The Curator News Feed: January 18, 2013
This week we enjoyed a few laughs over some bad PR jargon and comedians on Instagram, and also learned why you shouldn’t be a travel writer. Check out all the news that caught our eye this week in our latest link roundup:
2013 Places to Go, NY Times and Luella June. When I find a new blog that I haven’t come across yet in all of our pitching, I get really excited. I discovered Luella & June, a Dallas-based lifestyle blog, when reading the always-inspiring Glitter Guide. She has a great style, and doesn’t focus on just fashion, home décor or travel – she covers it all! I also stumbled upon (when going very directly to the NY Times travel section which I love) this article about the 46 places to travel in 2013. Several unique, unexpected places on there, and full of even more inspiration! – Julia
Journalists Identify the Worst PR Jargon, Ragan's PR Daily. UK-based public relations firm, twelve thirty eight recently published its annual buzzword report and according to 500 surveyed journalists, PR pros should stop using words like issues, deliverables and dynamic when working with them. Reading this article made me recall my time with Seattle's now nonexistent NBA team and a list of words and phrases, appropriately dubbed "Sonics Speak," that were often abused in staff meetings. My personal favorites were synergy, circle-back and full-tilt boogie. – Jennifer
Magazine Publisher Buys Pop, Biz Journals. Magazine publisher buys marketing agency? What? Interesting from a content creation and distribution standpoint. – Dan
Blind dates go mobile, PSFK. Like the information age before it, the mobile age is already pushing the limits of our imagination. During the late 90s, I don’t think any of us could have anticipated mobile email, mobile banking, mobile payments, mobile PvP gaming, or, what’s this now? Mobile dating? Yes, OkCupid’s new app uses GPS data for on-demand blind dates. It seems to be missing the ability to take advantage of its compatibility matching software and trove of users, but I have to imagine that’s in the works. The idea is brilliant in its own right, in my opinion, but what caught my attention is the opportunity to monetize the information they have about the users. They already know where they are, who they are, and that they plan to spend money somewhere; if I’m a restaurant or theater owner in the area, I can’t think of a more captive audience to advertise to. – Matthew
Pentagram Redesigns NYC's Parking Signs Into Twitter-Sized Bites, AdWeek. Whatever communication industry you're in — I've been in journalism and PR — your job often boils down to this: Take complex information and make it simple. Design firm Pentagram did a great job of that with their refresh of New York City's disastrously confusing parking signs. The new signs (photos at the link, and here) highlight the things you need to know most when you're driving loops around the block: Can I park here? When? and For how long? The 140-character limit they imposed may seem a bit gimmicky, but it's also something of a standard, and if the point is to keep words to a minimum, it makes sense to go with that. Just one request: Can we have these on Capitol Hill? – Paul
10 Ways Not to Be a Travel Writer, Lonely Planet. This week I was researching travel bloggers for a client and day-dreamt at least couple moments up of what it'd be like to get paid to travel. It seems pretty awesome, and I got all fired up about traveling that I'd like to do. That's how I ended up on Lonely Planet's site and saw this ironic article about how not to be a travel writer. Although I wasn't surprised by any of the points, I thought it had some great tips to keep in mind for any job. – Maria
Funny Instagrammers to Follow, Mashable. I love perusing Instagram, especially following celebrities and brands that have fun with the photo-sharing app, and now I have a new list of Instagrammers to stalk in my spare time (and you should too)! – Chelsey