organization whether good or bad could be detected early and public relations play a part in responding to the issue at hand efficiently.

The advantage of applying online media monitoring is the effectiveness of it in delivering information to the dot as compared to printed media which takes more than 24 hours to deliver. Therefore, it is seen to be crucial for public relations to always be aware on what is mentioned about the organizations and other related matter. This is to ensure that the company would be successful in top of others from various aspects.

References

Donald K. Wright & Michelle Drifka Hinson (2012). Examining How Social and Emerging Media Have Been Used in Public Relations Between 2006 until 2012:A Longitudinal Analysis. Retrieved on 12^th Oct 2012 from http://www.prsa.org/intelligence/prjournal/documents/2012wrighthinson.pdf

Frank Jefkins (1983). Public Relations M&E Handbook Series 2^nd Edition. Macdonalds & Evans Ltd. Plymouth

Media Monitoring: The Complete Guide Retrieved on 12^th Oct 2012 from http://www.cyberalert.com/downloads/media_monitoring_whitepaper.pdf

ELEVATING LOCAL MUSIC INDUSTRY THROUGH NEW MEDIA

By Razaleigh Zain,

Music Ambassador for Mnation, Universal Music Malaysia.

When we want to talk about music in Malaysia, definitely we would relate it to our diversity of culture. For some music is life. When the British gained complete political, administrative and economic control of the country (1905-1957), they established their own educational system through which western music - namely Mozart, Beethoven and Chopin, was introduced first to the Malay aristocracy, and later filtered down to the masses (AsiaRecipe, 2000). In post-Independence Malaysia, the movies, especially Broadway musicals, also had a hand in popularising western music. Malay movies followed suit with songs of Malay flavour based on western tempered scale and arrangement. The songs of the late Malay movie legend P. Ramlee bear testimony to this fact.

         

   To date, we can see there are many talented singers cherish our local industry with their unique taste of music. Yuna, Ziana Zain and Siti Nurhaliza are names that we are familiar in the local music scene today. Back in the days we only get the chance to listen to their songs through radio or we need to buy their album. Now, the advancement of technology has created new created new way to get closer to your favourite artistes. A reversal of tides has slowly changed people’s mindsets about our entertainment industry as some of our homegrown talents have even been making it internationally such as Zee Avi. The use of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube or Instagram have all played a part in boosting this industry, helping artists gain support from their fellow Malaysians (Pang, 2012).

        

    Social media is a new trend among Malaysians today. According to SocialBakers, social networking statistics show that Facebook penetration in Malaysia is 49.94% compared to the country's population and 77.29% in relation to number of Internet users. The total number of FB profiles in Malaysia is reaching 13 063 580 and grew by more than 606 020 in the last 6 months. This statistic has proven the effectiveness of using social media as tool to reach larger audiences. In the article, “Social Media & the Malaysian Entertainment Industry” written by Sara Pang in Intergrity.com, she questioned the readers does social media really aid local artists and the Malaysian entertainment industry in increasing fan support locally as well as globally?

Sources

1.      Malaysia Facebook Statistics. (2012). Retrieved September 15, 2012, from SocialBakers: http://www.socialbakers.com/facebook-statistics/malaysia

2.      Malaysian Music. (2000). Retrieved September 15, 2012, from Asia Recipe.com: http://asiarecipe.com/malmusic.html

3.      Pang, S. (2012, July 17). Social Media & The Malaysian Entertainment Industry. Retrieved September 15, 2012, from Beneath The Red Hood: http://www.integricity.com/blog/social-media-the-malaysian-entertainment-industry

YouTube it.

Day by day the number of people using the internet is increasing rapidly. Children, teens, adults, teachers, parents, grandparents, everyone is signing up to famous social sites on in the internet. Well, almost everyone….. Except for the Chinese in China.

But most importantly, more people are switching to watching videos and movies on the internet rather than watching television. Why? That’s simple: control. Everyone loves to be in control of what they want to do. Be it in the kitchen, office or in the bedroom. It is in the human nature to want to take control. And this is when Youtube comes in. You search, and you watch what you want to watch. Anytime, any day, anywhere.

Ever since its birth in 2005, YouTube has been a global phenomenon. With being a subsidiary of Google in 2006, it is the platform for everything. According to Google chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt, YouTube has created the largest online video community in the world, it’s shaping the way video is produced, distributed, and monetized. YouTube is a media catalyst. The creators have built the technology platform, aggregated the audience and now YouTube has the monetization tools that allow anyone to create and distribute content through a single point at a global scale. YouTube is also a medium to connect awareness and action that are needed for corporate companies to evolve both their product and the way nonprofits approach social media.

YouTube is the home of millions of videos. Some may be informational such as National Geographic’s YouTube channel and some may be disturbing like the highly controversial video being uploaded on YouTube, Innocence of Islam. Nevertheless, YouTube has everything.

Yes, everything.

