Octopus PR News July 2009

31 July 2009
Cameron apologises over radio twit tw*t
PR professionals have called David Cameron's PR sensitivity into question after the Tory leader made an Absolute twit of himself with a foul-mouthed wisecrack about social media site Twitter live on Absolute Radio.

27 July 2009
United air guitarist makes smashing PR tune
A disgruntled musician has scored a massive YouTube hit by writing a song about how United Airlines baggage handlers smashed his prize acoustic guitar, putting the US air carrier in a serious public relations pickle.

24 July 2009
Government accused of burying bad news
A case of bad news, perfectly timed. That's the widespread view of the PR industry after the government broke the news of a £32 billion tax shortfall just hours before MPs headed off for their 12-week summer holiday.

24 July 2009
Government ups spend on public campaigns
The UK government has revealed a huge surge of nearly 50% in its communications spend over the last year in a bid to tackle a series of high-profile issues such as smoking, benefit fraud and car tax evasion.

17 July 2009
Author's novel idea a Twitter revolution
An unsigned American author has captured the imagination of the traditional and online media alike by serialising his novel The French Revolution exclusively through a sequence of tweets on Twitter.

16 July 2009
School's jet classroom hits headlines
The official opening of the first flying classroom in the world hit the headlines thanks to Octopus.

14 July 2009
Businesses slow on social media uptake
UK businesses are still struggling to get to grips with the marketing potential of social media, with very few managing their reputations effectively online, according to new research.

10 July 2009
Consumers rely on opinions online
Personal and online recommendations are the most trusted form of product advertising, according to new findings of an international study by one of the world's leading consumer research agencies.

8 July 2009
Brands offered Twitter tricks for trade
A media marketing agency has come up a cunning trick to exploit the surge of companies scrambling to jump on the social media bandwagon by selling them Twitter followers.

3 July 2009
Dying MJ cover not OK
Celebrity gossip magazine OK! has courted controversy again in another bid to boost sales by publishing an official Michael Jackson tribute edition showing a disturbing cover photo of the superstar barely moments before his tragic death.

1 July 2009
Media mauled MJ to death
Leading PR professionals have been reacting to the earth-shattering news of Michael Jackson's death, describing his demise as the ultimate outcome of a slow and painful PR suicide.