Media Bullseye

New Comm Forum, which took place last week in California, continues to be a topic of interest lately. Trevor Jonas notes that one major change from earlier conference is the abundance of liveblogging and Twittering that was going on. He also relates some interesting anecdotes from one of the livelier panel discussions. Also: New media as the standard, and Hannah Montana causes a PR stir.

Slowly but surely, companies and brands are understanding there is something profound happening in this new media world, and increasingly it's something they want to be a part of. But how can they know to whom to turn for advice on engagement? Is it their PR or marketing agency? Their technical group? Or is it someone else entirely?

We do not cover the mainstream news media a great deal in the Jots, but I thought Gerald Baron's analysis of a recent NBC News report was an excellent case study for what he deems is "wrong" with television news. Also: social giving, and using the right words to attract customers.

Spike Lee has signed on to "direct" a film project consisting of footage taken from users cell phones. Lee is calling the project the "democratization of film". In reality, the Nokia-produced film is an attempt at using user-generated content to create a long-form advertisement while fostering a community based on brand loyalty.

I was pleased to welcome Darryl Ohrt to the Roundtable this week. Darryl is a founder at design and branding firm Plaid and the author of one of my favorite blogs, Brand Flakes for Breakfast. He joins me and Jennifer Zingsheim to discuss his company's quirky summertime marketing, Earth Day, and online ethics, among other things.

The popular video game Grand Theft Auto is set to release its fourth version amidst a storm of criticism regarding the game's violent images and their potential impact on children.

As the New Communications Forum continues out in California, Geoff Livingston gives us a peek into one of the sessions. Shel Holtz presents on the importance of understanding employees as a big part of a company's brand. Also: how far is too far when dealing with online ethics; and is this the worst pitch ever?

TV is going digital, and a major topic of discussion at AdTech San Francisco revolved around whether "programming is dead." Sean Howard writes about his experiences at AdTech, and how TV advertisers are going to have to work to stay relevant as viewers' commercial tolerance drops.

Is there no such thing as a "bad" viral? As long as people are talking about your video and your brand, should you not concern yourself if the talk is somewhat negative? Nike doesn't think so, following its new Kobe Bryant YouTube offering. Also: Panic in the Twitterverse, and social Earth Day.

SixApart, the company behind blogging platforms like MovableType, Typepad and Vox, will soon begin helping bloggers maximize online revenue. With help from the newly acquired Apperceptive, a large social media design firm, SixApart will offer site design tools to go along with its own newly announced advertising network.