Wikimedia Commons image couresty of Achim RaschkaThe Friday Wrap (which is what you’re reading) is a curated rundown of news, reports and posts from the past week that, while they didn’t go viral or attract much attention, are still interesting and useful for communications professionals. I select Wrap items from my link blog, which you’re welcome to follow.

News

Edelman is sorry for Robin Williams post—PR giant Edelman has issued a formal apology for a blog post by Lisa Kovitz, executive vice president of media relations strategy, in which the comedian’s death was deemed an “opportunity to engage in a national conversation.” Gawker called the company “a soulless PR conglomerate” for taking advantage of the tragedy to shine a spotlight on its own capabilities, which launched a torrent of criticism in social media. Despite the apology, Edelman won’t remove the post. Read more

Foursquare strategy is paying off—Foursquare’s eulogy has been repeated for months, ever since splitting off its check-in feature into Swarm, a new, separate app. But downloads and use of Swarm have been strong, and the launch of the new Foursquare—clearly designed to be better at local discovery than Yelp—has been getting rave reviews. Read more

Are you ready for Yelp video reviews?—Yelp users already can write reviews of bars, restaurants, hospitals, and just about any other service, and they can post pictures. But now Yelp is adding video to the mix, letting users upload 3-to-12-second clips. With some venues—restaurants in particular—already banning photos, videos are likely to introduce an even more troublesome dimension to the service. Early examples feature tableside preparation of food in restaurants. Read more

Get permission before using Reddit content—Reddit has issued new guidelines that require you to get permission from “the redditor who shared the piece and ask for their permission prior to using it in an article or list.” That’s just one of the rules in Reddit’s “Pressiquette,” introduced to address the volume of Reddit content that finds its way onto BuzzFeed and other sites. Violating the rules could get you banned from Reddit. Read more

Redskins launch latest volley in PR war over team name—A website supported by former Washington Redskin players has released a two-minute video featuring Native Americans shrugging off the team’s name. It’s the latest move in a battle over the Redskins name that most Native Americans (among others) find offensive and want the team to change. In two days, the video has attracted only about 26,000 views. Read more

Path can appeal spam ruling—Path, the app that lets users maintain a smaller, more intimate social network, has been given the judicial go-ahead to appeal a ruling that messages it sends inviting people to join the service violate the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. The main issue: Path doesn’t use an automated dialer, sending messages only to those phone numbers provided by existing users. Read more

Trends

More blurring of the lines in native ads—As calls for more clarity in native advertising increase, publishers are moving in the opposite direction, making it harder to tell the difference between editorial and advertising. The latest comes from Purch, the publisher behind science sites like Space.com, which will let companies sponsor pages that contain editorial reviews of their products. In tests on one of Purch’s sites, combining sponsorship with reviews led to a 10-to-20% click-through rate on ads paid for by companies whose products were reviewed on those pages. Read more

Facebook Newswire leads to 50% increase in post embeds—Facebook Newswire—a collaboration of Facebook and Storyful—presents verified, newsworthy Facebook posts. Since its launch in April, it has led to a 50% increase in Facebook posts being embedded elsewhere on the web. In the three months after the launch, 350 million users generated 3 billion impressions, embedding stories about the World Cup and hot spots around the world like Ukraine, Gaza, and Iraq. Read more

Airlines up the in-flight safety video game—Seeking ways to reinforce their brand identities and capture passenger attention—especially now that they can have their heads buried in their smartphones and tablets during taxi and takeoff—airlines have been turning those dull safety videos into expressions of creativity. Not only are people paying attention on board, they’re making special visits to YouTube to watch them. A Virgin America safety video from a mainstream Hollywood director attracted 1.5 million views in just one day. Which leads to the question: What mundane communication represents an opportunity for a new approach in your organizaton? Read more

Vatican’s social media expert wants Catholics to make Internet a better place—Monsignor Paul Tighe wants Catholics to make the online world a more positive place. Speaking to an audience of Catholic educators, clergy and staff at a technology conference, the secretary to the Pontifical Council for Social Communications of the Vatican warned that “If the church in some way is not present in the digital, we’re going to be absent from the experience and from the lives of many people. if we withdraw, then we’re leaving those areas to the trolls. We’re leaving it to the bullies.” Read more

