A forecast by Group M is predicting that online advertising spend will outstrip national newspaper advertising by the end of the year.

Press advertising has declined every year for the last 10 years, according to the Advertising Association and has dropped 3% in the first half of 2006, while Internet advertising has shot up 73%.

The result: online marketing and PR will become of even more significance than we perhaps first imagined.

As the new year is approaching fast I decided to buy a calendar for next year.

I decided a calendar with accompanying quotations would be an ideal accompaniment – inspiring me when I have those difficult stressful days. The choice I gave myself was between one with the quotations of the Dalai Lama or George Bush. I chose George Bush.

My thinking is quite simple. The Dalai Lama will calm me down after a pitch where the prospective client decides he didn’t want PR after all and I have wasted my time. But then I thought I have the first series of Kung Fu, so that has all the sayings I need.

It had to be the George book of accidental witticisms. There are enough to fill all 365 days. And it is not so much their comic value as the fact that this man got perhaps the most prestigious job in the world with so little ability to carry out his role.

I used to drink with an Irish guy who professed his love of Bruce Forsyth: you have to admire a man with so little talent getting so far. It’s a twisted logic.

So next year there will be a few quotations to pick you up on this blog.

I have given you a taster here:

“It is in our country’s interests to find those who would do harm to us and get them out of harm’s way.”
Washington DC April 28th, 2005

“I think we are welcomed. But it was not a peaceful welcome.”
On the reception of American forces in Iraq
Philadelphia December 12th 2005

“You took an oath to defend our flag and our freedom, and you kept that oath underseas and under fire.”
Addressing war veterans; Washington DC January 10th, 2006

Crisis PR should be in big demand, just take Manchester’s very own Shere Khan Group and iSoft as two recent and local examples.

Shere Khan got an unhealthy dose of PR for using an untraditional condiment with its poppadums: cockroaches although to be fair they were fresh and organic. iSoft, a company that wasn’t afraid to be a little boastful, was taken to pieces on the front page of the Guardian; when was the last time you read about a provincial software company as the main subject of a lead story for a national newspaper?

I had a chat with Shere Khan’s PR; “what action did you take,” I asked. I reassured smile came back, new overhaul in management and a new PR agency had gained a fabulous account from them a few weeks before. It wasn’t his problem and good luck for the agency that won it.

I sometimes read pointers in business magazines by self-confessed PR gurus or hear Max Clifford talking basic common sense about crisis PR and getting enormous amounts of coverage and kudos for saying so little.

But could they help Kazakhstan’s crisis PR problem: Borat?

How do you tackle that?

The Kazakhs though are on the PR offensive:

Failed attempts to get Borat’s creator Sacha Baron Cohen to visit Kazakhstan
Failed legal threats
And now a $40 million film called Nomad, which will be the country’s biggest budget movie. It tells the story of the Kazakh tribes repelling the Mongol hordes. Are you gripped yet? It aims to combat the Borat strike against their glorious nation.

Sometimes, just like a boxer, you have to duck and parry and sometimes soak up the pressure.

As for Shere Khan…now that agency is going to have to be talented and clever in the extreme.

The Independent covers the use of blogs by those fighting for the basic freedoms we take for granted.

Just by simply opposing their regimes or forwarding a different point of view has put these very brave bloggers in real danger.

Iran might be somewhere few English people visit but Tunisia and Vietnam are no strangers to British tourists, yet all are repressive and cruel to those that dare voice any opposition.

Well done to The Independent for featuring this subject as their lead story.

The Lancashire Evening Post has concluded its search for an online presentor for its online daily news bulletins.

The lucky winner of the Preston Guild Hall auditions, as reported on the Online Press Gazette website, is journalism student Rachel Murray.

The Lancashire Evening Post plans to relaunch its website shortly with its regular online bulletins.

You cannot tell journalists what to write. But there are some agencies which still follow a release with a patronising ring around. Some agencies do ring arounds after for a new hire story! Of course PRs should sell in. They have the right to alert a journalist to a release they think is particularly strong and could be missed among the hundereds of e-mails they receive every day. But give the journalist credit for being intelligent and able to analyse and decide upon the info they want.

Evidence?

Well this episode from those hard pressed of all communication professionals - the Bush spokemen - should tell you why.

Of course I just want to get another Daily Show in but this patronising, stage rehearsed episode is exactly how not to do it. Communication is a two way thing when done well. Of course PRs feed info to journalists but force feeding or crude manipulation can have an equal and opposite effect.

Enjoy.

To follow the last article on web rage I have to do this post on web addiction.

A new US study from the University of Stanford found that typical internet addicts are single, white college-educated males in their 30s, who spend more than 30 hours a week on “non-essential” computer use.

So with that: my name is Rob and I am web addict.

If you think you might need to go cold turkey get some more details from the BBC here.

Forget road rage its so last year.

The new trend is web rage.

After exchanging insults in a Yahoo discussion forum, Paul Gibbons drove 70 miles to the house of John Jones where Mr Jones was subjected to a vicious attack.

Gibbons pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding and will be sentenced on 7th November.

For the full story please click here. And to anyone who has been insulted by this blog I say I am a dab hand at pouncing budgie paw kung fu.

Virtual world site Second Life is to get its own news bureau. Reuters will pump news into the simulated online society for the benefit of the players.

The Reuters correspondent is a full time staff member; he will have his own avatar (character).

Why would Reuters pay an employee money to work soley in an online world? Well, that online world generates £189,000 daily from business conducted in its online confines. With monthly double digit growth in members that number will increase.

The online currency is convertable from US Dollars. Players can use their newly converted currency to trade, start enterprises or buy properties. Payers can make money!

Not sure this story is real? Have a look at the BBC or Reuters takes.

I spent the weekend on a creative writing course run by Judi Goodwin.

Intense and hard, it still provided valuable lessons many of which you already know but need reminding of putting them into action again.

Well worth anyone’s time.

Judi can be contacted on 01625 439 000 for further information.