Archive

In Case You Missed It Trends in public affairs and strategic communications

May 21, 2013  ·  New York Times

Yahoo! Acquires Tumblr

Social media is a key component for success for public affairs campaigns and organizations these days, and now that Internet titan Yahoo!, has announced its purchase of social blogging site Tumblr for $1.1 billion, Yahoo! will own a communications platform for peer to peer shareable content that can compete with Twitter and Facebook. This purchase, which surpasses Facebook’s $1 billion buy of Instagram, carries a substantial risk as analysts are waiting to see if Tumblr, with over 108 million blogs, can generate a profit. Only time will tell if Tumblr will prove to be the right platform to ensure Yahoo!’s success in a competitive communications world. Posted by Christine Sanders.

April 30, 2013

Blue Engine Adds New Team Members

Firm hires former senate communications director Amber McDowell and Operations Manager Catherine Lavelle. Additionally, Allison Clear Fastow has been promoted to partner.

April 23, 2013

Blue Engine’s Di Martino on DC Industry Infighting

The Inside-the-Beltway publication Politico writes daily on politics and why politicians, consultants and media figures do what they do on behalf of their issues, clients and causes. This week, in covering the latest public affairs battle brewing in Washington, D.C., Politico turned to none other than Blue Engine’s own David Di Martino for his take on how the next big fight is shaping up. Di Martino described a “uniquely Washington experience,” where each side assembles “their own Mt. Rushmore of big-name consultants and lobbyists” to strategize and share information.

April 18, 2013  ·  ABC News

Politicians Are Snapping Away

More politicians than ever are relying on an old maxim while using new technology. Through Instagram – inspired by the notion that a picture is worth a thousand words – politicians are increasingly connecting to their audiences by speaking directly to them, and bypassing the traditional media . They can also share a private glimpse into their lives, like Mayor Bloomberg’s photo of him kissing a dolphin or Speaker of the House John Boehner posting baby photos of himself and his brother. A personal touch that often can’t be conveyed through a talking point or press release. Posted by Christine.

March 21, 2013  ·  Pew Research Center

More Bad News for the News Business According to New Report

The news media is in financial trouble and it’s expected to only get worse. According to a new report by Pew, “Estimates for newspaper newsroom cutbacks in 2012 put the industry down 30% since its peak in 2000 and below 40,000 full-time professional employees for the first time since 1978.” Newspapers like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and most recently The Washington Post are trying to make up the difference by using paywalls and increasing their focus on the web, but they’re still not breaking even. Hopefully, the news industry finds a model that works before more unpleasant cuts. Posted by Christine @blueenginemedia

February 20, 2013  ·  Mashable

What Does the Jersey Shore Have in Common with a Successful Public Affairs Strategy?

Social media! Whether you're engaging your audience in a policy discussion or the latest Snooki hijinx, social media is a powerful tool. MTV's Dermot McCormack, executive vice president of digital media, gives a look inside MTV’s social universe and shares his top 5 tips for strengthening your company’s social media voice. An authentic voice, flexible organization structure, organizational buy-in, diversified content and interactivity are his keys to fostering dialogue between your organization and the people you’re trying to reach, whomever they may be. Posted by Christine Sanders MORE: http://on.mash.to/155tOwB

February 11, 2013

Blue Engine founder discusses 2012 election at annual ABA Conference

This past weekend, Blue Engine’s Erik Smith participated in the American Bar Association’s 18th Annual Conference plenary session focused on media coverage of the 2012 election

February 05, 2013  ·  Washington Post

TV Ads Facing New Challenges in Era of Twitter

Networks have been battling to maintain advertising revenue in the face of DVRs and other methods that allow you to watch your favorite programs without having to sit through those pesky ads. With more viewers than ever tweeting throughout live television programming, companies are finding ways to take advantage of a free forum to reach consumers. We saw Oreo break through with a clever tweet during the Super Bowl blackout, could Twitter be the next threat to TV ads? Posted by Allison Clear Fastow (@acfastow1).

