Welcome to the first edition of our monthly newsletter ‘Inspire’.
Our aim is to alert you to the latest digital and social trends, bringing together news from across the web with the views of our in-house team of experts. In this issue, we look at digital trends for 2013, look back at the rise of digital diplomacy in 2012 and, of course, update you on what’s happening at Portland.
DIGITAL TRENDS
We couldn’t start our first newsletter without looking at the big trends and themes in digital in 2013. So here are 6 ‘Big themes’ including discovery, connectivity, big data and the ever changing screen.
THE HANGOVER FROM LEVESON – HOW TO REGULATE THE INTERNET
Mark Flanagan, Portland’s Partner for digital communications, reflects on Leveson’s interrogator-in-chief Robert Jay QC’s recent bold suggestions on media regulation.
REPUBLICANS PLAYING CATCH UP
While individual US politicians may increasingly be aware of digital opportunities, that’s not yet true of US national parties – or at least the Republicans. Whether on the use of social media or their sophisticated voter database system, the Democrats left them trailing badly behind in the 2012 elections. At the recent GOP leadership retreat, Chairman Reince Priebus and others stressed their concerns about closing the technological divide.
100 SENATORS AND THE 57TH INAUGURATION
Barack Obama’s first election victory is credited with being the big break-through for digital campaigning in politics. As he starts his second term, it is clear his use of social media has help persuade US politicians to embrace it as well. Every member of the Senate and 90% of the House of Representatives are now on Twitter.
A YEAR IN REVIEW – DIGITAL DIPLOMACY
Here’s a great overview to the social media highlights of 2012 from the Foreign Office and its network of British embassies, high commissions and missions overseas. With six FCO Ministers and over a 150 official twitter accounts, it was a busy year for digital diplomacy.
LAUNCH OF ‘FIRST AFRICAN–DESIGNED SMARTPHONE AND TABLET’
The end of 2012 saw exciting technology news coming from Africa with the launch of the ‘first African-designed smartphone and tablet’. But with products manufactured in China not Africa, the Congolese start up ‘VMK’ has already had to face criticism.