Things No One Ever Tells You: The Peaks and Valleys of PR

by Sara Campbell

I clearly remember getting my first “real” job – I was promoted from intern to Assistant Account Executive at Alexander Communications in Atlanta, a tech PR agency that would later be acquired by Ogilvy PR, and could not have been more thrilled about my new profession. I was so excited to be a real adult, with a salary, health insurance and a business card to prove it.

Online Entertainment Insider - March 30, 2012

by Wonacott Communications

Console wars are an inexorable part of the video game industry, and are the front lines of billions of dollars in revenue. NES, Sega and Turbografx fought the bloodiest battle back in the early '90s, but now console makers, specifically Sony (for now), seem to be taking the war to second-hand retailers with the rumor that the next PlayStation console will NOT support used games. The largest used game retailer in the world generates more than $2 billion annually from reselling, which is a very large piece of pie to fight over...

Fuel Up Your Safety-First Think Tank and “THINKB4U” Search

by Alex Van Lepp

Props to our client and youth engagement agency Fuel, which was tapped by Google to help develop THINKB4U, an interactive website designed to support online safety. The site strives to teach parents, educators and kids about the dangers of using the internet carelessly.

Head to MediaPost for a breakdown on the site and its features.

Source: www.mediapost.com

Online Entertainment Insider - March 23, 2012

by Wonacott Communications

There's a plague going around the office, and I'm not talking about the one that's causing me to take Dayquil on regular intervals. OMGPOP's mobile Pictionary game, Draw Something, is infecting the whole office, with noticeable symptoms of quizzical looks and fits of laughter. The game also attracted some pretty notable attention - Zynga snapped up the developer for a cool $200 million this week.

The Truth, the Whole Truth? - Social Media, Kony 2012 and Trayvon Martin

by Morgan McDowell

We all witnessed the immediate backlash during the Susan G. Komen/Planned Parenthood fiasco, which ultimately resulted in Planned Parenthood receiving enough donations to more than make up for the pulled grant in a single day. Social media played a crucial role in rallying support around that cause, and doing so with astonishing speed.

News outlets constantly fight for the “scoops,” the chance to break news before anyone else, but these days, social media is often miles ahead of traditional media when it comes to spreading buzz. But with that speed often comes lack of accountability.

Feel Like Death: Hands-on Impressions of THQ’s Darksiders II

by Kia Gilstrap

The highly anticipated action adventure game Darksiders II  from (Wonacott client) THQ,  launches this summer, and THQ gave a group of enthusiastic gaming editors some hands-on time with the game in San Francisco on Monday.

Grand Cru Gets Super-sized with $2 Million in Funding for The Supernauts

by Alex Van Lepp

A big round of applause for client Grand Cru, who exited stealth mode today with a great feature article on VentureBeat and $2 million in their pockets. The startup company from Helsinki is working on The Supernauts, a true cross-platform social game where players can interact and collaborate together to solve puzzles, build worlds and even create games within the game thanks to a unique building mechanic. The Supernauts will work in web browsers and on Facebook as well as mobile devices, with players being able to interact in real time no matter which platform they're using. 

The Grand Cru team comes from a rich background in social and mobile games, including Habbo Hotel creator Sulake and the now-defunct mobile developer Mr. Goodliving. The Supernauts has the makings of the next great Facebook game, so sign up to be a tester on the official website! 

Superheroes get Super Score in Superplay Games’ Sky Defenders

by Alex Van Lepp

Wonacott client Superplay Games tilted its way to success with its newly released iOS title, Sky Defenders. The game received 4 out of 5 stars from app review site 148Apps and earned praise for its brilliant graphics and solid tilt controls. So if you’ve ever had dreams of being a superhero, check it out on iTunes!

So Much Social Media…So Little Time

by Alex Van Lepp

Photo: Flickr

Facebook...Twitter...Linkedin...Google+...Tumblr...Pinterest…there are so many social media platforms out there, but so little time to engage in them all. To be honest, trying to stay updated on all the social media sites is somewhat overwhelming; I've realized it’s difficult to go even a couple of hours without checking Facebook to make sure I'm not missing out on anything, and putting off checking Twitter for even 10 minutes leaves me feeling left in the dust.

Lately I’ve been taking my social media endeavors to a professional level as an intern at Wonacott by participating in our company social media efforts. One big thing I’ve noticed so far is the importance of having plan in place to use social media strategically. Here are some of the tactics I’ve learned:

Online Entertainment Insider - March 16, 2012

by Chan Lim

Happy new iPad day, everyone. I am happy to report I’m not drafting this in front of a Mac store (that’s what interns are for). But it’s still incredible that the iPad and other iOS devices went from being expensive redundant gadgets to the largest handheld gaming platform in the world. You’d better believe we’re keeping an eye on the space. Oh, and if you get a new iPad, be sure to try out Sky Defenders! 

Stunts: There’s a Fine Line Between Brilliant and Boneheaded

by Alex Van Lepp

One of the most creative (and challenging) aspects of public relations is coming up with attention-getting stunts that turn the heads of press and consumers. Stunts can be a great opportunity to showcase a company, brand or product, and under perfect conditions they represent a masterful blend of marketing strategies and are fun to boot. However, there’s always a risk of going too far, not connecting the stunt to the product, alienating your target audience and more, and a lot of companies fail to stay on the right side of that line.

Online Entertainment Insider - March 9, 2012

by Wonacott Communications

Greetings from the Game Developers Conference show floor! We’re wrapping up the last day here and hope that if you attended you had a great time. There was definitely some great news coming out of GDC, but I’m pretty sure all of it was overshadowed by Angry Birds Space.

International Women’s Day: Commentary from The Women of Wonacott Communications

by Wonacott Communications

Today is International Women’s Day, which serves as an important reminder of the many inspirational women in our lives. It’s because of them that we are driven – and in some cases, even afforded the ability – to chase our dreams in the pursuit of our own happiness, so we think today is the ideal opportunity to highlight some of the women who are paving (or have paved) the way for us.

Workin’ Like a Dog? Good!

by Alex Van Lepp

(The Wonadogs hard at work!)

Online Entertainment Insider - March 2, 2012

by Wonacott Communications

With our new site update and corporate identity (have you checked it out yet? I’ll wait…) we decided to breathe some new life into the Online Entertainment Insider. Jason passed the newsletter torch to me, Alex Josef, vice president of the interactive entertainment practice here at Wonacott!

The Desensitizing Effects of Publicity Gone Wrong

by Kia Gilstrap

(AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Imagine you’re on a weekend trip with some friends in Las Vegas. Dinner time comes around so you decide to walk around and look for a fun, new place to eat. You stumble upon a restaurant with an ambulance parked in front, and then your eyes wander to the top of the building where you see “The Heart Attack Grill” in large, red letters. Just as you take a step inside to see if the place is real, there’s a man at the center of some sort of commotion who appears to be having a heart attack.  Is “this must be a publicity stunt” the first thing that pops into your head?

Perfect World Entertainment Signs John Young

by Alex Van Lepp

Congrats to Wonacott client, Perfect World Entertainment, a high-growth free-to-play online interactive entertainment publisher with global reach, for appointing F2P veteran John Young as vice president of business development and corporate communications.

Young will lead the team in partnering with new developers as well as create a revitalized corporate brand in the U.S. Check out the news on Gamasutra for the full rundown on Young and his new position.