There is no doubt in my mind that Nissan’s Cube Minicar is one of the worst looking cars I have ever set eyes upon. Technically the car isn’t even a cube but it was the focus behind an ingenious Canadian PR Campaign. My tutor, David Phillips, has been put on the record for controversially announcing that “marketing is dead”. During the summer of 2009 this mantra appeared to be true for Nissan.

During the promotional period for the Nissan Cube ‘excuse me whilst I be sick’ Minicar all traditional media was avoided. Not a word was spoken on the radio, television was devoid of Cube Minicar adverts, no billboards advertisements and certainly no newspaper inches were used. Instead the PR campaign involved purely using social media.

The structure of the campaign was simple. Nissan ran a ‘Hypercube’ contest which was aimed at the creative classes in Canada. The aim of this contest was to get people to draw pictures personifying the Cube brand. Thousands entered the competition, this was narrowed down to 500 people and eventually a top 50 were selected. These “lucky” individuals received a free Cube Minicar.

The campaign touched over 5 million potential customers and generated extra publicity for the celebrities, musicians and artists who got involved.

There is a fallacy that social media is a cheap effective way to promote. It might be effective if done well but it is never cheap. The amount of time it takes to monitor social network profiles costs a lot of time. Keeping this in consideration Nissan Canada saved a lot of money by keeping away from mainstream media communication channels.

So is it possible to run an effective social media campaign avoiding traditional communication mediums? Yes.

Should everybody promote purely using social media? No. It is too risky.

Cheltenham’s social media conference, the #AddMe conference, will play host to some of the country’s most prominent social media speakers.

The conference has been set up by me as part of my role as CIPR Student Representative for the University of Gloucestershire. Open to students and businesses alike the #AddMe Conference aims to tackle the key questions of how to create, manage and utilise relationships online. To highlight the significance of creating relationships online keeps the #AddMe Conference open to a wide range of topics.

The conference will highlight the significance of creating relationships online and will explain the continually adapting communication landscape for industries. The evening will begin with a talk from David Phillips who is an active PR practitioner, has been involved in the communications landscape for 20 years and is the author of three books about online public relations. He will be followed by Alex Sass, named “Best of British: Entrepreneur” by Attitude Magazine and currently heading up the digital team at Renegade Media. He will cover methods of digital PR, social media marketing and a warning to the industry.

The keynote speaker of the evening will be Aren Grimshaw. His roles include lead organiser of the Cornwall Twestival events, founder of Cornwall Social Media Cafe, marketing director of Tonick Media, publisher of Business Cornwall and consultant to a range of clients. He is a regular speaker on the subject of social media and its role within business.

The event will take place at the University of Gloucestershire, Park Campus on Wednesday 10^th March at 7.00pm until 10:30pm. Normal tickets cost £5 and student tickets cost £3 (using promo code STUDENTDISC). Refreshments will be available on the evening.

Further information and ticket sales can be found at: http://www.addme.mikewhite.co.uk/

You can also follow the event on Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/Addmeconf

Let us ponder upon a situation which you would not want to find yourself involved. Most of us at the University have witnesses what it is like living in halls. Some of the best and worst times of my life happened in those tall polystyrene buildings. Of course I didn’t realise it at the time, only in hindsight could I see I was lucky.

Moving into houses should have beaten the halls experience. Fair enough, there is more work in the second year but at the same time I enjoy working. Consider this short post as a piece of advice and a word of warning to anybody choosing their accommodation at the University.

DO NOT SIGN UP TO A JOINT TENANCY AGREEMENT

This is a really important point and I implore you to take this advice well. It is in my strictest belief that the University of Gloucestershire should warn students about this form of contract and make an effort to validate their housing lists accordingly.

To avoid any indecency I will not disclose the reason behind this post. Let me just assure you that signing up to a joint tenancy agreement is a bad idea. No manner of house is worth the risk of such a contract. You will find the University of Gloucestershire’s accommodation office impossible to deal with as they struggle to find a solution. If everyone were to sign up to a joint tenancy agreement then the University’s accommodation team would be out of a job.

When you sign up to a joint tenancy agreement the eyes of the law views your house as domestic. This is to mean that each person in the house is not seen as an individual but instead a single entity. That single entity being the address of your house.

