The two incidences (both videos below) brought questions to the forefront in the PR community of whether these moments happened by “accident”, or were part of a master PR plan constructed to bring attention to a new single that may not have otherwise been subject to as much exposure. The idea being, more would flock to view the unaltered YouTube video because of Meghan’s insistence to change it, followed by people seeking out the Jimmy Fallon performance to watch the fall — both activities exposing the song to a larger group of people on an international scale.

Check out the videos below and tell us in the comments: are these PR tactics or coincidence? Either way, we think it worked in her favour!

By now, most of us have heard about the transport company, Uber. Riders log into the app, enter their pick up location and are connected with an available driver. Riders are even able to pick the kind of car that drives them ensuring they arrive to their destination in style.

Recently, Uber has introduced a new, cheaper version of the app where pre-screened drivers are able to pick up riders in their own car. The advancement in the highly popular app has raised some safety concerns among critics, however, the company assures their service is completely safe and reliable. Drivers are screened with a complete background check and a follow up is conducted after the ride.

Recently, the taxi company received a major marketing boost from one of the word biggest DJ’s. DeadMau5 signed up as an Uber driver for a night in Toronto, best of all he filmed the whole thing. Check it out!

The unkempt middle-aged man, complete with 2-day stubble and ill fitting clothes, is not the traditional spokesperson for an international, multi-million dollar company. While public perception of the new frontman has been concerning, we have to think that this bold move will definitely pay off. Equipped with his own fake Twitter account (that has over 700 followers), the Trivago guy has drawn enough attention that The Globe and Mail, AskMen and countless other bloggers are commenting on his questionable appearance.

So, what makes this work? Do audiences find him relatable? Could it be that his “ruggedness” is oddly attractive? Whatever it is, we think the disheveled, belt-less Tim Williams, was a brilliant move.

Check him out for yourself and tell us what you think in the comments below!

Nicole Richie rose to fame in 2003, while staring in the television show The Simple Life. Once notorious for her wild antics, this now mom/designer has experienced one of the most successful transformations in Hollywood. Over the past year, Richie has returned to the spotlight as star of AOL Originals’ YouTube series #CandidlyNicole, a show  highlighting the life of the famous socialite. The success of the series has prompted VH1 to air a full-length second season. Richie is living proof that with hard work and dedication, you can overcome any reputation.

Check out the trailer for Candidly Nicole from VH1. All new episode airs 24/7/2014 at 10p.m. on VH1.

We’re taking a break from our regular Film Friday programming to bring you a video parody, created by Tony Mono, that sheds light on Russia’s severe anti-gay laws.

Today marks the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics at Sochi, and we certainly can’t think of a more positive way to show support for the LGBTQIA community in Russia and around the world.

 ”When people are forbidden from expressing their love, something is definitely going wrong. Let your voices be heard against hate and let love be free. Love for whoever you want. Fighting for this unalienable right is not just an issue for gay people but for us all. Please give a thumbs up and share this video if you agree. Spread the message!”

- Tony Mono

Social media has been around for quite some time now, but that certainly doesn’t mean everyone is fully comfortable using it. Check out today’s #FilmFriday and learn some helpful tips from EDPR founder, Cory Stewart, on how to up your social game!

Sure, the brands that do engage in this type of stunt do get a considerable amount of online impressions, but are they memorable enough to boost sales? Chances are, video concepts are remembered, but if not tied tightly to the brand messaging, the producer of the content is quickly forgotten.

Check out Kmart’s “Ship My Pants” video below.

Does this make you want to buy from Kmart? Will you remember that it was Kmart who made this video months from now, or could it easily be mistaken for Target, Walmart, or some other big box retailer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Watch as the funny unfolds in today’s #FilmFriday!

What do you think, clever brand activation or just plain silly?

Today for Film Friday, Embrace Disruption PR founder Cory Stewart discusses the benefit of twitter chats and twitter parties. Find out why they are an excellent way to build your business/brand, and establish yourself as a thought leader!

For more information on twitter chats/parties, click here.

Enjoy this video from Embrace Disruption PR founder, Cory Stewart!

Last week, Carly Rae Jepsen threw the opening pitch for Tampa Bay Rays / Houston Astros and embarrassed herself by earning the title of the worst opening pitch. Hundreds of thousands of people have seen the video and thousands more most likely have seen the Gifs created in her honour.

Unfortunately, in PR we cannot control everything that makes it to the media, but we can control how we react to the situation. Whether it’s your client, or you, embracing the embarrassing moment and having a laugh with everyone else is a great way to overcome it and show the public that you human like everyone else.

Take a look at the video below!

Well it’s Friday yet again, and we’ve got a special 8 second video with a HUGE tip for all you PR pros out there! Check out a member of our very own EDPR team, Danica Forshner, as she shares some helpful advice above!

