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The Blagger’s Blog 3rd February 2012

Friday, February 3rd, 2012

A weekly roundup of talking points, sans effort

Worth the paper it’s printed on?

Last week’s light news success stories included…

… Celebrity Big Brother again, with 48 articles reporting on the series finishing with presenter and actress Denise Welch coming out on top, whereas just 29 reported on footballer Anton Ferdinand receiving a bullet in his mail…

…George Clooney, whose Best Actor Oscar nomination secured him 82 headlines, while EU sanctions against Iran only took 63…

…and finally, The Only Way Is Essex starting up for a new series, and bagging 47 stories in the process, far more than the 7 that covered the Yes vote on Salford’s Elected Mayor Referendum.

(Source: Journalisted)

Weekly high

The anti-superhero, lo-fi blockbuster Chronicle opened in cinemas this week. The film focuses on a group of friends who develop the ability to move things with their minds, amongst other talents, and soon discover one of them has pretty questionable intentions. To celebrate 20th Century Fox hired viral marketers Thinkmodo to fly pilot radio controlled planes made to look like people around New York airspace.

Weekly low

As the most valuable consumer IT company Apple is much loved. Clean, white, crisp designs suggest transparency, and the ‘everything in the box’ approach also supports this notion. It’s unfortunate to learn then that due to conditions in some of the factories owned by its Chinese suppliers there have been calls to boycott the household brand. There may be some explaining to do.

Battle of the tweets: Manchester vs London vs Johannesberg

Top Manchester #tags (seven days to 3/2/2012)

#mufc #mcfc

#lfc #towie

#10thingsthatareattractive #5thingsicantstand

#transferdeadlineday #cbb

#deadlineday #manchester

The window of opportunity for new signings in the world of football has now been temporarily closed (#deadlineday). Aside from sport use of #towie is back (as if it ever really went away), whereas this may be the last we see of #cbb.

One to watch: itvcorrie (Coronation Street – UK’s longest running soap; 5,5138 followers / 3,808 updates)

Top London #tags (seven days to 3/2/2012)

#lfc #5thingsicantstand

#mufc #10thingsthatareattractive

#towie #10basicfactsaboutme

#arsenal #cbb

#transferdeadlineday #afc

This week’s Twitter trends in London largely mirror those in Manchester, from the transfer deadline day to the comical combination of five things people hate and ten they love.

One to watch: bobbyllew (Robert Llewellyn- Conflicted wet liberal, amateur nerd, and every few years Kryten in Red Dwarf; 78,487 followers / 34,030 updates)

Top Johannesberg #tags (seven days to 3/2/2012)

#ausopen #dear6yearoldself

#djokovic #generations

#live #nadal

#mufc #useatwitterhandleinasentence

#lfc #3talk

The South African capital is getting in on the Premiership act with #mufc too, though Jo’berg residents beat the UK’s sports fans this week by actually noticing that Djokovic won the Australian Open with a blinding victory over Rafael Nadal.

One to watch: trevornoah (Trevor Noah- Stand-up comedian; 2,863 followers / 276,166 updates)

That was The Blagger’s Blog, a selection of statements, statistics and noteworthy newsies from across the media and social world, amalgamated, allowing the time-starved professional to start a conversation from thin air.

If there is a success story, blunder, or tweeting town you’d like to see included email hello@smokinggunpr.co.uk or tweet using #blaggersblog. Happy Friday!

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Facebook will finally float

Thursday, February 2nd, 2012

The internet is abound with news today that the world’s largest social networking site is set to sell off the highest value shares ever offered by an internet company. Despite this the funds now expected to be raised are still only half of what analysts predicted.

As anyone who caught David Fincher’s slick feature film The Social Network (itself an adaptation of Ben Mezrich’s 2009 book The Accidental Billionaires) knows, Facebook began life in a university dorm room. With that in mind floating the company on the stock market for $5billion (around £3.16billion) doesn’t sound like a bad deal, especially when you consider that gatekeepers Google only managed $1.67billion back in 2004.

