So the dreaded deadlines are over, the exam is complete, and I’m feeling strangely free (and no I’m not thinking about my rather enormous dissertation to be done – minor detail at this point).

It’s nice to have some free time on my hands, and some lounging around at home time, it has also been different to spend some time on my computer which doesn’t involve frantic checking of word counts every 2 minutes or commiserating on facebook with classmates about work!

So, I thought this week I would peruse the magnificent web for some undiscovered fun, but I found it strangely boring! Being on my computer just seems to give me sore shoulders (and ‘mouse-arm’) these days! And sad to say my internet routine remains fairly predictable, my homepage is BBC news so I run through the headlines there, then I head over to facebook (of course), then I check my email, and Spotify will be already up and running by this time.

I suppose I’m one of those hard to reach audiences, I really don’t seek out new stuff online, I’d rather wait for someone to send me a link or suggest something to me, I’m what ‘word of mouth’ was invented for! But I’m not the only one out there, so savvy PR practitioners and marketers have to come up with some pretty interesting and attention grabbing stunts to create some buzz. I and my other lazy web users won’t come looking for you; you have to come to us.

I’m sure we’ve all seen Blendtec’s ‘will it blend’, which is ridiculous yet vaguely compelling; it’s proved a pretty successful marketing campaign despite its silliness. Some organisations do these kinds of PR stunts really well; I found one that really tickled me. Science and technology website Scenta had commuters in uproar over a new Cloning Scenta which was really just an advertisement for the website but had some gullible people thinking that a human cloning centre was due to open.

These are the new rules of engagement for PROs and marketers, it’s their job to make apathetic people like me sit up and take notice of their organisation in a cluttered business and consumer environment.

Liam Donaldson has had a busy week. The UK’s chief medical officer has been appearing on television stations nationwide, giving lots of interviews and visiting Downing Street in an effort to reassure the public that the UK is well prepared for arrival of swine-flu. And in my opinion, he’s been doing a good job as a spokesperson.

Crisis management requires a swift response and the UK authorities have been prompt in their reassurance that drugs are stockpiled, vaccines are being prepared and facemasks are on order. I was particularly impressed with Donaldson’s BBC news interview as the severity of the outbreak became clear; he was calm, confident, concise, offered only facts and described the response and defence in an understandable way.

Crises, by their very nature, happen suddenly and unexpectedly, and allow little time for planning and research. It’s clear though, that the UK government are prepared for this and have been researching the possibilities for a number of years. In fact, although it wasn’t particularly reassuring, one commentator on Channel 4 news stated, “The world is overdue a flu pandemic.”

It has also been interesting to watch the technological responses to the crisis, in comparison to some of the distinctly practical responses. As scientists work overtime developing an effective vaccine, the government is preparing leaflets and facemasks. Who’d have thought, in this day and age of rapid and instant digital communication, leafleting every home in the country is still deemed the best way of reaching everybody?

Politics and digital media have been fighting something of a running battle this week. It’s been a case of Web 2.’Oh no’ for the Labour party, as they struggle to recover from a couple of blunders made in the ether which have come back to haunt them. And the Metropolitan Police force are having a torrid time fighting back against allegations of civil liberties infringements as more footage recorded by citizens makes its way onto youtube and into the public domain.

Paul Blanchard, a Labour Councillor, made some ill-advised remarks on facebook concerning the disappearance of missing chef Claudia Lawrence. An avowed atheist, Blanchard dismissed the calls for prayers for Lawrence’s safety, saying, “Of all the pointless things to do, praying wins the prize.” Whatever his personal beliefs, which he is entitled to hold, Blanchard should have exercised some discretion. As a public figure, and one representing a number of constituents, to post contentious comments on a sensitive subject on the world’s biggest social networking site ranks amongst the most stupid things a politician could do.

Gordon Brown and Damian McBride

And finally, the Metropolitan Police are suffering at the hands of two incidents, filmed by protesters at the recent G20 summit in London. Both pieces of footage appear to show some heavy handed tactics be police officers marshalling protesters. The first incident which came to light showed the apparent unprovoked attack on Ian Tomlinson, who was not even protesting that day, by a nearby officer, Tomlinson died from

Ian Tomlinson

In fact, this is the lesson for all of the politicians and public figures making stupid mistakes for all to see this week, remember we are watching!!!

So Spotify thought the adverts (sorry, commercial messages) would annoy us so much we would all cave in and pay £9.99 a month to rid ourselves of them. Turns out they were wrong and we will subject ourselves to a bit of marketing for free music.

As a result, Spotify, the free music streaming service, are launching a paid download branch with 7digital, taking users out of the application if they want to purchase tracks. Spotify are also working on a function which will allow users to stay in Spotify while purchasing. The same sorts of deals have been struck with other streaming services such as lastfm and Imeem.

But who is going to be paying for the music? I won’t be. It’s free! I already have the music I want on my iPod, if I really really want to buy something I’ll probably just get it off the user friendly  iTunes, or super cheap from HMV. That’s the way it is for music now.

The people behind Spotify thought that listeners would be more willing to put their hands in their pockets. According to a BBC interview with analyst Mark Mulligan, “It [Spotify] went into this thinking it was going to be a premium subscription business,” he said. “The problem is what’s proven to be the successful part is the free bit.” The best things in life really are free. Why would we pay when an advert every 20 minutes is all you have to cope with? (That’s what the mute button is for right?)

Mulligan makes the point that Spotify are “…going through the process of relearning its business.” I think this quote is especially pertinent because it can be applied to so many organisations and businesses in this Web 2.0 age. We are all becoming familiar with the idea that consumers are becoming powerful citizens, and can demand the highest standards of service. We can also demand how those services operate, how they engage with us, and we can question and probe their methods and intentions.  

It is businesses and organisations who don’t communicate or engage with their stakeholders, or respond to their behaviours and demands who will suffer. At least Spotify are trying to do something about it.