January 11, 2013  ·  InsideClimate News

NY Times Closes Enviro Desk

The New York Times’ decision this week, to close its environment desk, reassign reporters and eliminate some positions is not only a sign the ongoing financial challenges many news outlets face, but also that the media’s approach to environmental coverage is still developing. Calling environmental stories today “complex” and part “business, economic, national or local, among other subjects,” the Times’ says these changes will allow the paper to cover different parts of these stories. Whether other outlets follow will be interesting to see, especially since The New York Times published the most stories on climate change in 2012 even amidst a three-year decline in climate coverage overall. Posted by Adam Abrams (@awestabrams)

December 03, 2012  ·  Syria Deeply Outsmarts The News, Redefines Conflict Coverage

Redefining Conflict Coverage

With newspapers and other print publications continuing to search for profitable business models that bring their content to the web, could individual journalists beat them to the punch? One foreign news correspondent has left her posts at ABC News and Bloomberg and is using her own capital to better capture, and reflect for readers, the daily situation in Syria. Is this a new trend that enables deeper coverage of issues than previously allowed for by limited budgets for foreign news desks? Or a just a reporter with a passion?" posted by Allison Clear Fastow.

December 01, 2012  ·  Seattle Times

Did you see the video?

The Seattle Times is using its video production studio to promote its print reporting. This afternoon the daily newspaper's homepage prominently features a 50 second video previewing a special report to be published on Sunday. The multi-media promotion strategy captures attention with a large compelling visual, but it also reflects the new habits of online news consumers who read three to four articles per online browsing session, but also watch two to three videos, according to a study by Relate. With steep competition among news sources and high stakes for local media to increase audiences, promoting the weekend paper using video is a smart survival strategy. Posted by Kathy Roeder.

November 14, 2012  ·  New York Times

NY Times examines Obama campaign innovations, talks to OFA strategists including Blue Engine's Erik Smith

President Obama's innovative re-election campaign strategies have received a lot of attention lately including a New York Times piece featuring Blue Engine's own, Erik Smith (@ErikSmithDC)

October 01, 2012  ·  Reuters

Microsoft to start digital news platform from scratch

Microsoft is about to launch a digital news platform for its MSN site to coincide with the rollout of the Windows 8 operating system. While much of the media industry consolidates or closes, Microsoft bucks the trend by creating a digital news platform without the brand backing of a traditional media company. One key insight to Microsoft's strategy is its use of a digital channel. According to Pew Research's 2011 The State of the News Media, digital media was the only growing platform for news. Local and national TV, cable, newspapers, radio, and magazines all lost audiences. Microsoft clearly sees news content as a powerful magnet to growing its monthly MSN audience, which Reuters reports is 480 million visitors worldwide. Posted by Kathy Roeder (@kaytrey)

September 27, 2012  ·  Gallup Politics

As Election Nears, Media Distrust at Record Highs

This time of year, it seems like all we read about are new polls showing Americans split on something, but the latest one from Gallup shows broad agreement on one thing: Americans do not trust mass media. According to Gallup’s most recent survey on media, 60 percent respond with “not very much” or “none at all” when asked about trust and confidence in newspapers, TV and radio when it comes to reporting the news “fully, accurately and fairly.” That’s up 5 points from last year. The 20 percent trust gap is a new record, and less than two months before a presidential election, it is a frightening trend. Posted by Adam Abrams (@awestabrams).

September 21, 2012  ·  The New York Times

“Quote approval” no longer approved

The way the news business is conducted in Washington is in for some changes. On Sept. 20, New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson issued a memo outlining the paper’s new policy prohibiting the practice of “quote approval” – a long-standing but mostly Washington-centric practice that allowed spokespeople to review and approve quotes provided during interviews with journalists before they were published in a news article. The Times joins National Journal and Reuters in prohibiting the technique and we expect that other outlets may consider or adopt similar policies. The source-journalist relationship is constantly evolving and this new policy could change it forever. Posted by David Di Martino.

September 20, 2012

Nothing if not confident

A recent report by the Consumer Federation of America and Primerica reveals that most middle class Americans report making a financial mistake that cost them thousands of dollars, but remain confident in their ability to make good financial decisions. The report found that 67% of middle class Americans acknowledged at least one “really bad financial decision” and 47% acknowledged making more than one bad financial decision. Yet, even with those past mistakes most Americans remain confident that they are capable of making “good” or “excellent” financial decisions. We see similar contradictions in other surveys. The majority of us are confident that we make the right choices despite evidence otherwise. Communicators looking to change behavior or opinion must work within the challenge that most Americans stand by their decisions.