Founding father Mark Zuckerberg- who currently owns around a quarter of the company- should be satisfied with these numbers. And no doubt he is, or at least the quotes currently being banded about concerning his re-emphasising that Facebook is more of a ‘global mission to connect’ than a business opportunity suggest he’s not quibbling over the odd billion dollars.

But one of the reasons why the social network in question isn’t going on sale for the price some had initially thought possible is its potential for future growth. With 845million monthly users, and some 400million daily users (give or take… again, who’s really counting when the numbers are this high) Facebook still has a long way to go before complete global domination, but profiles do not mean profit, and in the world of global trading margins are everything.

As Kathleen Smith, principal of IPO investment advisory firm Renaissance Capital, told BBC News- Facebook is more profitable than predicted, but then “what new areas of business is it expecting to pursue beyond display ads?” Longevity is something people are still sceptical about when it comes to dotcoms, and so far the exponential increase in Facebook users hasn’t done much to ease concerns, with the phrase ‘burning yourself out’ coming to many minds; similar sites have come and gone in the past.

There’s also an even bigger gamble here; user numbers have fallen in some areas, if this happened on a large scale the implications could be grave, and with more advertising a likely outcome of the impending floatation it’s easy to imagine a worst case scenario on that front. Meanwhile, the advertisers will need to start seeing some regular large returns to warrant injecting the amount of cash into Facebook that currently supports the overall company worth (between $80-$100billion).

That figure is under a quarter of Apple’s value, less than half of Microsoft, and $87billion short of Google. Considering the strength inherent in those brands (and the fact all they all produce ‘physical’ products, not simply online services) Zuckerberg’s web based pension plan isn’t doing too badly at all. But it’s where things go from here that could well be the real baptism of fire, as ever then only time will tell how this one pans out.

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To succeed in 2012 stop listening to the media.

Tuesday, January 31st, 2012

To paraphrase a Greek goddess, Just Do It. Be bold, be brave and be the best you can.

It seems simple, but really it’s all too easy to become paralysed by fear, and for that I blame the media. The Daily Mail and Robert Peston in particular.

To borrow the much used (and I never believe them!) football manager mantra – avoid reading the papers. Or at least turn on your anti-pessimism filter if you want to get ahead.

Sure, the cold winds are once again blowing quite literally and metaphorically through the economy. But there are always reasons to believe, shoots of optimism to be grasped and every situation creates opportunities.

So if you want to make a difference this year, personally and professionally, you’re going to need to show some Olympian spirit by remaining ruthlessly focused and determined to hit your own objectives. And this is where another reason for the nation’s paralysis kicks in.

There’s a lack of clarity and fear of change being shown by so many. The number of senior business people I meet who know there are fundamental issues to solve in their business (communications or otherwise), but are so fearful of making the wrong decision or implementing any changes at all in case they end up turfed out and on the dole queue that they end up doing nothing, worries me.

But then the status quo will always be the easiest option. It’s the comfy armchair in your lounge, your safety blanket. Make no mistake though, when you stand still you’re actually falling behind, because your competitors have been busy identifying the threat and opportunities the current climate offers.

They’ve redeployed staff, upskilled workforces, launched new products that ride the zeitgeist and approached their sector from a new angle to disrupt the market. They have further supported this with the requisite financial spend and investment. They’re looking to come through the other side with a stronger share of a consolidated market when the tide finally turns. And it will.

Not everyone will succeed of course, but those that do stand to move forward and capitalise to the benefit of their business and stakeholders. So be bold, be brave, and be the best you can, because while predictions reign supreme throughout January, and as we approach the end of 2012’s first month this trend appears set to continue, I’m not sure we’ve ever seen such mixed messages before.

The analysis of the Christmas retail trading period alone raised many eyebrows, and before the boffins had finished offering their twopenneth we discovered January’s retail sales had hit a three year low – a mini boom and bust cycle in action.

Looking closer to home the PR sector came under review in the annual heavyweight marketing IPA Bellwether report. In all honesty it’s the same case as with so many integrated marketing meetings, wherein public relations gets the equivalent of a rushed five minutes at the end once the media bods have finished their 800th slide of penetration and reach, it being lumped into the ‘misc’ category.

