PR Guts

Changing My Address

noreply@blogger.com (Jin Woo) — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 21:18:00 +0000

I've been radio silent working on a new team to display our Web 2.0 capabilities for Access Communication.

As part of Access Communications, I will now begin blogging on the Access Point. Please look for postings from my colleagues and myself about the PR world and current events at the new link.

You can also find me on LinkedIn and my recently added FaceBook profile.

StartUps Beginning to have More Power

noreply@blogger.com (Jin Woo) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 01:52:00 +0000

Anytime a fellow USC Trojan is talked about in the context of success, I'm a happy guy. Aaron Levie and his partner, who managed to start Box.net, an online storage company with $11,000 in poker winnings, along with Mark Cuban's $350,000 investment (later kicking Cuban to the curb...just like the Warriors did last year) is now quite successful.

Now the two 20 something year olds are leading a successful Web 2.0 company, with lots of funding and a marketing strategy that according to Levie mirrors a "time-tested" technique used by drug dealers. He may be smart but may need a better PR strategy. E-mail me!

One thing is for sure, the lower cost of barrier to entry with open source and cheaper resources has anyone with a decent idea able to test whether it will be successful. Expect many more start-ups and more VCs looking to invest.

Free Access Points Towards Upward Growth

noreply@blogger.com (Jin Woo) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 01:28:00 +0000

Ever since I've entered the world of journalism and PR, dating back to 2000 when I was an undergraduate at USC, the question has always been how publications can make money while offering content online. I've always believed that newspapers should give subscriptions away for free but instead they turned in the opposite direction and started charging for any content online more than a week old. The New York Times learned its lesson and has decided to offer free access to its online content. Smart move. If you want to expand the subscription base, offering free newspapers will grow the advertiser base and more than make up for any charges a publication collects through subscribers.

If you have to charge for subscriptions, then offer exclusive content that the paid readership can see such as photos, videos or exclusive interviews. However, not only does this limit the readership but it won't be successful because many readers are frustrated with slow connections despite the growing base of (slow) high bandwidth Internet connections. That's a different problem.

Even requiring a login can be a pain in the butt. I forget my login so many times that I end up just not reading the story. And with dynamic Web 2.0 features, now I can't even visit a site without being forced to view an ad before I can look at content. Trust me, frustrating users is not now to grow readership.

I do like the ability to post comments but it only becomes an interactive community forum if the reporter responds to some of the reader comments, not just post the 500 comments that no body will read. Reporters will be surprised by what they learn from its readers.

Win Million Dollar Marin Home for $150

noreply@blogger.com (Jin Woo) — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 06:47:00 +0000

A Bay Area non-profit, Community Action Marin is selling $150 raffle tickets to raise money for programs that support mental health services, early child development, HIV/AIDS patients and the homeless. Cuts in funding include those made by our Terminator governer - Arnold Schwarzenegger, left the organization in need of a way to raise funds. Organizers hope to sell 35,000 tickets in order to net $2.2 million after giving away the $2.1 million house and other cash prizes of up to $25,000. If 35,000 tickets are sold, you have a 1% chance of winning a prize of at least $300. You have until Sept. 21 to enter the early bird drawing.

It's for a good cause and it's a pretty nice house so I'll give it a shot.

To see pictures of the house or find out more details, visit:
http://www.marinraffle.com

Don't Mess With My Yo Yo

noreply@blogger.com (Jin Woo) — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 06:35:00 +0000

The state yo-yo championship is coming to San Francisco. $80 yo-yos? A yo-yo boom every seven years? According to SF Chronicle writer Steve Rubenstein, "TV contracts and corporate sponsors, are one reason yo-yo championships are held in museums instead of coliseums." Get real! It's been downhill since the spelling bee started appearing on ESPN. Shouldn't it appear on KQED? The spelling bee isn't a sport! Plus who wants to see a yo yo from the third deck?

Blogger Suicide Rate Swells

noreply@blogger.com (Jin Woo) — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 06:26:00 +0000

According to Strumpette's Amanda Chapel, The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will release a study that indicates a significant spike in the suicide rate of business bloggers. If this is true, this is a strong indication that we spend way too much time on the Internet. Do you really need to check your MySpace six times a day? You know who you are!

Download This!

noreply@blogger.com (Jin Woo) — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 03:07:00 +0000

The first line of this article says it all: “Americans invented the Internet, but the Japanese are running away with it.” Japan installed copper wiring that enables the country to enjoy up to 30 times faster Internet connections than we do in the United States at significantly lower costs. Even South Korea and parts of Europe are enjoying the same benefits. Better cell phone reception, better Internet connections, more submissive women…hmm.