September 19, 2012

Twitter profiles get a new look

Yesterday on NBC’s the Today show, Twitter announced new profile looks as well as a completely redesigned iPad app. The new profile allows you a cover photo (much like the Facebook timeline) and moves your photo stream to the top. This new emphasis on photos allows you and your brand to capitalize on visual moments to help tell your story. How will you take advantage? Posted by Jessica Borchert (@MaybJessed)

September 13, 2012  ·  The Pew Internet and American Life Project

Creators vs. Curators

The Pew Internet and American Life Project, brainchild of the Pew Research Center, released a new report on photos and videos as social currency online. Based on a survey of over 1000 adults, the study found that 46% of internet users post originally created photos and videos on sites including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, LinkedIn and Instagram, and 41% curate media they found elsewhere. The study also found that Facebook continues to dominate online, with 66 percent of adults reporting that they use the social media site. Posted by Michelle Franco.

August 23, 2012  ·  Associated Press

Get Your Campaign Fix – on YouTube

In just a matter of days, Republicans will gather in Tampa and Democrats in Charlotte to formally nominate their candidates for President. This year, however, for the first time, YouTube will be live-streaming both conventions as well as the debates scheduled for this October. Through a dedicated presidential campaign channel, YouTube is aiming to be a “one-stop hub” for video as well as news and analysis from eight news organizations including the New York Times and Univision. So, if you need to get your campaign fix, you now have a new option in YouTube. Of course, in addition to campaign ads and the conventions, you can still go to YouTube for adorable cat videos and parodies of the latest hit songs. Posted by Adam Abrams (@awestabrams).

August 15, 2012  ·  Washington Post

Blue Engine founder featured in Washington Post

Washington Post report details list of Obama campaign media consultants, including Blue Engine Message & Media founder Erik Smith (@ErikSmithDC).

August 15, 2012

From Wingdings to Times New Roman

In an industry where we focus so intensely on the specifics of what we say and how we say it, we may be overlooking something as simple as the font we choose in the memos we write to explain our own strategy. Spoiler alert: you may be tempted to revisit Baskerville or Comic Sans for your next evite. Posted by Allison Fastow, @ACFastow1

August 09, 2012

Bikes!

Blue Engine's latest pro bono project is up and rolling. We are providing message and communications support to a nonprofit bringing bike sharing to the Seattle area. As a proud participant in the "Billion + Change" movement, we are excited to work with Puget Sound Bike Share as part of our pro-bono portfolio.

August 02, 2012

2012 Olympics Breaks New Ground on Twitter

As the world watches their favorite athletes go for the gold, some moments in sports are also big moments in social media. No matter where you stand on Phelps vs. Lochte or what your policy is on Olympic events being spoiled on the internet before the primetime TV broadcast, one thing is for sure – the Olympics are dominating traffic on Twitter. Through NBC’s Olympics Twitter Tracker, you can not only follow top moments in the Summer Games, but also the most tweeted-about moments as well. According to the constantly updating Tracker, since the games began on Friday, the most tweeted-about moment was July 30 at 10:08 p.m. as the Twitter Tracker recorded over 12,700 tweets per minute about American swimmer Missy Franklin and nearly 2,000 tweets per minute about gymnastics. The second biggest moment? David Beckham during the opening ceremonies with over 7,000 tweets per minute. With more big moments to come, time will tell if the Olympics can generate the same Twitter traffic as the closing minutes of Super Bowl XLVI which recorded over 12,200 tweets per second. Want to see what’s trending now see how your favorite moments stack up? Click the link – but be warned, you could see some spoilers. Posted by Adam Abrams (@awestabrams)

July 17, 2012  ·  Harvard Business Review

Yahoo! CEO – Getting a Rollout Right

Harvard Business Review's Dorie Clark gives Yahoo! high marks for its rollout of new CEO Marissa Meyer. Clark says, "The best game-changing moves are unexpected, counterintuitive, and consequently generate a great deal of buzz." A good point, but at Blue Engine, we also push for a strong substance imprint. Most of the initial coverage of Meyer’s new role has focused on her product wins at Google, which demonstrate her clear ideas on brand, intuitive vision, and ability to get things done. If they can continue to amplify that substantive message, then the rollout will prove to be a success. Posted by Kathy Roeder (@kaytrey).