We therefore must take such analyses with a pinch of salt, but even a committed sceptic can see that with budgets and profitability down for Q4 it doesn’t make pretty reading. Please allow me a moment of navel gazing to end though.

I’m pleased to report that we managed to buck the trend and Q4 was our most successful yet for the business, which saw us finish the year 50% up on 2010, a magnificent achievement and testimony to the sheer hard work and no lack of inspiration from the team. We intend to make 2012 an even better one, and for us that doesn’t just mean hard work. It’s also about focusing on the positives and not getting hung up on the negatives, seeking out opportunities and offering insightful, exciting communications solutions.
I for one can’t wait to roll my sleeves up and get stuck in!

Take care,

Rick

PS- It would be remiss of me not to mention the recent return of the acclaimed BBC re-imagining of Sherlock Holmes, to which our business as well as this e-newsletter owe their name. For fans currently missing the clever drama, check out John’s infamous blog http://johnwatsonblog.co.uk/  – I really don’t know how he has time to keep it up to date alongside his Case Notes for Smoking Gun…

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Portable futures

Tuesday, January 31st, 2012

Crabs in vending machines, shops in shipping containers, and credit card computers. Here’s why 2012’s biggest mobile innovation may not be the iPad 3.

Live crustaceans sold as ‘fresh’ food in Far Eastern snack dispensers isn’t so much the height of technology as it is a regional delicacy. But this area of street-side marketing is home to a more fitting example of how portable developments are becoming engrained in everyday life. Introducing the Ubox application.

In China people are already used to topping up e-commerce accounts online through systems like Taobao (as we do on eBay), and Ubox is an extension of this idea. The application runs on Android, iPhone, and Java devices, and links to (what the developers hope will become) a national network of vending machines. Credit your account at home, then make a selection from any machine via your phone and payment is taken automatically. It really is that simple.

Sticking in the world of food and drink retail, though applying a broader definition to the term ‘mobile’, Stockbox Grocers is an innovative model and sign of the times currently being trialled Stateside. Crafted from reclaimed (and therefore also recycled) shipping containers, these autonomous shops are designed to be delivered to any destination, unloaded, and immediately opened for business.

Better yet, if footfall in the area drops off the premises can be moved, wholesale, to another site. The first store has already opened in Seattle, and the concept may be rolled out across America this year, so watch Britain’s streets for the inevitable arrival soon after that. The success of ‘pop up stores’ in high priced city centres provides numerous examples of why this idea could be so lucrative.

Stockbox UK might not be confirmed, but one revolution guaranteed to be seen on a high street near you in 2012 is Object Recognition (OR). That is, of course, if you haven’t noticed it already, as many smartphones already pack this functionality, allowing users to catalogue images as viewed through a mobile lens. Just hold the device so as to capture the desired object in a photograph, then drop the stored image into a compatible application.

The result means performing tasks like searching online for a sofa using a photograph taken seconds earlier will easily be possible. Like Augmented Reality (see our blog post on The ‘Half Naked App’), this is the next phase of camera phone use, one of many ‘smart’ developments currently taking place on the mobile tech frontier. But most of us still don’t know much about how a basic computer works, so many of these advancements can be quite confusing.

To try and solve this problem boffins at Cambridge University have invented the Raspberry Pi Computer. This new PC is the size of a credit card, can network with numerous devices (laptops, flatscreens etc), and will cost £15. Admittedly it’s no Power Mac, with estimates gauging that its processing capabilities are similar to an average desktop circa 2005. Nevertheless, when something’s this small and cheap those specs sound impressive to us.

The idea is to re-engage young people with computer science by having them learn skills like programming on these portable, affordable devices. Revolutionary in the same way old BBC machines were four decades ago, the notion of putting technology back in the hands of users is fitting in a discussion on mobile developments, and confirms this is an era in which microchips are universal, and have become integral to our lives, as such understanding them is now vital.

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January 2012 in the Smoking Gun study

Tuesday, January 31st, 2012

It’s traditionally the slowest month of each year, though you wouldn’t think so to look at our diary. With keynote speeches, youth project work, charitable gestures, and another two award nominations the last four weeks have been hectic as ever.

