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Alexander McCall-Smith Engages Web 2.0

The Daily Telegraph is in the middle of a 20-week serialisation of an online book created by author Alexander McCall-Smith, his first such project. New Media Knowledge caught up with the organisers to discuss ‘Corduroy Mansions’.

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Business Brief: Video Advertising Looks to Future

Google has announced it will incentivise advertisers on its video properties as well as launching research programmes into how Web users consume Internet video material. New Media Knowledge spoke to a number of industry players to gauge their views on where the video advertising market is going.

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‘Virtual Home’ for Ex-Pats in London Established

A social network aimed at providing information for ex-pats living in London has been established. New Media Knowledge met the site’s co-founder to find out more.

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Edelman Blogging Brief

PR giant Edelman releases a new report into the nature of blogs and blogging and finds that UK blogs have become increasingly influential.

PR Giant Edelman has released a Corporate Guide to the Global Blogosphere, a guide to blogs and blogging for business board members.

The 40-page PDF file can be downloaded here. It's an interesting read, though it's an odd sort of globe they're using at Edelman: their 'global' coverage only includes ten countries, with no mention of blogging activity in either Canada or Australia.

So where is the UK when it comes to the penetration and importance of blogs? About in the middle. We're less likely to read blogs than people in Asia or the US, but higher up the scale than the rest of Europe. Thirty-five percent of those people labelled as 'influencers' read blogs in the UK.

Blogs do appear to be very influential in the UK, though. The study asked: "Because of what you read on a blog have you ever taken action by calling, speaking or e-mailing others, signing an online petition, or joining an effort to pressure or support a corporation or government on an important issue?" With 28 percent of UK respondents saying 'yes', we are only behind Belgium out of the ten countries covered.

UK PR Blogger and Edelman employee Stephen Davies gives a succinct description of the UK blogging 'scene'. He notes that the British do not conform to their stereotype when it comes to expressing opinions on their blogs:

A nation once known for keeping the stiff upper lip and expressing self-restraint in expression and emotion is no more.

In terms of the effect of blogs on the mainstream news agenda, 24 percent of the 50 blogs studied mentioned or commented on political issues; 66 percent had written about UK companies while 44 percent had written about multinational companies.

Davies finishes by noting that blogs are empowering UK companies that had little direct access to publishing in the past:

...any company, no matter how large or small, has the technology to become a media company in its own right and can reach out to its stakeholders without the traditional gatekeeping role of the media.