Web Award Competition Winners Announced

Chuck Zimmerman

I don’t know if you are aware of the Web Marketing Associaton or not. I wasn’t until yesterday. Here’s how they describe themselves “an independent organization founded with the purpose of evaluating and recognizing the standard of excellence on the World Wide Web. The Web Marketing Association also has established the Internet Advertising Competition (IAC Awards) and the Interactive Investor Relations Awards.”

In addition to the awards they mentioned they also started the Web Award Competition. The winners have just been announced and you can see them all on their awards website. They’re listed by category which is pretty handy. No category for agriculture. However, there is one for biotechnology and the food industry. Maybe next year we can have some ag sites entered!!

Here’s who won the “Best of Show.”

The 2005 Best of Show WebAward is presented to Atlanta -based IQ interactive (www.iqtv.com), for their outstanding work on “National Geographic – Inside The Mafia” at URL www.insidethemafia.com. The site was also awarded Best Entertainment WebAward. To generate interest and viewers for the show, IQ Interactive was challenged to create a web site as engaging and compelling as the show itself. With a click, mysterious and intriguing rich media banner ads drive viewers straight to the full screen immersive interactive experience. Targeting a lifestyle demographic called New Enthusiasts, this dark and stylistic micro site engages in an almost game-like way. This discovery based site allows viewers to explore the world of the mafia through a variety of avenues, from full original animation, to a variety of video compositions and much more. The goal being to use video in a way that hasn’t been used before.

Internet

PR Newswire Now Podcasting Audio Releases

Chuck Zimmerman

MultiVuI’ve been meaning to tell you about this but that trip to Switzerland kind of got in the way. If you’re involved in any type of public relations efforts then you probably know about PR Newswire. They’ve started doing something very logical and something we’ve been preaching for the last year and a half. They’re pushing the creation and distribution of audio (and video) news releases!! We call them Talking News Releases and we directly email them to reporters. PR Newswire is producing them as fully voiced news “stories” that may include company representative sound bites. We do that when appropriate too.

They’re also setting them up as podcasts, which reporters can subscribe to!! Of course this still seems to only be directed to reporters who subscribe to PR Newswire but what a concept. Why not? Why not use audio when you send a release to a reporter?

We’re also advocating making your releases (audio or not) available by RSS to your own customers and clients from your own website. Once the release has been created use the web for what it’s capable of and don’t just depend on reporters to use your release. Which brings up a good question. How do you know if reporters air your audio news release? Inquiring minds want to know. I’ll have chapter 3 in my series on this published soon.

I’m a PR Newswire subscriber and member (although I never received a release on this!) so I took a look. There’s not a lot of them there yet but I’m sure this will grow. Besides providing pre-recorded audio and video they’re making it available when the reporter wants it. I’m not sure yet how this is or may become accessible directly to a consuming public. Some may question who would want to subscribe to a company’s sales pitch. I think it’s just one more avenue to deliver your message in an increasingly fragmented media mix. If you’re already spending the money to create a message why not invest just a little more to put it in a more user-friendly form for the reporters you’re targeting and ultimately the public?

Journalists, bloggers and news consumers can now access audio news releases as podcasts and download them to their desktop, iPod or other personal communications device, MultiVu, a PR Newswire company announced.

In addition, MultiVu is also podcasting PR Newswire’s Broadcast Minute report, an audio summary of the day’s top news releases. Launched as a text service for radio journalists and producers, the Broadcast Minute report is now available to download in MP3 audio format via PR Newswire’s media-only website, PR Newswire for Journalists (PRNJ), PR Newswire’s public Web site, http://www.prnewswire.com and Apple’s iTunes Database. By ‘podcasting’ this content, MultiVu is embracing this rapidly growing form of internet-based distribution to make its customers’ news available to key audiences, allowing them to retrieve and listen at their convenience. “Podcasting is fast becoming the format for providing radio-type archived
content directly to end-users,” said Larry Thomas, president of MultiVu, a PR Newswire company. “By utilizing podcasting as a distribution method, we are leveraging what has been a mostly consumer-oriented technology to increase the exposure of our customers’ important news and information.”