Happy New Year, if it’s not too late already now January’s done and dusted. So 2012 is well underway, and if national news opinion polls are anything to go off it’s going to be another tough 12 months for businesses. The recession has already run our economy ragged, and by all accounts we may be about to fall back into a similar, double-dip situation. The jobs market reflects this, and with the increasing cost of university to boot we’re delighted to be involved with Bigdog.co.uk.

More and more young people are now looking at alternatives to higher education. Big Dog offers advice, tailored job and apprenticeship searches, event notices, and articles for 16-24 year olds on the hunt for vocational routes into a career. We’ve been working to raise the website’s profile amongst the public and would be users alongside founder Nick Chadbourne, a chap who has already helped some 5,000 young people train for work in just over two years.

Back in December we decided to donate a percentage of last year’s profits to the Starlight Children’s Unit at Wythenshawe Hospital in South Manchester after doctors and nurses there cared for a critically ill child of the Smoking Gun directors. Now Panda Liquorice is also getting in the charitable mood by sending a proportion of the sales from its new Strawberry Bears to Edinburgh Zoo, after successfully shaking hands on an affiliate deal tied in with the arrival of two giant pandas- click here for more on that story.

We’re also delighted to say Panda Liquorice, our favourite health food manufacturer, will continue to use our services for all press office and digital PR responsibilities this year. After a successful partnership in 2011 that resulted in award wins for both Smoking Gun and the all-natural brand, each party understandably has high expectations for the coming months…

…and what better way to kick start 2012 than with another award nomination for the Panda-Smoking Gun team, with our Giving Nasties the Blues project up for Freshest Social Media Campaign at the Fresh PR Awards. On top of this we’re in the running for Freshest Small PR Team too, so fingers crossed for March 1st.

Elsewhere we’ve also been called upon to offer industry wisdom and help bring another group of business people up to speed for the New Year. At a recent conference of the British Confectioners Association Smoking Gun MD Rick Guttridge was called in to advise on trends in cultural events, technology, and media for 2012, with more professionals benefiting from our sector-specific knowledge of marketing and PR tools.

So January’s not been very sleepy at all, but then we wouldn’t have it any other way. Aside from all this following our recent succession of new client wins we’ve been busy conjuring up some typically innovative campaigns for the future, whilst more major contracts currently sit on the table. So much to do it’s probably time to get back to it, with all eyes set on what already looks like another standout year.

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The Blagger’s Blog 27th January 2012

Friday, January 27th, 2012

A weekly roundup of talking ponts, sans effort

Worth the paper it’s printed on?

Last week’s light news success stories included…

… Celebrity Big Brother again, with 92 articles reporting on the series dominating UK audiences, just a few more than the 88 that reported on Wikipedia temporarily closing down amid piracy fears…

…and Amanda Holden wearing heels whilst pregnant, the crux of eight stories, the same number that covered the fall of Tom Harris, an ex-Scottish Labour MP (see below).

(Source: Journalisted)

Weekly high

Scandinavian Airlines have a been responsible for several successful interactive, social media, and digital campaigns over the years. The company’s ‘Couple Up to Buckle Up’ QR initiative is no different, as this typically smooth case study video from the firm confirms…

Weekly low(s)

Tom Harris resigns from his post as Scottish Labour MP after creating a spoof video comparing First Minister Alex Salmond to Adolf Hitler in another one of those Downfall based clips. The result means the internet is now full of reactionary work such as this…

…meanwhile the private sector ensured we had to include two cock ups for the price of one this week, as McDonalds launched a Twitter campaign inviting people to share their #McDStories but instead received jibes, abuse, and the following PFSK headline. Fail.

Battle of the tweets: Manchester vs London vs Sheffield

Top Manchester #tags (seven days to 26/1/2012)

#mcfc #mufc

#cbb #lfc

#30thingsaboutme #manchester

#youknowyouredrunkwhen #thingsicantstand

#supersunday #takemeout

The last week of January has played out much like the rest of the month in Manchester- quietly. That is, of course, apart from the city’s two Premier League teams both beating London sides, in the capital no less.