The scanner we’re using while carrying out this task is the hipstreet Swipe (available on Shop.ca for $127.49). This small piece of machinery packs a big punch, allowing you to portably scan and store anything and everything you’d ever want to! The portability is especially useful when scanning magazines, as you don’t need to rip any pages out – or fold them unnecessarily. Plus, if you don’t own a copy of a magazine or newspaper piece, you can always scan another person’s copy – without ever needing to borrow it!

An added bonus: this scanner comes with a tablet/iPhone app that makes portable scanning even simpler! Check out the app demo video below:

Quite honestly, this scanner has helped make this rather mundane and tedious job a little more fun!

There are several brands jumping on the bandwagon hoping to engage consumers with short 30 second videos. Lululemon (as seen in the video posted), Michael Kors and General Electric are among the first brands to participate.

What do you think? Will you be using Insta-Video this weekend?

The title really says it all. After Facebook’s big announcement (which we’re not going to repeat because it seems like it’s EVERYWHERE!), Justin took to Instagram to share this message with his followers – and the rest of the world.

Will you be using Instagram’s video option, or will you stick to services like Keek or Vine?

It appears that fans were upset (to say the least) at the final episodes of the season, but what we found particularly interesting here at EDPR was the amount of fans outraged at the spoilers! If you couldn’t watch the episode on TV the night it aired, you were forced into utter seclusion from all social media forums, or risk spoiling the episode, which happened to a vast majority of viewers. This is just another example of how social media is a huge part of our daily lives.

Below is a video, courtesy of BuzzFeed, of 12 Signs You Might Be Addicted to a TV Show and the TV show featured is none other than The Game of Thrones. Enjoy!

Last year Smith, while promoting a different movie on The Graham Norton Show, pulled a similar stunt – causing a viral video of Smith singing the Fresh Prince of Bel Air to hit Youtube. However, this time around, Smith pleased the crowd even more by pulling ‘Carlton’ (Alfonso Ribeiro) on stage with him.

This is a great PR move for Smith’s new movie. There are over 100,000 views on YouTube in the first week  it was posted. No doubt, countless more will see it before the movie finishes in theatres. Now this is how to make a viral video!

After deleting his Twitter wall, West left a single tweet announcing his video premiere and a link to his official website. This is a great example of how one can effectively use social media as a PR tool when promoting an event, or in this case, a new album. West is rumored to drop his sixth studio album on June 18.

On the eve of his return to Earth earlier this week, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield racked up one more first before leaving the ISS, the first music video filmed in space! Check out the video above for Hadfield’s version of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.”

Happy Friday Everyone!

And if that wasn’t cool enough, here is the “how it was made” video:

A random video selection for your Friday afternoon! Each year it seems like Britain’s Got Talent finds the most unique and talented people (remember Susan Boyle?) to feature on their show and with a new season that started last week they seem to be off to an amazing start with shadow theatre group “Attraction.” Prepare to be wowed and moved with their audition piece.

With the passing of Roger Ebert this week, the film industry lost one of its most influential and trusted voices.

Watch Ebert’s appearance on Allen Gregg (circa 1997) above to hear what he has to say about how the role of a film critic has changed over the years.

We spotted this very informative (7 month old) video INFOGRAPHIC of Apple by the numbers, and felt it worthy of a share. Check out some of the most interesting facts about one of North America’s most successful organizations.

Samsung:

Volkswagen:

Mercedes-Benz:

Coca-Cola

Go Daddy:

This week, the top 12 chosen YouTube stars travelled to Los Angeles for the next round of the competition. This round consisted of the contestants getting divided into teams, ‘locked up’ at the Redbury Hotel in Hollywood and given 48 hours to film & edit a video together about the Nintendo WiiU & the new Super Mario Bros U (which I’ve played and is super fun!).  The 3 teams’ films were screened yesterday (January 17^th) at the Sundance Film Festival, which is kind of a big deal. Below are a couple videos from YouTuber Alex Carpenter, one of the members of the winning team for this year; the first is the video he filmed in order to qualify for the 48-hour challenge and the second is a vlog he filmed in the middle of the challenge.

The films created out of the 48-hour challenge were screened at the Nintendo Lounge in front of film industry influencers, Nintendo executives and other VIPs. The audience voted for the eventual winner out of the 3 films.

But the WiiU film challenge is only part of the Nintendo marketing campaign at Sundance. The Nintendo Lounge will be open to festivalgoers and Park City residents alike to play with the new system, including trying out some unreleased games.

1. Establish Interest / Qualify

2. Establish Credibility

3. Establish Need

4. Offer Solution

The final step in this video is more of a hidden sales pitch to it’s viewers, but the first four are spot on. Have a look below as the above are talked about a little more in depth:

Looking at user data is becoming increasingly important when attempting to properly engage your audience. Effectively analyzing patterns, and correctly identifying when and where user experience can be improved is of upmost importance.

Take a moment to watch these videos. Not only are they revealing, but also extremely entertaining.

What do you think? Smart marketing or a waste of technology?

