September 21, 2018
Back-to-school season is here, and although it’s been a couple years (OK, maybe a bit more than that for some of us…) since we’ve stepped foot in a classroom, there were plenty of lessons to be learned on online this week.
- Mad about Glad:Chicago restaurant Giant is one of the hottest tickets in town, so when it hosted an invite-only event for mediaand influencers under the guise of sampling its new fall menu, many took the restaurant up on the offer. As servers delivered the last course of the night – covered in Glad Press N’ Seal – it was revealed that everything they had eaten was prepared three days prior and wrapped in the sealing product. Cameras were on hand to capture the “gotcha” reactions – but instead of surprise or amusement, patrons were angry that they had been lured there under false pretenses. So much for transparency! (get it?)
- Hit the Books: Looking to avoid a Glad fiasco? Fortunately, there are plenty of fantastic resources out there for brushing up your PR skills. @MuckRackcompiled this list of essential “must-read” books for PR pros. Several of our favorites made the list, including the tried-and-true AP Stylebook..
- All About Me(moji): The latest version of Apple’s iPhone operating system, iOS 12, arrived Monday, with several updates and improvements that are sure to excite users. One of the more interesting features is Screen Time, which allows users to track the amount of time they spend looking at their device, as well as schedule “downtime” to block access to distracting apps. Speaking of distractions, our favorite feature has got to be the “Memoiji,”a personal avatar you can create to look just like you. We couldn’t resist giving it a shot!
- Shop the Story: Instagram has long been a place where people seek inspiration, but it hasn’t always been easy to buy the looks or products you see. Taking a cue from Pinterest, Instagram announced that it is introducing new shopping features, including the ability to shop items via Stories and the Explore page. The features could keep Instagram’s growing user base on the app for longer during each session – which ultimately translates into additional revenue opportunities. It also is a departure from the app making money only through ads or sponsored posts.
- Pumpkin Spice Overload: From lattes to cereal to dog treats and vodka, there’s no escaping the pumpkin spice craze. One Chicago auto shop got in on the madness by offering fall-loving customers a “Pumpkin Spice Oil Change.” Of course, there’s no such thing, but it’s still been a boon for business. The owner reports that traffic to the shop is up as several customers stop in each day to ask for one.