Fresh Thinking: The Best of PR and Marketing Published June - July 2007 The PR influences team brings you the most innovative approaches to pr and marketing from around the globe. GSK Australia goes online to target asthma sufferers GlaxoSmithKline has launched an online campaign encouraging young asthma sufferers to seek treatment for their condition. The campaign, created by Tequila, takes the form of a film-style trailer on video sharing portals, culture e-zines and blogs which link viewers to a website called www.battleforthebronchs.com.au. The site features comic episodes and games, which players participate in by breathing through their computer microphones. The campaign follows the adventures of Alvie Oli and his battle against Hack Weezer and the Trigger gang. The first episode was launched May 1, 2007. (Source: AdNews, April 2007) NBA ventures into Second Life The National Basketball Association recently launched NBA Headquarters, a Second Life area with games, interactivity, and community features designed to provide basketball fans with a place to get together and get involved. NBA's virtual presence can potentially bring Second Life basketball fans back for repeat business.The professional basketball organisation is trying to recruit fans who are already in Second Life, as well as generate new fans.  (Source: Information Week, May 1 2007) Disney launches safe space for children The Walt Disney Co. has launched a program to let preteens create personal mini websites like MySpace sites primarily used by older teens and young adults. The new site called Disney Xtreme Digital is aimed at kids under 14 with parents getting control over Internet activities.  A chat feature requires parental approval for kids to go beyond trading canned messages and in this age of concern about net security this appears to address one of the key negative issues of the internet.(Source: Bulldog Reporter, May 6, 2007) Microsoft Exec Claims Social Media is “Changing the Face of Consumer Marketing” The intermingling of media-rich consumer devices and socially oriented Web services is opening up new avenues in marketing, according to Robert Bach, head of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices division.   But Bach argues that the capabilities opened up by Web applications, such as social-networking sites and the close integration of media in software, is changing the face of consumer marketing. At the conference, a handful of Microsoft customers demonstrated applications that were built with an eye toward combining online services with Microsoft's Xbox 360 gaming console or home PCs. In one case, Burger King created three mini-games for the Xbox 360 that featured the Burger King character. The company said it sold 3.2 million games in a six-week period, helping build its brand among game users.  (Source:  Bulldog Reporter, May 2007) Lever 2000 promotes tennis and fitness Unilever’s US soap brand, Lever 2000, sought to cultivate a healthy image with a lead sponsorship of the US Open Tennis Series in May, launching a campaign to support its tennis-based internet reality webisode ‘raise your game”. The launch was designed to challenge all consumers to become physically fit and include TV radio print and internet presence and ran on specially marked packages of Lever 2000 bar soap. (Source: Brand Week May 10, 2007) PR Influences is published by innovative Sydney online pr agency, Network PR. Network PR focuses on business pr, technology pr and and online services pr services including the engagement with social media. Contact us if you are ready for a 'fresh approach' to your public relations.

PR Influences is produced by innovative online pr agency Network PR. Based in Sydney, Network PR focuses on online audiences with services including social media relations and organic seo.