Friday Five: Random-access edition

A longtime blogging buddy in the UK recently posted what he called a blogpost of no consequence. It was, of course, nothing of the sort, as it was filled with all sorts of interesting links and even a fun YouTube video. It was a post of random observations, and randomness is not without consequence.

Today’s post is random. The only thing not random about it is that it follows the order of five things, as is my custom for Friday blog posts. So let’s get to it:

  1. Dave Olsen, well-known in the higher ed marketing community for his activity on Twitter and elsewhere, has launched a blog called Mobile in Higher Ed. It’s a great niche and I can’t think of anyone better than Dave to address what’s happening in mobile right now.
  2. Meet Leroy Stick, the man behind @BPglobalPR. I started @BPGlobalPR, because the oil spill had been going on for almost a month and all BP had to offer were bullshit PR statements. No solutions, no urgency, no sincerity, no nothing. That’s why I decided to relate to the public for them.
  3. Embracing Web Analytics is Karine Joly’s latest University Business column. It’s also the latest salvo in Karine’s call for an analytics revolution.
  4. The rise of page-view journalism means companies (and higher ed) must generate their own media.
  5. For all the needless drama of life (and really, is there any other kind?), try the Drama Button. (Warning: You may need to turn down your speakers.) Here’s hoping you won’t need this button till Monday.

Happy Weekend, everyone.

P.S. – Celtics in six.

Can Foursquare save newspapers?

2009 was a tough year for newspapers, with all the cutbacks, closures, skinnier page widths and struggles with transitioning to the online realm. But maybe 2010 is off to a better start in terms of that last item — the online issue. At least one newspaper — Canada’s Metro News — is thinking differently about mobile media.

As Mashable reported earlier this week, Toronto-based Metro is partnering with the mobile check-in game Foursquare to provide editorial content to readers on the go.

“As a key component of the partnership, Metro will add their location-specific editorial content to the Foursquare service,” the newspaper explains. “People who choose to follow Metro on Foursquare will then receive alerts when they’re close to one of those locations. For example, someone close to a restaurant that Metro has reviewed would receive a ‘tip’ about that restaurant and the have ability to link through to the full Metro review on metronews.ca.”

As Mashable points out, this partnership offers interesting possibilities. “The partnership also serves as a symbiotic relationship that combines mobile utility with the bonus of print exposure for Foursquare as well as restaurants and retailers. Case in point, Metro plans to feature Mayor Deals every Friday in its publication. The deals are alternative ad buys for businesses looking to offer and promote mayor-only specials.”

Could Foursquare help save the newspaper business? And in the process, could it boost retail business, help stimulate local economies and even make mobile applications even more relevant? Looks like Foursquare and Metro are on to something.