Mobile

Strategic investments in mobile produce measurable results—An IDC report finds that companies that make strategic investments in mobility are achieving much greater business results than those that don’t, but only 16% of companies fit that category. Among the benefits a strategic approach produces: smarter, faster decision making; improved organizational efficiency; cost savings; better customer interaction; and increased revenue. Read more

Anonymous apps get brand attention—Brands like Vegas.com, Hulu, and Universal Pictures are investing in campaigns on anonymous messaging apps like Anomo, Whisper, and Secret. Anomo, for example—with 300,000 users—will deliver a native-style ad to users who use the hashtag #Vegas. According to Vegas.com’s CMO, “So much of our traffic is coming from mobile that if we can get into people’s phones, that’s a market we are willing to pay for. Read more

Yo is a communications protocol, not a messaging app—Yo, the app that lets people send a “Yo” to each other, has earned plenty of derision, yet it has also earned funding and a valuation as high as $10 million. While the horse laughs come from those who see it as a silly, pointless messaging app, its creators call it a communications protocol, a category that includes email, SMS text messages, and Twitter. “You provides any person, business or Web service direct access to the notifications tray of your smartphone.” In its next version, improvements to You will elevate it into a legitimate messaging platform, allowing users to include a link and connect an RSS feed, allowing bloggers to send push notifications to their followers. Read more

Ephemeral messaging apps also popular with brands—A growing number of brands are tapping into Snapchat, the app in which messages evaporate shortly after they’re opened. Burger King is one of the latest, following McDonald’s, which joined the platform six months ago. The app is used by about 27 million people, who can view “stories”—a narrative of photos and/or videos from the previous 24 hours—all of which is appealing to brands. Others on board with Snapchat are NPR, Taco Bell, and Audi. Read more

New workplace messaging app catches fire—The workplace already has Yammer, Chatter, Socialcast and a number of other apps designed to ease communication, but Slack is the new entry that’s attracting a ton of attention. Only six months old, the service boasts 140,000 daily active users, nearly 30% of whom are paying; more than 33,000 teams are using it, and 93% of those that give it a try continue to use it. As anyone why it’s so popular and they’ll struggle to find an answer. But rather than focus on typical office issues, Slack aims to give people tools they don’t know they want until they need them. Read more

An app for clearing Customs—If you fly internationally and Atlanta is your airport, get ready for shorter lines at Customs. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is piloting an app that will contain passport information. After you land, you’ll be able to submit your Customs declaration through the app, “then receive an electronic receipt with a square-shaped scannable QR code that lasts for four hours.” Hand your passport and phone to a Customs officer and you’re done. Read more

Research

Teens favor YouTube stars over mainstream celebrities—If your customer base includes teens and you’re into celebrity endorsements, listen up: The five most influential figures among Americans 13-18 are all YouTube stars, with the online comedians from Smosh topping the list. The Variety survey found the YouTube stars “scored significantly higher than traditional celebrities across a range of characteristics considered to have the highest correlation to influencing purchases among teens.” Read more

Paper better than digital for retention—A study out of Norway reinforces earlier research that finds reading text on paper is better than a computer screen for some aspects of communication. In the test of 10th graders, those who read paper understood more of what they read than those who read the same document on a computer screen. The tactile nature of paper is most likely the reason for the better comprehension: “The perceptible, direct experience gives you a mental map of the entire text. The brain has an easier task when you can touch as well as see.” Read more

Changes and Upgrades

Twitter plans improvements to DMs—Direct messages have been the cause of much hand-wringing and teeth-gnashing because it has been hard to access. Now comes word that Twitter is talking about an imminent upgrade to DMs that could lead to improved opportunities for brand engagement. Inspiration for the change is coming from mobile messaging apps like WeChat and Line, which let users opt in to get messages pushed out by brands and media companies; that could mean you’ll soon be getting DMs from people who don’t follow you, previously a requirement for DMs. Read more