If you sign up to a joint tenancy agreement:

1. If a housemate breaks rules in the contract then you are all evicted.
2. You will be given full responsibility over the finances and getting rent from your housemates.
3. Bills and rent are usually separated.
4. Any damages occurring to the house will be taken out of each individual’s deposit.

You might think that a joint tenancy agreement is a rare contract to come by. Believe me. It isn’t. Avoid this form of contract. My friends and I have made the mistake this year. You don’t want to make it as well.

Who is the casual observer? A more pressing question, would you actually recognise him? What form should we assume that the casual observer should take? Perhaps a tall man, sophisticated but baring a style not too different from the ordinary? Could this observer be a woman? Forbid the anger of a lady who is not pleased with the world she finds in her midst. Is it the job of the casual observer to intervene with events or let life run its course?

These are all questions which I have asked myself. With regards to worldly events there are two sorts of people. They can be categorised as those who are the centre of attention (of which most people fall into category) and those who simply observe. Once I thought to myself that those who are the focus have the fun and receive the recognition.

What can easily be forgotten though is that silence also has beauty. Whilst music is certainly necessary to heat the heart and churn the soul, silence is also essential. Make no mistake, the introverts are the ones to watch out for. A simple gaze could symbolise a moment of mere distraction but it is the thought which counts. Introverts have the ability to gaze into themselves and see the world from outside of the ordinary.

The casual observer sees life as a series of steps leading to a goal that is yet recognised by himself. Instead of looking ahead at his path he looks inwards to himself. This journey is not one concerning career, a search for happiness but a solution to their question. Some might say that the observer is seeking God. If God indicates the source of their answer then they would be right but otherwise God serves no purpose other than to irrationally satisfy a masked desire. The observer is not searching for a truth but instead an answer.

I sometimes feel like this observer. If you want to know what it feels like to be the casual observer visit a coffee shop you are not familiar with. Buy a coffee and gaze outwards through the shop windows and watch people walk by. See how some walk with purpose, others stroll hand in hand, children play and how the homeless lean covering their faces to avoid the chill. Some things can only be appreciated whilst you are still. Remember that whilst you watch the world walk by that your focus is not on the pavements but inside of yourself.

When I was younger I used to play a game. I would sit quite calmly and watch people walk by on the pavement. Occasionally I would focus on individual people but for the most part I would try to widen my vision to the maximum field. I would then proceed to remember each person who would walk by. Obviously not by name but by how they looked.

The casual observer will find themselves not in situations but witnessing situations. If you find this unusual blog post weird or nonsensical then it is certain that you are not an observer but a player. However, some people will read this post and understand exactly what I mean.

Special guest Jonny Orme joins Michael in what becomes a wacky and unique show. This is still Not Wireless Radio and it is best to expect something different this week!

Every radio show is ‘top and tailed’ to remove music so that it may be enjoyed as a podcast.

Not Wireless Radio is broadcasted on Tone Radio, the University’s radio station, every Friday between 10am – 12pm.

If you enjoy Not Wireless Radio then you can join the ‘Not Wireless Radio Fan Page’ on Facebook. To listen to Tone Radio you can tune in via their website. You can also subscribe to the Not Wireless Radio podcasts via iTunes.

I have been naughty and published this article 2 days ahead of the main promotional period. Tickets are set to fly so if you want to come I highly recommend to jump the gun before the University starts promoting. Tickets can be purchased here.

For the last couple of months it has been in the making. On a few occasions I thought it would never happen… but now it is official!

Wednesday 10^th March 2010, 7pm – 11pm, marks the date of the #AddMe Conference. Founded by myself as part of my role as CIPR Student Representative for the University of Gloucestershire. The conference is associated with the CIPR and arranged as part of the CIPR West of England regional group.

“Open to students and businesses the #AddMe Conference aims to tackle the key questions of how to create, manage and utilise relationships online. To highlight the significance of creating relationships online keeps the #AddMe Conference open to a wide range of topics.”

The conference will include 3 prominent, highly acclaimed speakers on social media. These being Aren Grimshaw, Alex Sass and David Phillips. More details about the speakers and their talks with come out over the next few days on the #AddMe Conference Website.