Previously, you would have to book for flight tickets, accommodations, and entry tickets to world’s famous rave party, Tomorrowland. Now, with the existence of YouTube, you get to experience the loud bass thumping, DJ spinning in your eardrums, anywhere around the world – even in your bathroom. A statement being blurted our bluntly by YouTube’s head of products, “YouTube is emerging as the first global TV station… The living room for the world,” (Hunter Walk, 2011)

And it doesn’t stop there. Instead of becoming just an ordinary viewer, you get to take part too. Uploading a normal video would take you less than 30 minutes where as High Definition videos might take you a little bit longer. But without patience and effort, you’re not going to go anywhere.

YouTube is also a platform to make money. If your channel gets millions of views, YouTube will pay you to make more videos. With recognition you get rewarded. Among the YouTubers who get paid are KevJumba, JennaMarbles, JacksGap, DulceCandy87 and Smosh.

If you have never been noticed before, now’s the time to get that HD camera that you have been using to film videos of birthdays and drunken parties and use it for a good cause. Show to the world (literally) what you are capable of. Make one video that’s brilliant (and highly annoying too) like PSY’s Oppa Gangnam Style and you my friend are on the way to stardom. Sign up and upload now. It only takes the one site to make it all happen, YouTube. J

References:

1)     Daniel Sacks, January 31, 2011. “How YouTube’s Global Platform is Redefining the Entertainment Business”

http://www.fastcompany.com/1715183/how-youtubes-global-platform-redefining-entertainment-business

2)     Rahim Kanani, June 4, 2012. “Why YouTube is The Ultimate Platform for Global Social Change”

http://www.forbes.com/sites/rahimkanani/2012/06/04/why-youtube-is-the-ultimate-platform-for-global-social-change/

Submitted by,

Putri Suzi Elanee bt Megat Zaharuddin 

SELF-EFFICACY AND NEW MEDIA

Although computers and the Internet are the vital tools in people's lives today, facilitate life on the one hand, they have brought new risks with them on the other. Internet dependency, or problematic Internet use, has emerged as a new concept of addiction.

In the era of globalization and advancement of technology, each and every person in this world is familiar with the new media technology. Today’s modern society is completely embedded within a technological context, which makes the understanding and evaluation of technological self-efficacy critical.

According to Cherry (2012), self-efficacy is the beliefs in one’s capabilities to organize and perform the sequences of action required to produce given achievement. In other words, self-efficacy determine on how people feel, think, motivate themselves and behave.

Todays, self-efficacy has come out accordingly with the new media, that is computer self-efficacy and Internet self-efficacy. Internet self-efficacy is an extension of computer self-efficacy, which is defined as “a person’s perception of their ability to learn and use computers and computer programs” (Nowak and Krcmar,2003). Computer self-efficacy and self-efficacy generally are important analysts not only of computer use, but the level of success one will experience when using a computer, because self-efficacy is also a specialist of the effort and persistence a person will put forth when faced with given task.

Written by:

Nurul Amirah Binti Abdul Halim

2011437098

references:

Kendra Cherry (2012). What is self-efficacy. Retrieved on October 2012 at http://psychology.about.com

Nowak, K. and Krcmar, M. (2003). Improving computer efficacy and perceptions of

technology related careers in the classroom: A case study. Retrieved on October 2012 at  http://www.allacademic.com/meta/

V-LOG CELEBRITY : GLOZELL AND SUBWAY SANDWICH

alright, alright! 

we have read too many words already in this blog. so here something I find interesting to share with you guys and somewhat we can relate as PR. 

lets watch it first!

So what do you think this video made by Glozell who have avid followers and v-log views that can reach millions within a week, ruin reputation of Subway.

How as a PR to subway to counter this issue? 

Base in my brief search online, there is nothing apparent done by Subway and about 10 blogs/website share this video of Glozell and Subway. 

lets discuss.

posted by Ashman Mahfudz

Love at first site

It is commonly known to everyone that new media site such as facebook, twitter, blogs, website and many more, has been an interactive medium that act as place to build relationship with people around the world.

Free publicity can be easily gained as these are the sites that guarantee you a fast, cheap and it is the easiest way to reach your target audience.

E-PR relationships does not only concern on getting people to view your site. It is about how you deliver messages or information in order to attract and at the same time maintain relationships with your targeted audience.

You can get a thousand of hits in a day, but people will eventually get bored when they knew that your site are not giving them what they want, you too are definitely would not gain anything from your site. The first 15 seconds relationship is important as an initial impression with your audience. Creatively create an effect that could influence your viewers to create a greater buzz to others.

Your E-PR is not effective if your viewers choose to leave your site within 15 seconds.

Reference:

Haig, M. (2000) The Essential Guide to Public Relations on the Internet. United Kingdom: Kogan Page.

By,

Noor Asyikin Sazali

POLICING NEW MEDIA?

 “Man, I’ve got some cool dope in my bunk and making me high right now” were the words you purposely typed to act cool on the ‘what’s on your mind?’ space for Facebook status updates. This was moments ago before you were rushed by a team of police ransacking your house off for the ‘dope’ you have mentioned in your Facebook .Be it by inadvertently, your words on the social media can be used in court against you. The New York Police Department is deploying a surge of detectives to patrol an increasingly mean new beat; Facebook and other social networks.

