The changing nature of news

There was a great article in the FT’s Inside Business section by the paper’s media editor, Andrew Edgcliffe-Johnson.  Describing how newsrooms have shrunk, he looks at how services such as PR Newswire (owned by UBM plc) are responding and how it sees its future being driven by digital syndication, social media and search engine optimisation.   

As we have commented before in our blog, a rethink has started for press releases as multimedia content to help feed the growing number and variety of news outlets online.  Edgcliffe-Johnson argues that “search and social media trends suggest corporate content will only grow”.   

So not only do we now need to be aware that the majority of news is ‘broken’ online, but that how we package up that news into deeper content will increasingly make a difference. This will have an impact not only in how this might be facilitated both client and agency side, but also that the content must be credible and ‘watchable’.   

There will be a need  closer integration of advertising, digital marketing, PR and investor relations concludes Edgcliffe-Johnson.  

See the article in the FT here. (registration required)

SportsDirect launches sports news website

For those interested in all things sports then take a look at the new SportsDirect News website which went live this week.

The site offers all the latest sports news from the UK and beyond, in picture and video.

And we are pleased to say that we designed and built the site.

So click here, have a good look and spread the word. Let us know what you think.

James Bond wine cellar by Spiral Cellars

Spiral Cellars has launched a retractable round glass trap door, featuring a motorised action which drops one of the panels before swivelling under a fixed panel. Finished in satin polished stainless steel and sturdy glass it is the ultimate addition to a slick modern interior.  

They say, 'Cellars are sunk into the untapped earth beneath a house, working by using the earth’s natural attributes and a clever ventilation system, and can easily be installed into existing rooms or as part of an extension.'  

For those that collect fine and drinking wine but don't have the room to store it this is a great solution, holding up to 1,870 bottles.

Find out more about these great space saving solutions here.

Using Social Media to Promote the News

Retail news aggregator My Retail Media approached The Think Tank to raise their profile online and to build awareness of its services and content.

The Think Tank developed a social media campaign, based around a retail news blog, to publicise this groudbreaking web site which sources retail news from around the world. Providing an outlet for unique content, the blog was then publicised through social media channels such as Twitter and LinkedIn.

Having set up the social media channels and started the process of building a following, The Think Tank provided training to My Retail Media to allow them to manage the content delivery themselves. This has resulted in a significant increase in new traffic to the web site and an increase in subscriptions.

Try My Retail Media for yourself - click here