One to watch: gemsmaquillage (Gemma – You Tuber/blogger on makeup and beauty; 12,773 followers / 27,744 updates)

Top London #tags (seven days to 26/1/2012)

#cbb #30thingsaboutme

#lfc #arsenal

#mufc #mcfc

#afc #youknowyourdrunkwhen

#thingsicantstand #takemeout

Understandably Arsenal (and no doubt Tottenham) fans have been Tweeting about the weekend’s double loss against Manchester’s big two, elsewhere Take Me Out and Celebrity Big Brother are high on the agenda, while others reveal personal secrets. No change there then.

One to watch: sbtvonline (SB TV Online- The UK’s leading youth broadcaster; 61,264 followers / 52,697 updates)

Top Sheffield #tags (seven days to 26/1/2012)

#cbb #swfc

#30thingsaboutme #sufc

#youknowyouredrunkwhen #ntas

#takemeout #mcfc

#sheffield #127hours

Both Sheffield teams are enjoying good times too, albeit in League One (United and Wednesday). Aside from that the recent screening of 127 Hours, a film about a guy stuck in a rocky crevice with his arm trapped under a boulder, also seems to have made an impression.

One to watch: swfc (Sheffield Wednesday FC- Official Twitter profile for the football team; 16,115 followers / 10,892 updates)

That was The Blagger’s Blog, a selection of statements, statistics and noteworthy newsies from across the media and social world, amalgamated, allowing the time-starved professional to start a conversation from thin air.

If there is a success story, blunder, or tweeting town you’d like to see included email hello@smokinggunpr.co.uk or tweet using #blaggersblog. Happy Friday!

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Google and Bing accused in piracy war

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

In many legal cases to stand by and knowingly allow someone to commit a crime is, in itself, a crime. Similarly, to aid in the transportation or storage of stolen goods is tantamount to theft.

Online though the same rules don’t apply. Because there’s no emotion, or morality, at work in an inanimate search engine, and so it’s difficult to accuse these service providers of a criminal offence. Google, et al, are designed to do what we ask, with the only prejudices involved coming from our own history and pre-set preferences. Until now, maybe.

As Media Guardian reported today Google and Bing, two major search engine players, have both been accused of pointing users in the direction of illegal film and music downloads, while making it more difficult for people to find official, paid-for equivalents online. This has all come from a document obtained under the Freedom of Information Act which contains suggestions made to Ed Vaizey, Minister for Culture, Communications, and Creative Industries, by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), the Motion Picture Association (MPA), the Publishers Association, the Premier League, and Pact; a trade body for independent film and TV producers.

The proposals include a voluntary body charged with removing illegal file sharing and file hosting sites from search results, and are really just the next stage in what has so far been a lengthy process of ‘cleaning up online piracy’, a task that’s still only in the earliest phase. Recently Google introduced a fast-track service for those wanting to request a website to be removed from results page, which is an improvement from a licensees perspective but the biggest move may have more self interest at heart.

With Google’s overall reach in the world of web things nothing short of comprehensive (it’s one of the only brands with a finger in almost every online pie), the launch of a new Google music service, allowing people to search for, stream, and download songs, is a move into one of the few untapped territories. It’s already a highly competitive marketplace though, so if there’s any hope of taking on the big guns some serious cash will need to be invested. Now ‘pirate sites’ have become a direct competitor it seems unlikely some of this money won’t be spent on more drastic steps to reduce their presence, making for an interesting potential turning point.

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The Blagger’s Blog 13th January 2012

Friday, January 13th, 2012

A weekly roundup of talking points, sans effort


Worth the paper it’s printed on?

Last week’s light news success stories included…

… Celebrity Big Brother launching, of course, with 102 articles reporting on the series beginning (again), in contrast Steven Hawking turned 70 and appeared in just 42…

…Dancing On Ice, another reality-talent show, started and seized no less than 90 headlines, in comparison William Hague’s visit to Burma- the first British foreign secretary to do so since 195- only featured in 49…

…and finally, Peaches Geldof announced she was pregnant and grabbed eleven stories, while Michael Brown, the biggest donor to the Liberal Democrats, was arrested in the Dominican Republic and just four ran.