Thanks to Steve Mays and Steve Rubel for the heads up on this.

Podcasts, Public Relations

The Latest On The WTO From FarmPolicy.com

Chuck Zimmerman

FarmPolicy.comI’ve written about Keith Good before. In fact he was one of the first interviews on the ZimmCast. Now my man is using audio on his weblog!

In one of his latest posts on the WTO Keith has a short audio file presentation to go along with a slide you can look at while you’re listening. You’re going to learn more about the WTO here on AgWired too but Keith knows his stuff. You can subscribe to a daily emailed update of news from him that’s very thorough. Keith has his audio in .wav format which is a big file to download so I converted it to mp3 for you here: Download MP3 File

I’m going to email him a link to an audio converter program since I think MP3 is the way to go (much smaller and pretty much universally accepted).

Audio

Welcome To The WTO Mr. Lamy

Chuck Zimmerman

Pascal LamyYou probably already know that the World Trade Organization has a new Director General, Pascal Lamy. Bet you didn’t know what he looked like. That’s why I love getting pics!!!

Now if someone will just sponsor my trip to Hong Kong in December we’ll have some “live” photos of the DG on AgWired! That’s when the next WTO Ministerial Conference is set and I hope to blog it (sponsors willing). Anyway here’s what DG Lamy said to the press on his first day, September 1.

I won’t say much on the substance today. It’s my day back to school. On the first of September, like many people in this country, we are starting our work, knowing there is a lot of work ahead of us. Following both what happened and what did not happen last July when the General Council met and a few ministers were here.

I am pretty aware that there is a lot of work to do. I will be starting this right now, in starting internal and external consultations. Internally, of course, with all the members of the Secretariat, who have received an email from me this morning, and with the chairs of the various negotiating groups, of course. With the ambassadors, the regional groupings and so on. And I will be back to you in a fortnight from now with more precise views on the substance and the way ahead to Hong Kong — which obviously is and remains the number one priority for myself, my team and the Secretariat.

Last thing: as we all know, and I think I have to remember this everyday, including when reading today’s press, the WTO Director-General has no magic wand. Things don’t work this way in the WTO. Members have the decision-making power. We can catalyze, we can broker. Sometimes, sometimes we can lead, but at the end of the day they take the decision, and that’s why I have to start this series of contacts.

Uncategorized

Meet The New LPC President

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCastLori Maude, Gelbvieh World, is the new president of the Livestock Publications Council. I got to interview her at the recent Ag Media Summit. Lori tells us about herself, LPC and what she sees as priorities for the coming year.

You can listen to this week’s ZimmCast here: Download MP3 File

The ZimmCast is AgWired’s weekly podcast which you can subscribe to using the link in our sidebar.

Ag Media Summit, Audio, LPC, Podcasts, ZimmCast

New CEO For COLT Technologies

Chuck Zimmerman

COLT TechnologiesI’m sure you’re tired of IFAJ news and information by now so it’s on to other things. For example, COLT Technologies(TM), a Salt Lake City-based developer of wireless agricultural technologies, has appointed D. Bret Smith as its new chief executive officer. Smith replaces Tali Haleua who has assumed the role of executive vice president of sales and business development and will remain with COLT as chairman of the board.

It never ceases to amaze me that people don’t think agriculture is a high tech business. It is and what these folks are doing is just one example. With all the food safety concerns companies like this one are rapidly developing new products to provide the service the consumer is demanding.

“Everyone in the beef and dairy industries recognizes that it’s inevitable that the USDA will hand down more stringent tracking, tracing, monitoring and certifying requirements for beef and dairy products, and COLT’s revolutionary TekVet System is ready to meet that challenge today,” Smith said. “I look forward to introducing these industries to a new paradigm and consider it my responsibility and obligation to lead the beef and dairy industries into the 21st century.”