Under Operation Crew Cut, the Department intends to double the size of its Gang Division from approximately 150 detectives to 300 phased in over a period of time. In addition to tracking the admissions of criminal conduct and plans of future crimes by crew members on Facebook, You Tube and elsewhere, the division will be responsible for maintaining a dictionary of sorts with a continually updated lexicon employed by crews as a kind of code".

According to Kelly, who runs one of the world's most technologically advanced police departments, with a rapidly growing surveillance capability, new guidelines for officers using social media as part of criminal investigations has been issued. This is to instil the proper balance between the investigative potential of social network sites and privacy expectations,

Therefore, next time folks, you better think hard before you spill the beans on Facebook, Twitter or any other means of social media because they might haunt you in the court. It is always good to reserve certain things to yourselves and not sharing it with the whole world- wide- web!

Source: http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Science%2Band%2BTech/Story/A1Story20121003-375154.html

Nur Faizah J. Jayakumar.

THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN FASHION INDUSTRY

In London, luxury labels use social media to boost selling power during London Fashion Week through videos broadcast live on the internet from shows crammed with tweeting, blogging designers, editors and celebrities.  Two million viewers tuning in for a live streamed London Fashion from more than 100 countries that marked the largest audiences reached for clothing chain Topshop with their Topshop Unique’s latest collection. According to Topshop, the audiences of 200 million people were served with images and runway scenes as the result of Topshop’s partnership with Facebook. By doing so, a global coverage via Facebook contributed to Topshop’s sales as people can purchase the look on the runway instantly while they are streaming online. A number of items during the catwalk were sold out before the show was over.

Topshop’s Chief Marketing Officer, Justin Cooke told Reuters that the label was the first to utilize Facebook ‘likes’ into something useful for the brand and the first to commercialise social audience. In other cases, House of Holland partnered with eBay on virtual pop-up shop and designer Alice Temperly use “online runways” to showcase her Temperley London collections in efforts to embrace digital technology.

Social media channels really contribute to website peaks traffic such as Pinterest and Instagram. The industry needs to adapt with the growing technology and it can even be a part of full-time work for some people. Adding up, the interactive nature of social media helps brands have longer interaction for online fashion communities to participate in discussion of collection said Lucy Yeomans, the editor-in-chief of fashion retail site Net-A-Porter.com and former editor of Britain’s Harper’s Bazaar. Yeomans told Reuters that he strongly believes in the power of social media and thinks that people who doesn’t run along with it is missing a massive trick.

  

Editors vs. Bloggers

Not only is the fashion industry jumping into the social media world but also the editors to reach their audience. They compete with bloggers who sit in front rows of the runways using tweets, blogs and pictures of their own. Magazine and newspapers editors even become celebrities in the virtual world. For instance, the editor of Britain’s Glamour Magazine, Jo Elvin on Twitter has over than 63, 000 followers and on top of it, Joe Zee, the creative director of US Elle Magazine has 155, 000 followers. On the basis, journalist’s media coverage is more powerful in value compared to advertising as claimed by Katie Mitchell-Baxter, the account manager at PR company Good Relations. According to Claudia Crow, the creative director of boutique consultancy Talk PR, magazines such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and The Telegraph is leading in fashion news reporting. It is crucial for them to be in that position to compete with smaller outlets and bloggers.

 by SyazAmalina

2011681184

Instagram : The Use of It in PR

                Day by day, the number of Instagram users is highly increasing. From 15 million in early 2012 to 80 million in July. Each people use it for different purposes. In which some of them use Instagram to show off their purchases, beautiful photos of skies, self-portraits, photos of daily routines, everyday outfits and even more.

               There are even some of these small business owners who use Intsagram as a platform to promote their own products like handphone casings, clothing, accessories and shoes.

               Instagram allows companies to engage with their peers and customers by sharing snapshots of their products, culture and people in an intimate and informalway.(Deangelis,2012)

               Users can start out by filling out their Instagram profile completely for viewers knowledge and simply tag the pictures with relevant hashtags. As an example, if a photo of a pair of heels is uploaded, tag it with '#shoes' or '#heels'.
 

               Apart from that, the term 'social network' itself shows that it is all about building network and engaging with others. This can be done by liking and dropping comments on other amusing pictures on Instagram.

To top it off, users are encouraged to share the Instagram activity on Facebook and Twitter, and promote it on the website with follow buttons. This somehow gives more exposure to the products sold and do not protect the Instagram profile as it would not allow everyone to view the pictures.

Last but not least, do sign up for Statisgram as it allows users to view their own images in a web browsers, monitoring stats and promoting their stream on other social networks.

               So what are you waiting for, friends? Kick-start your business by signing up for Instagram. It's only a click-away....for Apple and Android users. :)

Reference :

Deangelis, J. (2012, August 24). How We Can Use Instagram In Public Relations. Retrieved October 6, 2012, from Inkhouse Web site: http://www.inkhouse.net/how-we-can-use-instagram-in-public-relations/

By,

Syazwina Roslin

2011258152