(Source: Journalisted)

Weekly high

They say there’s nothing as good as a Dyson, but if this latest advert for LG’s own vacuum is anything to go by that’s not true. We all love a good tongue in cheek commercial, and as this one managed to raise plenty of mid January smiles we thought it only right to reference it as our pick of the week.

Weekly low

You can’t predict what celebrities are going to do next. Blue Ivy Carter has been lucky enough to be born with parents Jay-Z and Beyonce, and everyone at Lenox Hill Hospital knows it, what with reports abound of the superstar couple’s security team refusing other new parents entry to specialist units and clearing out the waiting room. Click for more.

Battle of the tweets: Manchester vs London vs Leeds

Top Manchester #tags (seven days to 12/1/2012)

#mufc #mcfc

#cbb #facup

#lfc #takemeout

#1thingifindsexy #manchester

#100thingsihate #derbyday

The recent Manchester derby that saw United take on City in the FA Cup 3rd round is rightly a big taking point, ending up 3-2 and providing 90 or so unquestionably entertaining minutes. Similarly Celebrity Big Brother has been keeping people engrossed on another channel, while some people are also listing their their biggest turn ons and dislikes.

One to watch: buzzshire (Buzz Shire- breaking news headline buzz; 22,210 followers /4,167 updates)

Top London #tags (seven days to 12/1/2012)

#cbb #mufc

#facup #100thingsihate

#inanafricanhouse #lfc

#mcfc #takemeout

#1thingifindsexy #arsenal

As up north people in London have been lured in by Celebrity Big Brother, though reassuringly the FA Cup is also a major talking point. Meanwhile the new series of Take Me Out is also proving popular, along with another list of things people loathe.

One to watch: davegorman (Dave Gorman- AbsoluteRadio, Sundays 10am. Podcast too, don’t drop litter; 187,308 followers / 31,397 updates)

Top Nassau, Bahamas #tags (seven days to 12/1/2012)

#afterclubtexts

Ah the Bahamas, what a wonderfully beautiful, lackadaisical place to live. We Brits are busy talking about the latest celebrity gossip, but over in the warm waters of the Atlantic people appear to have far less on their mind, with amusing examples of tipsy #afterclubtexts the only trending discussion.

One to watch: wizzwatch (Wizz Watch- Forex trader, stock trader, technical analyst, finding the best stocks; 1,972 followers / 13,039 updates)

That was The Blagger’s Blog, a selection of statements, statistics and noteworthy newsies from across the media and social world, amalgamated, allowing the time-starved professional to start a conversation from thin air.

If there is a success story, blunder, or tweeting town you’d like to see included email hello@smokinggunpr.co.uk or tweet using #blaggersblog. Happy Friday!

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The Blagger’s Blog 5th January 2012

Friday, January 6th, 2012

A weekly roundup of talking points, sans effort

Worth the paper it’s printed on?

Last week’s light news success stories included…

… Russell Brand and Katy Perry preparing to divorce, and claiming 34 headlines in the process, significantly more than the ten dedicated to renewed bird flu fears that emerged after a bus driver from the Chinese city of Shenzhen died from the virus…

…Sinead O’Connor’s fourth marriage coming to an end- news that featured in 24 articles, whereas Chinese activist Chen Xi was imprisoned for ten years and appeared in just 14…

…and finally, opera singer Katherine Jenkins and TV presenter Gethin Jones are also set to split, with eleven articles running on the fact they made the announcement via Twitter, exactly the same number that were published following Portia Simpson winning the Jamaican election to become the country’s first female Prime Minister.

(Source: Journalisted)

Weekly high

German manufacturer Edding have found a novel way to keep highlighters in the public’s digital minds with this little app. Click here to access the website, and from there you can simply drag and drop the icon into your Internet browser’s toolbar. Then with one click you can highlight web text, and share via social media, making this little concept our favourite marketing idea of the last week.

