Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Is Your Website Just Another Pretty Face or a Hardworking Member of the Team?

PRSJ Skype Tech Talk - Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Proprietor of 876Solutions, Trevor Forrest, spent an hour giving some insights into how smart marketers are using the Google analytics tool to test the effectiveness of their websites. He repeated time and again that everything can and should be measured and that the tools are available online for free. Ask your IT consultant about Google Analytics and make that website work for you.

He also told us the story about how how his tweet went viral... Audio clips of the discussion are below.


Facebook strengthens client relationships

How Twitter Moved the Palisadoes crash from one man's phone in Jamaica to AA Corp


Friday, February 12, 2010

PRSJ / IABC Donate Books from Christmas Book Drive



A Happy Place
Mrs Antonica Gunter Gayle of the Early Stimulation Programme of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and her staff sent heartfelt thanks to the PRSJ and IABC for the books that were donated to the Ostend Close school on February 11.

The books were from the joint Christmas Event book drive at the Pegasus Hotel on December 18.



President of the IABC Yvonne Grinam Nicholson, Past President of the IABC and also the PRSJ Gerry Mc Daniel and PRSJ member, Gwyneth Davidson were present for the handover and were given a grand tour where they met special early childhood educators, pupils and other staff members.

This school has got to be one of the great contemporary stories of the power of one, as Mrs Gunter Gayle (second right in top photo) had but nothing to work with and somehow found a vacant government property, inveigled the person in charge to allow her to have one room as a classroom and in three years it is now a school under the supervision of the Ministry of Education.

The school has about 30 children between ages three and six with learning disabilities. A facility in great demand, the parents bring the children from Buff Bay to Portmore and Temple Hall to August Town. There is obviously an effort being made by parents to improve the facility but donations of toys would be greatly appreciated. A big thank you again to all practitioners who donated books to this drive.Your gift is being used well.



Public Sector Practitioners Meet

Working Togetha Without Losing Mi Swagga


On Thursday, February 11, nearly 40 PR practitioners in the public sector gathered at a one-day conference organised by the National Transformation Programme ((NTP) to share ways that we can work together to achieve national goals.
The day in the Prime Minister's Press Room featured stimulating presentations by speakers who not only gave food for thought on new ways to reach audiences, but also insights into national development goals.
Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, Senator Arthur Williams spoke on the importance of unity in national development and the work being undertaken by the Partnership for Transformation group that he leads. The group seeks to find consensus among Trade Unions, Government, Media and the Private Sector.
Journalist and Chief State Media Liaison, Mr Ian Boyne, gave a new look at removing barriers to Communication.
PRSJ President, and JTI/Jampro Communications Director, Mr Mark Thomas, addressed the gathering on branding Jamaica as a nation to the people of Jamaica. A successful concept that has been used in countries such as Singapore and South Africa.
Specialist at the Planning Institute of Jamaica, Ms Carmen Miller made a presentation on Vision 2030 which is a road map towards Jamaica being the place to live, work and raise families.
RJR Managing Director, Mr Gary Allen, urged all practitioners to measure the work that they do, and not by the number of news releases that were dispatched to newsrooms.
The gathering agreed that there should be a quarterly meeting of government communicators to continue sharing experiences and learning.
The conference was organised by Rev Dr Al Miller with Chairman of the Conference, Rev Michael Aiken and rapporteur Fabian Brown. Registration and logistics were handled by Claudette Lindo.

Click here for more on the National Transformation Programme.







































Monday, February 8, 2010

On Creating Material for A General Audience - condoms


Wait for it....the usual firestorm of discussion when "safe sex" or "safer sex" type information is placed in newspapers or on prime time for general public consumption. It is always a
tricky task to find the correct balance trying to reach a specific audience on this topic without offending others.
The new Rough Rider print ad presents enough grist for column inches of replies and minutes of talk show time....glorifying inappropriate sexual behaviour, reinforcing false images of desirable feminity, stereotyping of men as predators...use of patois in low brow situations...there is lots of material here.

One early fume is that the woman in the cartoon should be on equal terms with the man, so why did she have to give him her motorbike when he has a car!

Do you have any comments on this ad that was in the Daily Gleaner on Monday, Feb 8?