public relations is an applied social science | a blog by Rusty Cawley, APR

Security Exchange Commission wants public companies to disclose cyber attacks

The SEC has issued a  voluntary guidance rule to all public companies  asking them to disclose publicly any material cyber attacks that  include “the theft of financial assets or intellectual property that may be very costly, disrupt their business or result in litigation or reputational damage,” according to an SEC disclosure issued October 13.

The SEC was responding to a formal request from Sen. Jay Rockefeller, Dem. of West Virginia, who is a ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee.

“For years cyber risks material to investors unreported in spite of existing legal obligations to disclose them,” Rockefeller said last week. ” Intellectual property worth billions of dollars has been stolen by cyber criminals, and investors have been kept in the dark.”

via www.forbes.com

Social media REALLY hate American Airlines, new Amplicate survey says

Social media users expressed intense hatred for a number of the leading lights of US aviation, including Delta, United and US Airways. But people reserved the most ire for American Airlines, the world’s fourth largest airline and by far the most hated on social media. A measly 12% of opinions on social media about the airline were positive over the last 12 months. Social media users’ complaints against American ranged from bad customer service to cancelled flights.

via newswire.amplicate.com

The strategy behind Occupy Wall Street's 'lack' of a clear message

One of the most commmon criticisms of Occupy Wall Street is a perceived -- at least among pundits and PR pros -- lack of a clear, concise message. Here's a dissenting opinion from Nicolaus Mills, professor of American studies at Sarah Lawrence College and author of "Like a Holy Crusade: Mississippi 1964 -- The Turning of the Civil Rights Movement in America":

As Occupy Wall Street demonstrates its staying power, media increasingly portray it favorably. Because of its success, the movement is being asked to put forth a list of its demands. So far, members have said no. And well they should.

The refusal of Occupy Wall Street to tie itself down with an agenda that can be debated piecemeal is one of its great strengths. The decision allows Occupy Wall Street to remain a cri de coeur for all who believe they have lost ground over the last decade.

In choosing this strategy, Occupy Wall Street is doing more than defying expectations. It is linking itself with the best of 1960s America.

via www.cnn.com

Introducing ... the anti-Facebook? | #socialmedia #facebook

Unthink is the kind of startup that could only come from outside of traditional tech hotspots like Silicon Valley or New York, as there’s a certain level of audacity, and perhaps even ignorance, that you need in order to think you have a shot at displacing social networking giant Facebook and all of its 800 million users.

And taking down Facebook is the core of Unthink’s marketing campaign. In fact, the majority of Unthink’s message is about what it is not: it’s not another social network, it’s a social revolution. Unthinkers are not users, they’re owners.

via techcrunch.com

Does #Netflix CEO Reed Hastings finally understand where he screwed up?

Asked a question about the attempt to separate the DVD business from the streaming business and create a new in a new Qwikster brand (a plan now abandoned), Hastings admits now: “In hindsight, it is hard to justify. Having separate brands can in theory make sense. However after the price increase, Qwikster became the symbol of Netflix not listening.”

via techcrunch.com

More folks are getting their news on tablets, but few want to pay for it, Pew study says

Eleven percent of adults now own a tablet computer. About half get news on it everyday, and three in ten spend more time consuming news than they did before. But contrary to what some in the news industry hoped, a majority say they are not willing to pay for news content on the devices, according to the most detailed study to date of tablet users and their news consumption habits.

via pewresearch.org

Five things that surprised me when I visited Occupy Wall Street | #CrisisPR #occupywallstreet

Just got back from five days in mid-town Manhattan, during which I decided to take the subway south to Wall Street and visit the Occupy Wall Street protest in Zuccotti Park. I entered the encampment with a video camera, and I'll post the footage soon.

But for now, here are five things that surprised me during my hour inside:

1. How small it is -- Zuccotti Park is tiny, only about 33,000 square feet. It was crammed to the brim with people and pets and tents and tables and chairs and equipment and such. But my guess is there were no more than 500 folks there, and at least a fifth of those were cops, visitors (like me) and tourists.
2. How relatively clean it is -- I guess I expected a chaotic mess (similar to Woodstock I and II), but instead I found a fairly well-kept encampment. Crowded, yes. But hardly a slum.Whether it's the city or the protesters or a combination, someone is managing the sanitation well.
3. How mundane it was -- From the street, which is where the news media take most of their photos and video, the event looks almost vibrant. But inside, folks are just sitting, talking, eating, and sleeping.  They make signs. They fix meals. There is the occasional lively debate, and much live music (mostly drums). But Saul Alinsky warned his fellow radicals that no tactic should go on too long because it soon "becomes a drag." Clearly, the protest is starting to become a drag for those who have committed themselves to sustaining it.
4. How close it is to Ground Zero -- About a half mile and an eight-minute walk. It's so close that visitors to the 9/11 Memorial naturally include Zuccotti Park in their tour. The protesters are doing nothing to disturb the memorial. Several very large buildings separate the park from the memorial, and they mute the noise from the park when you stand in the memorial area. But somehow it's still ... unsettling?
5. How unprepared the protesters are for the coming New York winter -- And that's what Mayor Bloomberg is betting on. If he can avoid provoking a confrontation, the cold and wet will disperse the protesters for him. We're about to find out just how determined these folks are.

40 percent of Americans have no opinion about Occupy Wall Street movement, new survey says

Despite large majorities who clearly think that Wall Street bankers are greedy, overpaid and dishonest, four in ten respondents don't have an opinion about the weeks-long protests, according to the new poll released this week. Even casting aside those disinterested pollees, the movement's public acceptance is quite mixed — among those who have an opinion, 32% of Americans say they have a favorable view of the movement that has spread from Wall Street to Chicago, and that even cropped up at the most recent CNN presidential debate in Las Vegas. However, a full 29% of the nation says they have an unfavorable view of Occupy Wall Street. But the cause at least is well justified — opinions are clear about Wall Street itself. Eight in ten say Wall Street bankers are greedy, 77% say they're overpaid, and two-thirds say Wall Street bankers are dishonest, a number that has gone up by a third in roughly two decades, CNN reports.

via bulldogreporter.com

How criminals use crowd-sourcing | #cyberrisk

From Marc Goodman at O'Reilly Media

Crowdsourcing began as a legitimate tool to leverage the wisdom of the crowds to solve complex business and scientific challenges. Unfortunately, these very same techniques are increasingly being adopted by the criminal underground for nefarious purposes.

via www.forbes.com

How a Greenpeace online campaign led Mattel to change its packaging | #CrisisPR

Ben Schiller reports on the Fast Company blog:

 

Sometimes it takes humor to make a serious point. That seems to be the lesson from Greenpeace’s “Barbie, It’s Over” campaign--which recently resulted in Mattel overturning how it packages its products, including its famous Barbie and Ken dolls.

via www.fastcompany.com