Drink Up! Drink Up!

noreply@blogger.com (Jin Woo) — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 02:25:00 +0000

Researchers at the University of Michigan, yes the same university that was stunned by Appalachian State and fell out of the college football top 25 rankings, have linked alcoholism to disadvantaged neighborhoods. That was a cheap shot but can you blame me?

Researchers surveyed 206 Caucasian men in their early 30s over a period of 12 years. The researchers also believe women face greater challenges as they “have a high tendency to marry alcoholic men,” which they classify as “assortative mating.” Wikipedia defines it as “sexually reproducing organisms tend(ency) to mate with individuals that are like themselves in some respect.” So basically, it took them 12 years to figure out drinking too much makes you lazy, less likely to succeed and more likely to hang out or hook up with other drunks. This reminds me of a song by Afroman titled "Because I Got High." I wonder what they think about 25 year-old Jay Heckman who drank 1,000 beers in three years. Maybe they are right since he graduated from the University of Maryland in 2004 and now lives in the Canton neighborhood of Baltimore working as a bartender.

Caution - Bay Bridge Drivers!

noreply@blogger.com (Jin Woo) — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 05:02:00 +0000

It sucks when the Bay Bridge is closed for an entire weekend but I'm willing to give up a few days in the city to get longer Fastrak lanes and a safer bridge during an earthquake. But something else scares me. C.C. Myers keeps getting the job done on Bay Area freeway overpasses done in record time. There's a reason they are given ample time to get the job done but when C.C. Myers gets the Bay Bridge project done 11 hours ahead of schedule (for a weekend job) and a month ahead of schedule when they recently fixed the MacArthur Maze, I can't help but wonder if they have some extra parts laying around. For now, everyone is impressed and the company's reputation continues to grow for doing a quality job in record time.

Don't Stand too Close to Your Popcorn

noreply@blogger.com (Jin Woo) — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 04:41:00 +0000

For all you microwave popcorn lovers, buttery popcorn fumes may be bad for your health. According to the Associated Press, a pulmonary specialist at Denver's National Jewish Medical and Research Center has uncovered the first case of lung disease caused by fumes when microwaving popcorn several times a day for years. My advice, chill out on the popcorn or at least don't stare at it when it's in the microwave. Even my Newports don't have that kind of impact.

Amazon Gets Fresh

noreply@blogger.com (Jin Woo) — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 04:27:00 +0000

After so many failures of online grocery stores including Albertsons, Safeway and others, it amazes me that Amazon (Fresh) is getting into the online grocery business. Others have failed due to small margins and lack of user base. While Amazon does it a little better with a one-hour delivery window, it doesn't seem like a profitable business. Good luck. Even the article by AP technology writer Jennifer Mintz seemed like a joke as she lost focus and started talking about what the delivery guy is wearing rather than focusing on the review of the site and the service.

Forbes Picks Yay Area for Best City for Singles

noreply@blogger.com (Jin Woo) — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 04:10:00 +0000

The Bay Area, New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Chicago round out this year’s top five “Best Cities for Singles” according to Forbes.

I don’t necessarily agree because I live in the Bay Area and…well we don’t need to get into details.

What is amusing about this is the methodology. Factors include coolness, cost of living alone, culture, job growth, online dating, nightlife and singles. While these categories aren’t ridiculous, there is something wacky about the criteria. For example, one factor of cost of living is the cost of a Pizza Hut Pizza. Or the online dating category (led by Houston) is based on the number of active profiles on Yahoo! Personals. Or finally the singles category carried twice the weight of any other category but is defined by anyone above age 15 that has never been married.

Maybe I should conduct my own survey based on my own criterion: coolness (number of persons doing the hyphy dance, ghost riding the whip or wearing stunna shades), cost of living alone (rent, gas, cost of a good Philly cheesesteak and least amount of gold diggers), culture (who’s on the beach, side shows and good concerts), job growth (career growth opportunities, above market value pay and signing bonuses), online dating (active single profiles on MySpace , Facebook or even Craigslist for some of you), nightlife (how many cool places to drink, how late alcohol is served and options for getting home without driving drunk) and singles (number of women of legal drinking age that don’t have kids or dudes not paying child support).

Ultimate Sports News by SportsUltra.com

noreply@blogger.com (Jin Woo) — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 03:21:00 +0000

Imagine if you could pick out what you want to read, who you want to read about and by the publication who you want to read. What better way to track sports news, especially when baseball is expanding rosters and teams are keeping an eye on the waiver wire, team USA basketball gears up for the most successful run since the original Dream Team (or bitter disappointment), college football is buzzing with Michigan's disapointment and NFL teams are finalizing rosters.