July 11, 2012  ·  Poynter

NYT Standards Editor Tells Times Journalists to Embrace Social Media, be Thoughtful

Need help forming world-class social media habits? Phil Corbett, The New York Times associate managing editor for standards gave a full view of the outlet's social media standards to the Poynter Institute, a school that teaches and promotes journalism and integrity in the practice of journalism. The gist? Corbett says they tell their journalists to embrace social media, recognize that it is a “public activity” and to “be thoughtful” because their credibility and that of their organization is at stake. Corbett goes on to say that narrow, restrictive parameters for using social media doesn’t encourage reporters – nor does it help them embrace social media. Corbett is right. Actively embracing social media is important for businesses, individuals and journalists to stay informed, engage with your community and be responsive in a crisis. Just don’t forget who you represent and to be thoughtful when communicating online. Posted by Adam Abrams (@awestabrams)

June 29, 2012

Twitter Traffic Spikes for Health Care Announcement

Is there anyone not going to Twitter for the latest headlines? Twitter traffic spiked to 13,166 tweets per minute after the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on President Obama’s extended health care law. Not all of those tweets were accurate and some deleted tweets are now archived at Politiwoops. The spike didn't quite reach to the peak of 14,000 tweets per minute during the 2012 State of the Union or the 2012 Super Bowl which saw an impossibly active 12,223 tweets per second at one point. Posted by Kathy Roeder

June 22, 2012  ·  Media Bistro

CNN Increases Global News

CNN switched up its long running format of the CNN Newsroom this week, launching “Newsroom International”. Suzanne Malveaux, who anchors “CNN Newsroom” will also host “Newsroom International”. Richard Quest, Michael Holmes and Hala Gorani will join her on the broadcast.

June 14, 2012  ·  The New York Times

Two Finance Giants Partner on Web Content

CNBC and Yahoo Finance are linking up to produce financial stories and videos. Beginning this fall, co-produced web video shows and stories will cover a variety of topics from market coverage to profiles of business leaders and experts. CNBC is currently the largest business news television channel while Yahoo Finance is the most visited business-finance news and research site. Posted by Erik Smith.

June 07, 2012

New Poll Shows Tweeting Isn't Enough to Build Trust

A new poll from Allstate/National Journal called “Networked Nation,” shows that nearly two out of every three American adults used social media in the last month. According to the poll, social media users agree that online information makes them better consumers, but 69% of Americans (and 73% of social media users) believe that major corporations are active on social media mostly so they can more easily advertise, collect information about customers, increase their profits and compete with other companies. The best way to bridge that trust gap is by making a two-way conversation - being an active member of the community through social media can help you achieve your goals.

June 01, 2012  ·  The Sunlight Foundation

Don’t become a Politwoops

We all love a tweet that turns viral. Politwoops follows and posts tweets deleted by the political elite from the President to Senator Chuck Grassley. Enjoy the gems preserved on this new site launched by the Sunlight Foundation to hang onto politicians' large thumbed typos. Now’s the time to make sure your proofreading skills are up to par. #WeHopeItsNotYou Posted by Jessica Borchert

May 30, 2012  ·  CNN

Do you need a political gut check?

Instincts are integral in succeeding in politics. With CNN’s gut checking newsletter released nightly to your inbox, you no longer have to trust yours, and yours alone. Compiled by CNN’s top political team, Mark Preston and Michelle Jaconi, this newsletter provides the insight you need into the latest political drama.

May 23, 2012

The Sheridan Group Enhances its Leadership Team with the Hiring of Dan Smith, Staff Director for Senate HELP Committee

In one of the more high profile staff changes in recent memory, Dan Smith, the staff director for the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions is leaving Capitol Hill to join Washington’s premier nonprofit lobbying firm, The Sheridan Group, founded by Tom Sheridan.