Weekly low

OK, so it’s not necessarily the beginning of the end of the world, as the Mayan civilisation predicted 2012 would bring about, though there’s still plenty of time left in the year yet. But we still couldn’t help feeling sentimental at the thought of the BBC World Service running adverts on some websites and radio stations. The end of a very long era no less.

Battle of the tweets: Manchester vs London vs Leeds

Top Manchester #tags (seven days to 4/1/2012)

#mufc #mcfc

#lfc #eastenders

#describeyoursexlifewithamovietitle #nufc

#happynewyear #manchester

#thingsihatethemost #2011in3words

The trend describeyoursexlifewithamovietitle is certainly a challenge with just 106 characters left, while we also enjoyed seeing the creativiy at work in responses to 2011’s three words. Elsewhere, Newcastle United just beat Manchester United, which is also the talk of this town.

One to watch: footballagentpm (Peter Morrison- Football agent, ex-Bolton player; 25,477 followers / 4,877 updates)

Top London #tags (seven days to 4/1/2012)

#eastenders #lfc

#mufc #arsenal

#nufc #happynewyear

#stephenlawrence #describeyoursexlifewithamovietitle

#sherlock #afc

The murder of Stephen Lawrence is sadly back in the news again, with a review of the sentencing handed out and the Metropolitan Police homicide teams being reduced in size. There’s also plenty of tweets about Arsenal and, of course, Happy New Year.

One to watch: mirrorfootball (Mirror Football- It’s all fun and games… until we make a gag about YOUR team; 81,045 followers / 51,418 updates)

Top Leeds #tags (seven days to 4/1/2012)

#lufc #nufc

#eastenders #lfc

#mufc #describeyoursexlifewithamovietitle

#sherlock #darts

#2011in3words #thingsihatethemost

If one team outside the Premiership rejoices when Man United lose it’s Leeds across the Pennines, so it’s no surprise Newcastle’s #nufc features in this list. Away from sport BBC One’s new series of Sherlock just began, which people in Leeds seem to love.

One to watch: leedsguide (Leeds Guide- Leeds food, drink, shopping, nightlife, music and culture; 10,751 followers / 4,247 updates)

That was The Blagger’s Blog, a selection of statements, statistics and noteworthy newsies from across the media and social world, amalgamated, allowing the time-starved professional to start a conversation from thin air.

If there is a success story, blunder, or tweeting town you’d like to see included email hello@smokinggunpr.co.uk or tweet using #blaggersblog. Happy Friday!

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Mobile websites- why bother?

Thursday, January 5th, 2012

Happy New Year! 2012 has finally arrived, meaning we can all (hopefully) forget about a plethora of trends from last year, such as mass scale UK rioting and flatlining economies.

In contrast the use of smartphones to access the internet is something that will only continue to rise over the coming months. In 2011 the public uptake of these web-enabled devices- whether that’s BlackBerry or iPhone- grew exponentially, with huge numbers being sold as more and more people looked to browse online, email, and do most things they can do on a computer whilst on a bus, in the canteen, or just about anywhere else they might choose to surf from.

Of course tablet computers are another ‘buzz product’ at the moment, with the iPad 2 featuring on just about everyone’s Christmas list, and many of the competitor products are now priced so low it’s difficult not to be very tempted. Even the Smoking Gun office is now equipped with Apple’s beautiful touchscreen devices, and because we pride ourselves on effective investment we’d say that’s a strong sign these gadgets are here to stay.

But this doesn’t mean smartphones are set to be a flash in the pan success. Experts universally predict the rise in mobile phones equipped with powerful processors will only continue, though there is a problem. Such devices can display most websites with ease, however the original domain design is, more often than not, coded for traditional computers and laptops. Those uninterested with functionality and usability might not be that bothered, but in order to guarantee competitiveness in an increasingly ferocious marketplace any business should seriously consider investing in a mobile version of its website so as to satisfy all potential customers.

Don’t believe us? Here’s a video by Vistaworks, a US web design company with a portfolio spanning well over 15 years, which explains how the shift away from desktops and other such full-screen machines is likely to continue in the immediate future. So take a look for yourself, and then have a think about what needs to be done.

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