The first step was taken by SportsUltra.com and they've done many things right. For example, I'm a big fan of A's baseball, Golden State Warriors basketball, 49ers football, San Jose Sharks hockey and a huge fan of the USC Trojans in football and to an extent in basketball. Once I've set up my settings, I am able to view my news all together or use a drop down menu to pick conference (or division in some cases), teams, players and even track past USC alumni. You can also pick out your favorite newspaper or sports news site like ESPN or Sports Illustrated and get all the Peter Gammons you want.

I'd like to see team schedules/tv listings and college football rankings added to the site but otherwise I can't complain. I'm sure since launching last week, they will make necessary adjustments to make the site more comprehensive in time.

Settling In Nicely

noreply@blogger.com (Jin Woo) — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 03:12:00 +0000

Now that I'm starting to settle into my job at Access Communications, I'm ready to start posting again. I've had the urge to write a few times but resisted only because I didn't think I couldn't consistently post. I appreciate all the positive comments while I've been out of action and can't wait to get back into midnight postings with my twisted sense of humor or brutal honesty.

PR Guts Is Out for the Count...for now

noreply@blogger.com (Jin Woo) — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 20:36:00 +0000

So I didn't start blogging like I said I would. Today, I’m saying good bye to PR Guts, at least for the time being. I haven’t had access to the same print versions of publications I’ve enjoyed. But then again in the last two months, several of the publications I read consistently have gone to Web only.

Although I still have the same desire to expand my knowledge and creativity for PR, my post-work activities has changed quite a bit. I have a new “friend,” been going to the gym and have quit smoking and drinking. Yeah, I know, we’ll see how long that lasts.

All the same, Fourth of July, I should have been watching fireworks but instead I was focusing on finding my $6 pack of Newports I lost in the dirt and on the fifth I was enjoy my last cigarette. Now, I am proud to say I haven’t had a cigarette for 111.5 hours.

Next week, I’ll be on my first trip (past Vegas) to the east coast. Indiana, of all places to meet my “friend” and see what happens. Maybe I’ll be able to convince my “friend” that earthquakes aren’t dangerous and her mom that we’re not all money hungry, gangbanging thugs in California. Those damn rap videos! (Don’t trip, I’m still hyphy!)

My guess is that I’ll be hanging out at Walmart, going a theatre that isn’t projected on a screen and taking a 1 year old to the county fair. Don’t worry. I’ll still have my fun. Then I’ll have a full day in Chi-town with my “friend.”

Since the All-Star game is in San Francisco this week, I couldn’t resist saying a few words about Bay Area sports. Barry Bonds didn’t participate in the Home Run Derby even at the request of the owner; Brian Sabean is still in charge and Peter Magowen will have a good ballpark, a huge bill and no talent. That’s a great formula for success. A’s have a creative GM in Billy Beane; more injuries than a football team and our clutch hitter is Mar-co Scut-a-ro.

In basketball, Nellie wants $5 million a year, Baron Davis wants more money too and a possible Kevin Garnett trade is keeping the buzz alive. Ship Brandon Wright and Monte Ellis with some salary off to Minnesota but only if we can give Garnett an extension or else he’ll get a $6.5 million bonus and walk after one year. We’ll be fine at the two with Marco Belinelli, according to Nelson and I believe him. We probably won’t have Jessica Alba in our stands next year but “We Believe” we can make the playoffs.

The 49ers was in salary cap hell for the last few years went on a shopping spree and had a solid draft and somehow still have nearly $10 million in cap space. And we got Seattle’s #1 receiver.

And only because I am a Trojan and Pete Carroll is from Marin. Solid recruiting class and USC will be challenging for another title next year.

For now, thanks for checking back and I’ll holla at you later.

Do-It-Yourself Kits Leading to More Cyber Crime?

noreply@blogger.com (Jin Woo) — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 05:36:00 +0000

Cyber criminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated or are they? With increasingly targeted attacks, protecting yourself against emails, ads and even search engine results, it is difficult to decipher what’s really coming from known contacts and legitimate sources. It’s well known that educating consumers and enterprise end-users has to be stepped up but the hacker’s ability to leverage Do-It-Yourself Kits are bad news for innocent victims. Read what Ed Dickson has to say here.

Could U.S. be target of Cyber-Terrorism?

noreply@blogger.com (Jin Woo) — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 05:34:00 +0000

The Christian Science Monitor (picked up by USA Today) had an interesting story today about a recent cyber attack on Estonia. The impact cyber-terrorism could have on the United States could create a meltdown for Americans but the U.S. government has not made this a priority. If you think about one big e-commerce site and think about the millions of dollars they could lose for being down an hour, this about the financial impact this could have if we received a nationwide attack. Not even Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) could save the day.