May 13, 2012

Blue Engine Message & Media Adds Adam Abrams to Team

Blue Engine Message & Media is pleased to announce the addition of Adam Abrams, former regional communications director and spokesman for President Barack Obama and the White House to their strategic communications team. Abrams will join the senior strategists at Blue Engine in creating, developing and implementing strategic public policy campaign plans for corporations, coalitions, non-profits and national trade associations.

May 09, 2012  ·  ADWEEK

Does Politico have a future in television?

Politico may soon expand its unique approach to political news into the cable broadcast arena. Since making its debut in January, “Politico Live” has enhanced production capacity and now boasts live streaming rights on C-SPAN, raising speculation that the site could soon be making a more permanent move to television.

May 01, 2012  ·  Politico

New York Times rising, WaPo struggling

The Audit Bureau of Circulations has released its latest newspaper statistics showing New York Times readership growing while Washington Post readership is declining. USA Today remains the most widely circulated newspaper in the U.S.

April 27, 2012  ·  PR Daily

10 ways to use Pinterest for your business

PR Daily offers a terrific top ten list for successfully using Pinterest, the latest social media craze, to build your brand. The virtual “pinboard” social network exploded this winter and went from fewer than 1 million users to 150 million in just six months. Everyone from the U.S. Army and Mashable to average citizens, and politicians are using the site to build an online community. Posted by Jessica Borchert

April 19, 2012  ·  http://tweetreach.com/

Where’s Your Tweet Going?

When you share something on Twitter, how do you know who’s talking about it, how many people saw it and who those people are? Since 2009 “TweetReach” has given thousands of Twitter users the ability to analyze the impact of their conversations on Twitter. Via Bully Pulpit Interactive.

April 17, 2012

Blue Engine Message & Media Adds Jessica Borchert and Christine Sanders to Team

Blue Engine Message & Media is pleased to announce two new hires to their strategic communications team. Jessica Borchert and Christine Sanders join the senior strategists at Blue Engine in creating, developing and implementing strategic public policy campaign plans for corporations, coalitions, non-profits and national trade associations.

March 22, 2012  ·  TechCrunch

What's the value of a "Like" or a re-tweet?

Social media impact can be hard to measure. New features in Google Analytics will aim at more "social-focused" reports to go beyond merely tracking activity from social networks (and which social networks in particular), but also looking at how many of those social visits lead to a specific marketing goal such as a purchase. Posted by Kathy Roeder

March 21, 2012  ·  Mashable

Happy 6th Birthday Twitter

Twitter, the online microblogging social networking site that made terms like #hashtag, tweet and twitterverse part of any media guru’s vocabulary, turns six today. In those six short years, the site not only revolutionized the way reporters cover news, but the way media consumers get their news. Be sure to follow Blue Engine on twitter @BlueEngineMedia

March 14, 2012

Online Open Mic

PolicyMic, a new “democratic” online media platform, aims to put news and politics in the hands of its readers. Targeting Millennials, PolicyMic enables participants to award other users “mics” for comments and responses to posted user-contributed content. By earning mics, a user’s presence on the site grows form “reader” all the way to “pundit”, at which point a user is allowed to create their own content. PolicyMic's creators say they want success and prestige on the site to be driven by how thoughtfully a person participates and not how “loudly” they speak. Posted by Michelle Franco.

March 13, 2012  ·  PR Week

ICYMI: Connections among causes, consumers, and companies

SXSW takes on the communications challenges associated with the growing movement of “social giving.” One attendee breaks down the importance of building and sustaining relationships, incentivizing behavior, and creating relevance and demonstrating tangibility. Posted by Allison Clear Fastow

March 09, 2012  ·  Reddit

A Growing Platform: Reddit Amps Up Policy Discussion Online

This week Congressman Darrell Issa participated in an "IAMA" round of Q&A on the discussion-fueled website Reddit. Reddit's expansion into political and policy issues, particularly following an avalanche of online SOPA and PIPA activity, offers a growing platform for newsmakers to directly engage passionate, online audiences. Posted by Kathy Roeder

March 09, 2012  ·  TED Youth

Kevin Allocca: Why Videos Go Viral

Ever wonder what it took for your favorite video to go viral? Kevin Allocca, YouTube’s Trends Manager, breaks down the key factors of tastemakers, participation and unexpectedness in this humorous TED talk. By Allison Clear Fastow

March 06, 2012  ·  The Atlantic

Don't judge Drudge by its Cover

An analysis in The Atlantic finds that the old-school style of the web site sits on top of a sophisticated online advertising machine. Posted by Erik Smith.