The event is taking place at the University of Gloucestershire, Park Campus. Location and directions can be found here.

Tickets for the event are £5.00 each and student’s tickets are discounted to £3.00 with a promotional code. Considering the speakers; an affordable amount for an amazing social media conference. Tickets can only be purchased online on the #AddMe Conference’s website. The observant of you will notice the website is actually a sub-domain of this one.

No doubt the evening will partly play host to an embarrassingly long list of thanks to everybody who has helped me so far. There are a few people I would like to thank so far though. They would be:

• CIPR West of England group for always being there to help.
• Family friend, Richard Bratton, for providing me with ideas.
• Head of Department: Media and Communications, Anne Dawson, for pushing everything forward.
• My friend, Chris Brightwell, for being a graphic design genius.
• 1^st Year PR Student, Amy Gibson, for taking some of the weight off my shoulders by helping arrange and promote the event.
• Drinking buddy, Jonny Orme, for being good at his degree, Digital Film Production.

If you would want to learn about social media and want to support this conference I have arranged then come along. It will be good fun!

We all know him as my faithful radio companion on Not Wireless Radio, the voice-over artist from the shire, the radio production student from @uniofglos and now he is dipping his toes into the water of charitable work.

On the 28^th March @ianpinnell will be abseiling 100ft down the Women’s Centre at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. In doing so Ian will be raising money for the Silver Star Society.

The Silver Star Society provides special medical care to pregnant mothers and their unborn babies who have serious or difficult problems. If it wasn’t for the Silver Star Society then Ian wouldn’t be with us today.

Ian aims to raise £100 for this worthy cause and every little bit helps. Please consider supporting Ian. Whilst abseiling for some might be considered a “walk in the park” I can reveal that Ian isn’t a great fan of heights. Have you seen the size of that building? Sheesh!

To donate visit Ian’s JustGiving page. Donating doesn’t take very long and will help the lives of many mothers and families.

If you are feeling especially kind and you are on Twitter then please retweet this post.

Thanks x

Hear the latest news about the University, what is going on in Gloucestershire, plus an insight into the bigger news stories of the week.

Every radio show is ‘top and tailed’ to remove music so that it may be enjoyed as a podcast.

Not Wireless Radio is broadcasted on Tone Radio, the University’s radio station, every Friday between 10am – 12pm.

If you enjoy Not Wireless Radio then you can join the ‘Not Wireless Radio Fan Page’ on Facebook. To listen to Tone Radio you can tune in via their website. You can also subscribe to the Not Wireless Radio podcasts via iTunes.

This question is a cliché for anybody introduced to Public Relations and ethics. On a couple of occasions I have been asked but I have never had a defiant response. Let me explain why…

A couple of weeks ago for my birthday a friend of mine bought me the film, ‘Thank You for Smoking’. Originally a novel by Christopher Buckley which follows a lobbyist, called Nick Naylor, who works for the Academy of Tobacco Studies. If you haven’t watched the film then I definitely recommend it. As for me, I’m going to try and find the time to read the book.

Potentially this could be a very simple question to answer. It is the cognitive processes through which offers the difficulty. We have to understand that there will always be a demand for tobacco, people need to make their own choices but that smoking seriously damages your health. Perhaps the only people who can justify working for tobacco companies are smokers. Yet, I smoke (admittedly not nearly as much) but still find my conscience battling against my habit.

Do tobacco companies offer a positive service for society or are they fuelling a product which the majority would chose to abandon?

Currently I am undecided and this question is for you. Would you work for a tobacco company?

Welcome to Series 2 of Not Wireless Radio on Tone Radio. An awkward start to the morning as everything in the studio decided to stop working but the show still went on. The latest news from the University is discussed, happenings over the holiday period are delved and the latest news stories are mused.

Every radio show is ‘top and tailed’ to remove music so that it may be enjoyed as a podcast.

Not Wireless Radio is broadcasted on Tone Radio, the University’s radio station, every Friday between 10am – 12pm.

If you enjoy Not Wireless Radio then you can join the ‘Not Wireless Radio Fan Page’ on Facebook. To listen to Tone Radio you can tune in via their website. You can also subscribe to the Not Wireless Radio podcasts via iTunes.