A weekly roundup of talking points, sans effort

Thought for the Week

“This is not a personal thing about [Dacre]. It’s about the standards of his newspaper and what the British people have a right to expect of newspapers in this country – and indeed of the Daily Mail – and where lines should be drawn.” Ed Miliband in The Guardian, commenting on The Daily Mail sending a reporter to attend his uncle’s memorial service, and running a story alleging that his late father, Ralph, a prominent academic, hated Britain, with specific reference to the newspaper’s editor, Paul Dacre.

Weekly High

Clocking up over 15million views since September 24th, although we’re not JT’s biggest fans this sketch in which Mr Timberlake ‘waxes social’ with U.S. comedic TV host Jimmy Fallon is genuinely amusing. #hereshopingweneverwinduptalkinglikethis #ridiculous.

Weekly Low

Proving  some studies are best left unstudied, or at least without a press release, media planning agency PHD evidently did not appreciate that people can and do read between the lines when it published its story on when women feel most unattractive, via PR Newswire, in a bid to help beauty manufacturers better target their customer base. Here are some choice findings, as highlighted by Media Bistro:

• “Women feel ugliest on Mondays and weekends???
• “Sunday [took] the number two slot on the ‘ugly day’ index???
• “In this scenario, Monday becomes the day to encourage the beauty product consumer to get going and feel beautiful again???
• Study participants describing themselves as “feeling lonely, fat, and depressed??? during periods like “when I wake up,??? “when it’s hot as hell and I’m sweating??? and “after crying???
• “While the study was designed to provide insights to marketers, the results may be valuable on an interpersonal level as well – especially for anyone who may need to speak to a woman on a Monday morning.???

 

Things that may happen in the next week

The search will continue for survivors after a migrant boat sank off the coast of Lampedusa, an island in southern Italy, killing 11 and leaving 200 people missing. The BBC may step closer to another round of job cuts, with more senior management and news and current affairs posts recently earmarked for redundancy. The Daily Mail, and particularly its editor Paul Dacre, could well come under increased fire over its treatment of and behaviour towards the Miliband family.
 

Just in case you missed it…

September’s edition of the Smoking Gun PR monthly newsletter, John Watson’s Case Notes, was released on Monday. Click here to learn why market leaders should act like challenger brands, understand the implications of new changes on Tumblr., watch the five funniest people currently using Vine, and digest our in house and media news in brief. 

If there is a success story, blunder, or news event you’d like to see included email helloATsmokinggun.co.uk or tweet using #blaggersblog. Happy Friday!