February 17, 2012  ·  The Los Angeles Times

Tweet that Ad

This week Twitter announced the launch of a self-administered advertising platform for small businesses, moving the social media platform closer to competing with Google's automated system. While the network has been relatively slow to embrace advertising, it is not for lack of interest among marketers. Twitter's role at the center of conversations makes it a desirable venue for reaching active and influential audiences.

February 06, 2012  ·  http://www.economist.com/blogs/johnson/2012/02/journalese

Headline Headaches

Ever have a great clip you would love to share, but hate the headline? This is a common frustration for anyone who works closely with a reporter to get the story straight, only to see an editor take a different tack in the headline. A recent blog at The Economist notes the challenges of headline writing while pointing to a few doozies in a major daily

January 13, 2012  ·  New York Times

The Rise of the New Groupthink

Are collaboration and a team approach in the work place killing creativity? How do we strike a balance between the lone genius and the potentially limiting “New Groupthink”? Posted by Allison Clear Fastow.

January 04, 2012  ·  Forbes

New Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson: 'We'll Be Back to Innovation'

Will new Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson’s lack of media experience be key to Yahoo’s future success or inhibit the company’s turnaround? Posted by Allison Clear Fastow

December 12, 2011  ·  New York Times

BuzzFeed Adds Politico Writer

BuzzFeed, a popular aggregator of social web content, hired Politico writer and blogger Ben Smith to be editor in chief and produce original content of its own. It’s a first-of-its kind move for an aggregator and may be what BuzzFeed needs to give it an edge in an increasingly competitive social landscape. Watch for how, and if, other aggregators make similar moves. Posted by Stephen Carter.

December 07, 2011  ·  Fast Company

How To Use Interactive Video To Effectively Promote Your Brand

Posting status updates and pictures is so 2010. Thanks to new interactive video utilities and mobile devices, face-to-face communication (or: how people used to talk before email) is making a comeback online. An increasing number of brands and nonprofits are using these tools to create more meaningful connections with their audience. Posted by Stephen Carter.

November 30, 2011  ·  Poynter

How 9/11 led to the birth of Google News

Do you remember Google before it had its News aggregator known as Google News? Jeff Sonderman, a Digital Media Fellow at the Poynter Institute, posts a fascinating interview with Google’s Ben Gomes explaining that Google News was created as a response to the information void discovered when online readers searched for information during the deadly attacks of 9/11. Posted by Patricia Pincus Cole.

November 16, 2011  ·  Time

William Shatner’s Bizarre Thanksgiving Safety PSA

Thanksgiving yields huge press opportunities for hospitality, food and Black Friday segments. Here's a terrific online video and social media application developed by State Farm, not a brand you'd expect to get a lot of play during the holiday. William Shatner stars in this mockumentary about a turkey fry gone wrong. Posted by Kathy Roeder.

November 07, 2011  ·  Ad Age

Why 'Pages' on Google+ Isn't Just Another Facebook

Today Google+ will open up to brands and businesses. Ad Age reminds us that because of new tools and search engine optimization implications, Google+ isn't just another Facebook. The next few months will be interesting to see how brands test, learn, and squeeze whatever value possible out of these new tools.

November 04, 2011

Blue Engine Joins A Billion + Change Campaign

Blue Engine is proud to join A Billion + Change, a national campaign to mobilize billions of dollars of pro bono and skills-based service by 2013 to address core issues our communities face across the country and around the world.

October 25, 2011

David Di Martino Joins Blue Engine Message & Media as Partner

Blue Engine Message & Media, a leading strategic communications and issue advocacy firm in Washington, D.C., announced today that David Di Martino has joined the firm as partner and will merge his firm DD Media with Blue Engine.

October 23, 2011  ·  Poynter

HuffPost Politics most-visited site for political news, outdraws CNN Politics, Politico

Which website do you visit for your political news? Turns out that the majority of you would say the Huffington Post. According to audience data from comScore, HuffPost Politics recieved nearly 10 million visitors in September. Rounding out the top three were CNN Politics which recieved 8.1 million visitors and Politico with 4.8 million visitors. Posted by Patricia Pincus Cole.