Lunch 2.0 in the Valley

noreply@blogger.com (Jin Woo) — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 07:51:00 +0000

It was better when stealing lunch was sneaky. Now that the valley's companies have turned it into a networking session, it kind of loses it's luster. Read the story here.

Ban on Styrofoam in SF

noreply@blogger.com (Jin Woo) — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 07:43:00 +0000

Starting today, San Francisco require city "food vendors who sell prepared food to use compostable or recyclable to-go containers." It's a good idea but how well will this be enforced? I imagine compliance to be similar to SOX compliance. Yes, I know. It's a low blow. Deal with it.

Armando Sucks and the Fans Let it Be Known

noreply@blogger.com (Jin Woo) — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 07:27:00 +0000

I actually didn't mind the signing of Armando Benitez but like most of Brian Sabean's moves, it sucked. I'm not saying this because I'm an A's fan. I use to work for the Giants. I'll admit it. When I first got out of college, I was a freelance sports writer but I also needed some extra money since I was making more money expensing my miles than the articles I was writing. Getting back to Benitez, the Giants should have traded him in spring training instead of waiting until now. Or else a guy like Sabean can only get a middle reliever and be forced to pay more than 93% of Benitez' remaining salary for year...about $4.7 million of the $5 million owed to the finger pointer. But the fans are happy, they basically booed Benitez out of town.

Okay, I'll be honest. I wasn't too happy that the A's got stuck with Jason Kendall and his salary for Arther Rhodes...but Billy's still got a much better track record than Sabean.

Not Foleo, It's Foolio

noreply@blogger.com (Jin Woo) — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 07:16:00 +0000

Now I'm one for technology advancement but the Foleo is stretching the boundaries. From the time we started calling blackberries "crackberries" and the time I heard a man doing business on his cell phone while going #2, we need more time away from our computers, gadgets and phones. Forget desktop at our fingers. I want a remote control locater, a wireless phone charger or a one-touch delivery of cheesesteak, fries and milkshake at my door. But I'll settle for filling up my car for less than $30. Now that would be technology advancement!

Google Gears is Good Idea...

noreply@blogger.com (Jin Woo) — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 07:08:00 +0000

Google Gears will enable offline access to Web applications. The idea is good but I won't make a verdict until I see the end product. Plus, do we really need it now? If someone could create a zero-latency Web application for let's say MediaMap type application, I'd be a happy camper. That said, Google may be casting the net to far at this point. Give me applications at speeds I need so I don't have to yell profanities at my computer and now we're talking. Or how about Gmail not saying server error, please try again in 30 seconds! Not the exact words but you get the point.

Free Buzz in Rome?

noreply@blogger.com (Jin Woo) — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 07:01:00 +0000

A report from Italy's National Research Council found that there are traces of cocaine and cannabis in the air, mostly concentrated in the center of Rome. Read more here. I wonder what it would be like if the same results were found in the entire city of San Francisco...

Cop Steals Evidence and Makes Pot Brownies

noreply@blogger.com (Jin Woo) — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 06:50:00 +0000

Most of you have already heard this but I couldn't let anyone miss this. A cop called 911 after he made brownies with confiscated pot. He and his wife takes the entire batch (quarter ounce...seven grams) but she's also on vicodin. Check this out: http://emuse.ebaumsworld.com/audio/play/21181/

Schools Not Prepared for Today's PR

noreply@blogger.com (Jin Woo) — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 06:11:00 +0000

Edelman and PRWeek will be hosting an Academics Summit on June 7-8 in New York City. Among the notables guests ar David Kirkpatrick and Dan Gilmor. According to the site, "The New Media Academic Summit will convene business leaders, academics, journalists, bloggers and communications professionals to discuss the challenges facing universities in preparing the next generation of graduates."

When I was leaving college in 2002, the USC Annenberg School for Communication began cross training journalism students to be prepared to write for print, produce or be on air for broadcast and develop Web design skills. Altough I majored in print journalism, I was able to have brief stints with FOXSports.com and FOX KTTV-11 in addition to a few print gigs with the Orange County Register and a customer publisher called Imagination Publishing that published Wells Fargo Business Advisor. But at that time, the cross pollination and emergence of bloggers was at its infancy so I didn't get exposed to it much until my second year in the PR biz.

Recent college graduates have contacted me in hopes of getting help in landing an internship or an entry-level position. I've been pretty disapointed in the quality of experience that I've seen. Not due to lack of effort on the candidates part but a lot of the opportunities are limited to drafting a release, pulling together a media kit and event coordination.

Events like these are a very positive step to connect students, educators and real life practitioners and I hope to see more of these events in the future. Unless we participate in contributing to the success of these students, we shouldn't be in a position to complain about the new candidates that come out of local colleges.