One of Flow’s strongest values is its unwavering commitment to innovation. We’re constantly looking for more efficient ways of delivering integrated communication solutions to our clients.
One way of doing this is by sharing interesting reading material. In this way, everyone is kept abreast of interesting, amusing and thought-provoking developments in the ever-changing world of online communication.
By way of example, some of topics shared during March include pronunciation errors in the English language; the 100 most-read books; a cool social media idea; a billboard that really delivers; a disappearing giant fruit; the early history of public relations; and the importance of keeping informed about the latest SEO terminology.
The enlightening piece on pronunciation errors responsible for changing the English language shows how words such as etcetera, espresso and prescription have become ex-cetera, expresso and prescription – an apparently natural process known as metathesis.
As William Somerset Maugham eloquently puts it, "To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all of the miseries of life."
But how many classics have you read? The BBC believes most people have read only six of these 100 books, but one of our more erudite Flowstars has read 45. Test yourself and load up your Kindle with a must-read list of recommended titles for the rest of the year.
The importance of including social media in a communications strategy is no longer the hard sell it once was. The #OscarTrial is a home-grown example of the power of Twitter and worldwide engagement in what has been dubbed “the trial of the millennium”.
It’s so much a part of our daily communications that social media spin doctors are hard-pressed to find new ways of ensuring their clients’ products stand out in the Twittersphere. Toyota's cool idea successfully marries old school and new school.
Even retro billboards can be reinvented, as demonstrated in Lima, Peru. Experts designed a billboard that converts atmospheric humidity into drinking water through reverse osmosis. In a country where only two inches of rain fall in a year, the billboard has attracted massive attention.
Another item on the Flow reading list involved the disappearance of a 10m-tall mango from the town of Bowen, Australia – which was kinda hard to miss. It turns out that the removal of the mango, one of Australia’s “150 big things”, was all part of a Nando’s publicity stunt to launch its new mango and lime flavouring. Flowstar Stu Buchanan’s comment added a nice local flavour to the clip: “There is a giant pineapple in the Eastern Cape, too. #justsaying”
We all know what the oldest profession in the world is, but did you know that public relations has been around since the 11th century? Take a look at some interesting examples of public relations dating back to the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
While some people believe search-engine optimisation (SEO) is dead, social media, mobile and technology website Memeburn’s Anton Koekemoer disagrees, saying that search engines are constantly updating their search algorithm to give their users the best result. To stay on the first page of search-engine results, an optimised SEO campaign is as important as an understanding of digital marketing terminology. If the terms “keyword stuffing”, “black-hat SEO” and “link farm” are unfamiliar, best you get to know these SEO catchphrases.
Let us know if you found any of these reads interesting, or send us a link to a relevant article that you believe is worth sharing.