October 18, 2011  ·  Funny or Die

Clinton Foundation: Celebrity Brainstorm

Organizations that work on serious issues often overlook humor as a tool for winning an audience and amplifying a message. This 10 year anniversary video from the Clinton Foundation brilliantly weaves message and comedy, bringing the Foundation's work to a whole new audience on Funny or Die. Posted by Kathy Roeder.

October 14, 2011  ·  Fueled

Building A Twitter Community The Right Way

“Building a Twitter Community the Right Way.” @Fueled blog looks at what companies looking to establish an online brand can learn from the FX Comedy “The League,” @theleaguefx. Posted by Erik Smith.

September 28, 2011  ·  Fast Co Design

3 Trends That Will Define The Future Of Infographics

Charts are hot. Journalists, bloggers and social media users want visually interesting graphics that can add punch and color to a story or post. An expert in the field offers his thoughts on what works best among the latest trends. Posted by Kathy Roeder.

September 19, 2011  ·  POLITICO

Study: Fewer voters tune in to live TV

Politico reports on a new study finding that fewer and fewer Americans are watching live television making it increasingly difficult to reach them through traditional advertising. Posted by Erik Smith.

September 07, 2011  ·  Adweek

Can Politico Win Again? Blogger Ben Smith helped the site dominate the 2008 election cycle—but Twitter’s encroaching on its turf

Politico innovated the use of political blogs but now find that Twitter has leveled the playing field in terms of speed. Twitter’s rapid growth presents a threat to Politico’s dominance and has become a matter of concern for its founders, who are now thinking about ways to change their editorial and business model. Posted by Erik Smith.

September 07, 2011  ·  The Wall Street Journal

When Patients Band Together

Social media has gone beyond vacation slideshow forum to successfully encourage research for rare diseases. Posted by Allison Fastow.

August 22, 2011  ·  The New York Times

Local TV Newscasts Expanding

Three years after the business buckled under the weight of the advertising recession, the more popular stations in markets like St. Louis are adding newscasts and in some cases employees. Posted by Erik Smith.

August 12, 2011  ·  The New York Times

Coaches' New Friends

Facebook meets Face mask. Social Media changing the way college coaches communicate with their players. Posted by Erik Smith.

July 18, 2011  ·  The New York Times

To Pique Interest, Start-Ups Try a Digital Velvet Rope

According to a report in the New York Times today, Google included journalists and prominent bloggers in an early, pre-public release of its new social media Google+ platform. It's a clever strategy for a company sure enough of its product and eager to begin building buzz among influencers and talkers. "Google introduced the service in several stages, beginning with an internal test phase called “fish food,” a play on the code name for the product, Emerald Sea. Shortly after, all 24,000 Google employees were granted access for several months. Then, Mr. Horowitz said, the company decided to begin what it is calling its “limited field trial,” which involved inviting a small group that was selected using a set of criteria that he declined to discuss. Most were journalists and prominent bloggers. Eventually the company opened up windows during which those users were allowed to invite others. Posted by Kathy Roeder.

July 07, 2011  ·  The Boston Globe

What Twitter users asked the president

The Boston Globe reported on President Obama's Twitter townhall with this terrific visual comparison on the number of times an issue was raised by Twitter users versus White House journalists. Posted by Kathy Roeder.

June 29, 2011  ·  TechCrunch

AOL Consolidates 53 Brands Down To 20 “Power Brands;” The Huffington Post Gets Bigger

Trends in Online Media: AOL Consolidates 53 Brands Down To 20 “Power Brands;” The Huffington Post Gets Bigger. Posted by Erik Smith.

June 08, 2011  ·  Bloomberg

When Social Networks Become Tools of Oppression: Jillian C. York

As regimes in the Middle East and their supporters take a cue from opposition activists, social networks create a new battleground. Posted by Allison Clear Fastow.

May 27, 2011  ·  All Facebook

Are Facebook Friends Of Brands Likelier To Buy?

More evidence that a strong online presence builds stronger brands is found in a recent study of Facebook “brand fans". Posted by Erik Smith.