For more on this topic, be sure to check out this post on Digital Natives vs. Immigrants.

From Toy Story to the Macintosh, Steve has made such an impact on my life but more importantly – he’s changed the face of technology. After reading his biography, I’m well versed in his temperamental ways, and some of the horrid behavior that he became known for – but I still admire his vision and leadership.

Today Apple posted a tribute video on their website to commemorate Steve, and I wanted to share it with all of you.

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving,

@coryjstewart

Coming across this video today – I found it incredibly inspiring and eye-opening. Barbara Corcoran (from Shark Tank fame) details her struggles with starting her business, and emphasizes that there really is no time like the present.

ENTREPRENEURS AND WANNABE ENTREPRENEURS

This is a must watch.

It seems like only yesterday when the original video of 9 year old, Caine Monroy took the internet by storm. Caine had invented a full arcade in his dad’s car shop which was spotted by a local LA filmmaker. Soon after Caine’s discovery, a short doc was made about his little arcade – and blew up across media outlets in Canada and the States. Following the media, hundreds started lining up to enjoy some of Caine’s cardboard creations.

Now, Caine is back with the Imagingation Foundation and his Global Cardboard Challenge, inviting anyone to build “something awesome out of cardboard and imagination.”

Participants will build until Oct. 6, the one-year anniversary of Caine’s original flashmob of customers. Not surprisingly, there’s over 100 events are scheduled in more than 25 countries. You can find the scheduled locations at the website, and here’s some instructions for anyone who wants to organize their own.

I’m not sure that I’d have much more restraint than the reporter did. The ‘touchy-guy’ was clearly aggravating the situation, but both parties were at fault. Do you think this was handled properly? What would you have done?

More Social Mix recap will consume tomorrow! Stay tuned!

This video inspired over 12,000 people to subscribe to Dollar Shave Club within a 48 hour span. Impressive, right? It begs the question: why were people so on board with forking out cash to this particular subscription service?

First off: the concept is genius. As a guy, it’s definitely an annoyance having to constantly buy new razors at completely unrealistic prices. Really, does anyone know why we have to pay so much for such a simple tool? Men aren’t the only ones suffering from this pricey industry standard, women also have to buy the latest and greatest razors – in hopes that leg maintenance will be that much easier. But let’s be honest, it’s not only the price point that made Dollar Shave Club a success…

“Content is a big part of our strategy, and there will be more coming,” owner Mike Dubin says. “I wanted people to laugh, and people tend to remember something it if it gives them a visceral response.”

In my opinion, there couldn’t be more reason to agree with Dublin’s strategy –  I constantly hear the all important phrase: content is king. The thing is, our society demands more transparency within advertising. Perhaps the more tongue-in-cheek approach can be linked to the more likely people are going to pay attention? Obviously not every product can benefit from this type of strategic angle, but it certainly raises a good point. Why are brands that have the capability to be light-hearted taking themselves so seriously?

What do you think? Would you respond to more candid advertising techniques, or do you prefer companies stick to status quo?

The achievements?

• 

  Jay-Z’s novel: Decoded

  Average time a person was on the campaign’s landing page was 11 minutes.

• Bing got 11.7% increase in visits to their search engine which finally tipped them into the Top 10 of most visited websites in the world.
• The campaign yielded 1.1 billion media impressions
• Jay-Z’s Facebook page grew by 1,000,000 fans
• Jay-Z’s book, Decoded was on the best seller list for 19 straight weeks.
• Every major news channel and newspaper covered the campaign.
• Large numbers of people started using BING for search and mapping over Google
• This campaign became part of popular culture for an entire month.

Watch this video, and learn about the magnitude of this wildly successful campaign:

Did you see this campaign in action, or follow it on Bing? Sound off in the comments!

Have you seen any stand out Pinterest contests/promotions? Share them in the comments!

For those of you who don’t know about Foursquare, it’s a location based mobile application and website that allows people to check in at various venues. A pet food company decided to utilize foursquare in an ingenious way, and made a little video to explain their campaign.

At the moment, there’s plenty of great rewards to be had all over Canada on foursquare – and they’re not just for your pets. Definitely download this application if you haven’t already, and start rewarding yourself on your everyday travels!

Do you use foursquare? Have you ever received something for using it? Let me know in the comments below.

I found this little gem today in my travels – it’s probably one of the worst pitches I’ve ever seen done on Dragon’s Den. Have a watch and tell me: do you think this is a good idea? Would you buy it?

Enjoy!

And finally, I found yet another INFOGRAPHIC that I’m obsessed with. It claims that there are 2 types of mindsets in which a person can adopt into their lifestyle. Personally, I think that people can mix and match the two mindset attributes, and it’s not always so black and white. That said, it’s still very interesting – and a good check-in guide to make sure you’re fully ‘embracing disruption’.

As always, I love hearing your feedback. Be sure to tell me your thoughts on this INFOGRAPHIC!