In case you’re wondering what this TekVet system does, read on:

The TekVet System is a wireless radio frequency (RF) solution designed to track, trace and monitor the health and core temperatures of beef cattle, one of the key indicators of feeder animal health. The TekVet System immediately identifies unhealthy animals by monitoring core body temperature via the TekVet SmartSensor(TM), a small wireless device attached to a feeder animal’s ear that monitors temperature through a thermistor inserted into the animal’s ear canal. When the body temperature drops below (or climbs above) specific temperature thresholds, producers/feedlot workers/researchers are notified immediately via a wireless alert (through cell phone, pager or COLT Technologies’ console management software) about the change in the animal’s core body temperature.

Agribusiness

IFAJ Photo Album

Chuck Zimmerman

IFAJ 2006 CongressI just found out that there’s already a website for the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists 2006 Congress in Norway. Of course their theme is “Feed Your Senses.” Wanna bet what that’s going to be like?

I know I just wrote that I was done with IFAJ 2005 posts but I have to do this one. If you want to see the whole event just click on the sidebar (right side) archive category for IFAJ. There will now be 53 posts on AgWired going back to my first one in February! I used about 62 pictures during the course of the event and have many more. I was going to put them in an online album for you but just found out that IFAJ already has one: IFAJ 2005 Photos.

Enjoy and see you in Norway!

Pioneer Hi-BredAgWired reports on IFAJ Congress 2005 are sponsored by Pioneer Hi-Bred.

IFAJ

An IFAJ Goodbye

Chuck Zimmerman

IFAJ-62We’re at the end of my posts on the IFAJ Congress 2005. I will actually have a few more items when I get time to work on them but this gives you a final look at a great event. It was a lot of work. Blogging a meeting can be that way! But it was fun and I enjoyed every minute of it.

These final pictures are to show that we didn’t just eat and drink and walk around and attend meetings and presentations. We had time for the even more fun things in life like dancing on the boat or . . .

IFAJ-56singing with part of the Quasimojo band (Mike Wilson and Owen Roberts)! Here you have IFAJ president David Markey singing along!!!

I want to say a special thank you to AAEA for the stipend that was offered to me to help with expenses to attend my first (not last) IFAJ Congress. I also have to thank Jerry Harrington, Pioneer Hi-Bred for his sponsorship. It wouldn’t have been possible without them.

Pioneer Hi-BredAgWired reports on IFAJ Congress 2005 are sponsored by Pioneer Hi-Bred.

IFAJ

IFAJ Gold Medallions Awarded

Chuck Zimmerman

IFAJ-61On the IFAJ Dinner Cruise awards were given including IFAJ medallions. These were presented to numerous people who put in a lot of hard work on this event. Some of them are pictured here below the balcony which was lined with people. I don’t have all the names and why’s and wherefore’s though.

IFAJ-60Here’s what the medallion looks like.

By the time the awards were given there had been quite a bit of toasting and celebrating going on. I think Adrian Krebs and Hans Mueller and David Markey were starting to relax and unwind a little bit!!

Pioneer Hi-BredAgWired reports on IFAJ Congress 2005 are sponsored by Pioneer Hi-Bred.

IFAJ

Final Event Of The IFAJ

Chuck Zimmerman

IFAJ-57The last event of the IFAJ Congress was a Lake Thun dinner cruise. The “Berner Oberland” is a beautiful boat and we had a wonderful evening. As we got on the boat we were greeted with gifts (Swiss watches) and some kind of a fruity concoction that I didn’t get a name for. It was kind of like a strawberry/fruit juice with a sparkling wine in it.

IFAJ-58Our onboard entertainment was a New Orleans Jazz Band. Talk about surrealistic when all the news we’d been seeing was on the tragedy in New Orleans! They were good though.

The boat had 3 levels counting the top, open area where we were able to get spectacular views of the mountains and the sunset.

Pioneer Hi-BredAgWired reports on IFAJ Congress 2005 are sponsored by Pioneer Hi-Bred.

IFAJ