May 23, 2011  ·  Experian Hitwise

Twitter accounts for 1 in every 184 UK Internet visits online

The increasing influence and social media demonstrated dramatically in a new report that finds Twitter is responsible for 1 in every 184 internet visits in the UK. Posted by Erik Smith.

May 03, 2011  ·  The New York Times

Ownership of TV Sets Falls in U.S.

The New York Times reports on the decline of television ownership in America. As young people move to smaller screens and seek greater control over the content they view, communicating digitally to computers and smartphones takes increasing precedence over traditional media. Posted by Erik Smith.

April 26, 2011  ·  Mashable

Multimedia Reporting Tool Storify Now Available to Public

As reported in Mashable: Storify, a tool that enables professional and citizen journalists to craft multimedia narratives by dragging and dropping articles, tweets, Flickr photos and online videos onto a single, embeddable page, has entered public beta. Posted by Kathy Roeder.

April 11, 2011  ·  Inside Facebook

Facebook for Journalists: More Work Than Twitter; But With A Bigger Payout

Reported on Inside Facebook, last week, Facebook launched a Page called Journalists on Facebook in an effort to encourage the news community to use the site’s Page feature as a distribution and research tool. Posted by Kathy Roeder.

February 28, 2011  ·  Wired Magazine

How to Spin a Yarn and Get Your Way

From Wired Magazine, future Mark Zuckerbergs better get their stories straight. Their startup funding depends on it, according to Peter Guber’s new book, "Tell to Win". The former Sony Pictures chair and CEO explains how spinning great yarns can help close million-dollar deals. It’s the same technique he used to save the film Gorillas in the Mist when the studio balked at its budget. Posted by Erik Smith.

February 10, 2011  ·  The New York Times

Have Airfare Search Engines Eroded Brand Value

Airlines looking to pay fewer fees to fare consolidation sites are faced with a bigger issue than just protecting the bottom line. By sending consumers to side-by-side comparison sites to shop for fares, airlines lost an opportunity to communicate a brand message and unique value. Posted by Kathy Roeder

January 17, 2011  ·  San Francisco Chronicle

On Haiti, A Year After the Earthquake

Blue Engine client Direct Relief International is Haiti's largest supplier of medical aid. In addition to providing aid to Haiti for over forty years, Direct Relief works in 72 countries around the world.

January 07, 2011  ·  The Associated Press

Media blitz preps viewers for Winfrey OWN channel

An interesting look at the comprehensive media campaign required as Oprah Winfrey launches her eponymous cable network. Even the "Queen of Talk" works to utilize a coordinated communications effort to ensure success of her new venture. Posted by Allison Clear Fastow

January 07, 2011  ·  Wall Street Journal

Powerful example of a strange bedfellows coalition

The Wall Street Journal covers an interesting strategic decision by ranchers and animal cruelty activists to join forces. The two sides used to be at odds over policies on US horse slaughterhouses. Posted by Kathy Roeder

January 06, 2011  ·  Time Magazine

Stand for Children's CEO Jonah Edelman Recognized by Time Magazine 11 Education Activists for 2011

Blue Engine client Jonah Edelman was recognized by Time Magazine today as one of 11 education activists to watch in 2011. Congratulations to Jonah and the Stand for Children Team. Posted by Kathy Roeder

December 29, 2010  ·  The Economist

More Rumors on the Demise of the Phone Call

In our experience, phone calls move the ball forward quickly and efficiently. Text and email are obviously essential, but nothing gets results faster than a follow up call. Here's to more phone calls in 2011, just not while at the movies. Posted by Kathy Roeder

December 23, 2010  ·  New York Times

SMS Organizing Works in New Ways - Prisoners Use Text to Launch Strike

If you need more evidence on the effectiveness of social networking, building communities and mobilizing support, see today's New York Time's story on prisoners in Georgia aligning gangs to protest conditions using illegal cell phones. Posted by Erik Smith

December 12, 2010  ·  New York Times

Web Focus Helps Revitalize The Atlantic

Posted by Kathy Roeder - Terrifically honest piece in NYT today on the web strategy behind The Atlantic's financial turnaround. Online communications works best when allowed its own approach instead of playing second fiddle to a primary print or tv campaign.