Spinning the Money Markets - Center for Media and Democracy: "In a two-part series on Australian corporate PR, an investment banker explained that investor relations campaigns are carefully planned. 'At morning conference calls, there's always a lot of talk on which journalist is a softer touch and who will be more favourably disposed and who has particular relationships with the other side,' an investment banker said. The spokesman for one large corporation explained that they used external PR consultants for 'for media management of senior commentators. These guys talk to commentators about 10 projects a night and it is not necessarily evident who they are working for ... The use of an independent third party allows you to manage that relationship better or get a discussion going to ease the tension. The consultants say it in their own language and it doesn't sound like spin from the company,' he told Jennifer Hewett for the second article."
Sunday
The State of State Lobbying - Center for Media and Democracy: "'Vested interests are working harder than ever to achieve their goals in state capitols and state agencies across the country,' reports the Center for Public Integrity. The organization's review of 2004 lobbying activities found that nearly $953 million was spent 'attempting to influence state legislators and executive branch officials' in the 42 states that track such spending."
More about Subliminal PersuasionUS Army recruits using online games
adfreak: War: It’s all in the game : "War: It’s all in the game
To develop strategies for combat, the U.S. Army conducts war games. It also uses war games (the video kind) to recruit soldiers—a task that is becoming increasingly difficult with all the live action in Iraq and Afghanistan. At AmericasArmy.com, game players get a free shot at becoming a virtual Green Beret without the risk of shrapnel wounds or post-traumatic stress disorder."
Thursday
Chicago city offers public product placement
Chicago for sale: "Chicago is short $94.1 million dollars for 2006.
How will the mayor raise funds? By selling naming rights of city assets to the highest corporate bidders, reports the Sun-Times.
'There's a few other assets that may provide for a captive audience to be exposed to advertising' or naming rights, said Budget Director John Harris. 'The [Chicago Transit Authority] is exploring it for some of its train lines.... We will be putting out a request for information to the experts in that field to give us some more ideas.'
That includes airports, libraries, water filtration plants, police and fire stations and vehicles, bridges over the Chicago River, the famed Lake Shore Drive, even the 911 emergency center."
(Via Church of the Customer.)
Hollywood studio's 'fake' critic
Hollywood studio's 'fake' critic: "A US judge has finalized the settlement of a lawsuit brought by movie-goers who accused Hollywood's Sony studios of using a fake critic to trick them into seeing mediocre films, lawyers said... Sony also used endorsements by people who turned out to be Sony employees, the attorneys for the plaintiffs said in a legal notice concerning the settlement that was agreed in March 2004 and given final approval last month."
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