I can’t embed the video, so you’re just going to have to click on this link the old fashioned way.

Yes – that is Philadelphia’s mayor for the past seven years, John F. Street. Yes – he claims to have gotten in line at the AT&T store at 3:30 am this morning to buy an iPhone.  And yes – Philadelphia currently has the highest murder rate among the country’s largest cities, on track for 400 murders this year alone.

This is just some of the broadcast coverage that has been bombarding me since 6 am this morning.  If I had been up earlier, there would have been additional torture.  But at least Paris Hilton isn’t the lead story anymore.

One of the funniest things I saw this morning was Meredith Viera on The Today Show trying to work the iPhone and then admitting she couldn’t get it to work.  Good thing it’s so easy to use.  It reminded me of this spot not too long ago on The Today Show, Weekend Edition, where Campbell Brown couldn’t parallel park the self-parking Lexus. Talk about an embarrassment – for Campbell and Lexus.

So a lesson from all this commotion: don’t give new technologies or gadgets to broadcast hosts and celebrities who are just going to make themselves look stupid and your product complex.  Since you’re probably not going to get time to teach Meredith or Campbell or Matt or Lester the intricacies of the product, try doing the demo yourself first or hiring an “average Joe” to test it out for you. If the product proves complex to use, consider limiting the functionality of your demo product or use some Hollywood special effects to get the desired outcome. Either way, the product should be idiot proof before it’s put under the microscope of public scrutiny.

A lot of people have asked me if I’m getting an iPhone.  Probably, but not just yet.  If Meredith can’t do it, what chance do I have?

In the words of James Lipton (Inside the Actor’s Studio):

What is your favorite word? Onomatopoeia
What is your least favorite word? Publicist
What turns you on [creatively, spiritually or emotionally]? Two martinis at lunch
What turns you off? Getting hung up on
What sound or noise do you love? The “ding dong” of my RSS aggregator
What sound or noise do you hate? Dial tone
What is your favorite curse word? Media

Apparently, not everyone agrees with me in choosing “publicist” as a least favorite word (or with any of my other responses for that matter). According to a new poll from British pollsters YouGov, people are responding that “blog,” “cookie,” and “wiki,” are their least favorite words.  The poll of 2,091 adults commissioned earlier this month by the Lulu Blooker Prize, a literary award for books, was a response to an announcement by Collins English Dictionary that many of these Web-centric words would be included in their ninth edition.

Here at Braithwaite we’ve been known to make up words – mainly to create a context or illustrate a point for our clients. Take “infocomm” for example, referring to the overlap between information technology and communications.  Some of these words stuck, but most lacked the stickiness to gain widespread recognition and acceptance.  So how is it that words like “blog” and “wiki” survive, not to mention earn a spot on the most hated list?

This argument is still forming, but here are the criteria I believe lead to mass adoption of a made-up word:

Unusual – words are more effective when they’re unique – and sound like they may be some sort of weapon from Star Trek.  (I think this could have something to do with the William Shatner phenomenon).

Techy – new words have a higher chance of acceptance if they have a techy twinge.  It’s true no matter what industry: even toilet paper now uses technology; so do shoes; and don’t even get me started on organic spinach.

Vowels – These days put an “e” or “i” in front of a word and you’re pretty much on track for a success.  iPod, iPhone, etc. – I could go on but I won’t because Apple may sue me (or Cisco?).

So there you have it: Unusual, Techy, and Vowels. Although they don’t fit these criteria, I wanted to take this opportunity to share some other favorite agency words (taken in an unofficial poll just now): Facetiously, Avalon, Spaghetti, Ridiculous, Mayonnaise, Jack.

Sense a pattern here? I don’t.

Talk about a great public relations tactic: earlier this month Bolivian President Evo Morales played soccer at 19,500 feet (6,000 meters) above sea level, on Bolivia’s highest snow-covered peak, to protest FIFA’s ban on international soccer matches played more than 2,500 meters above sea level.

In a past entry we discussed the lessons learned from Chip and Dan Heath’s book Made to Stick. Let’s analyze how this PR tactic stacks up to Made to Stick’s SUCCESs criteria:

S: Simplicity?                            Yes
U: Unexpectedness?                  Yes
C: Concreteness?                      Yes
C: Credibility?                              –
E: Emotional?                            Yes
S: Stories?                                Yes

Morales’ tactic has nearly every component of a SUCCESsful public relations endeavor. In doing so, he’s raised international attention of the issue through extensive media coverage in the New York Times, CNN, Reuters, and BBC, to name a few. Perhaps even more importantly, Morales has united a politically divided Bolivia in the name of soccer. He shoots, he scores one for public relations.

The ad community is about to become the new mob.  At least that’s what AMC is hoping.  And some say it’s already true.  AMC’s new show, “Mad Men” is set in 1960s Madison Avenue at the height of the two martini lunch.  The series creator and head writer not only has an Emmy on his mantle for his work on “The Sopranos,” he’s also too young to really remember the 60s.

But the show about the ad men on Mad is attracting attention from advertisers despite the fact that most people in the industry, like many Italians who lived in North Jersey when Tony showed up on HBO, aren’t exactly happy having outsiders looking in at their generally protected world.  It might be a sign that Jack Daniels was the first company to sign on as an advertiser.

I have to say I’m excited to see the show even though it doesn’t reflect the 21st century PR world I work in.  The history of those who came before us in the agency world is important, just as important as Good Night, and Good Luck was important to reporters.  I’ll be sure to check back in with you after the first episode airs in mid-July.

An op-ed appearing in today’s Wall Street Journal discusses U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair’s recent diatribe against the media as a “feral beast – just tearing people and reputations to shreds.”  Apparently, the Brits aren’t too thrilled about Blair’s scolding.  It’s become a hotbed of an issue, and rightly so.  It raises some interesting questions: What is the media’s role?  How blurred are the lines between fact and comment and public and private lives?

For this conversation, let’s limit the focus of discussion to print media – history’s most traditional and conventional medium for relaying the news.  First published in 1605, the newspaper, once the go-to source for all newsworthy events, is at a crossroads.  In a new technology age with the Internet, radio, TV, blogs, vlogs, and rss driving the media war, newspapers have had to reassess their business strategies to compete.

So what, then, is a newspaper’s role in today’s society?  And, how do we define what is newsworthy and what is not?  Newspapers are charged with delivering the day’s most important, relevant and worthy current events. But are some ditching quality, factual reporting in favor of rumors, scandal, and opinion? Are they becoming “viewspapers,” as Blair refers to them?

There are two important points to remember about newspapers:

1. There’s a place for both news and views
2. Every newspaper has a different vibe

First, remember that most newspapers do have opinions sections, letters to the editor sections, and – often – sections for style, restaurant reviews, and the latest and greatest tech gadget.  Good newspapers limit “opinion” pieces to these sections – and dedicate their news sections to actual news.  It’s when the “current news” section features Jennifer Aniston’s latest flavor of love or a biased rant on America’s obligation to save Iraqi refugees that it becomes a “viewspaper.”

Keep in mind also that every paper has a different vibe – some local, some national, some finance-focused, some politically-focused.  And they all have their slant and reputation: “The People Paper,” “McPaper,” etc.

From a PR standpoint, it is important to remember a few things: remember the audience you’re hoping to reach; remember the type of information you want to impart; and find the right publication that will best articulate your message.  Hopefully, it won’t be the National Enquirer you’re targeting.  But, then again, who am I to offer my “view?”