Follow @speedcomms and every Friday at midday we’ll tweet a question. To take part simply send an @ reply with your answer. The winner will be randomly chosen at the end of the day and will be announced on the Speed Blogs and on Twitter on the following Monday morning.

Click here to find out a bit more about our weekly competition.

Whilst reading an article on ‘Office Etiquette’ in this week’s Stylist magazine, I had a little chuckle to myself as I remembered a recent embarrassing moment at work . . . 

My ‘cringe’ moment took place a couple of weeks ago, when I walked into a client meeting and goodness knows what came over me but I lent in for a smacker with one of the two clients (a double smacker whilst grasping onto both shoulders – Mediterranean style). As I was kissing him, a little voice in my head screamed ‘what am I doing? Boll*cks, I have to know kiss the other one so he doesn’t feel left out!’

Many of you are probably wondering ‘what’s really cringing about that? I always kiss my clients when we meet’. I partly agree, I do have clients which always kiss on hellos and goodbyes, but they’re typically ‘PR dahling’ types, these two clearly weren’t by the crimson coloured cheeks and wide-eyed look on their faces.

This was the tenth meeting over the course of 12 months, and I had never kissed them on any of these previous occasions, so why start now? I then spent the next hour of the meeting sweating about how to handle their departure, ‘as I’ve kissed once, do I kiss again? Will they expect it from now on?’

I didn’t, I stuck out my hand (abruptly) and sighed with relief as we were now back on familiar ground – the good old handshake.

Reeling with confusion after my illicit encounter, I approached one of our MD’s, Steve Earl and asked ‘to kiss or not to kiss?’ His response was simply ‘if they pay seven figures they get tongue’.

If only the guide to office etiquette had been published earlier!

When discussing our jobs with non-PR folk it can feel like we are constantly justifying our ‘very busy, very important’ role as a ‘real’ job by attempting to explain in 100 words or less what it is we actually do all day. Even worse, is the assumption that we’re all vacuous champagne-swilling lushes. (- It’s amazing that Ab Fab continues to perpetuate the myth of the PR professional 6 years after the series ended!)

Times have certainly changed since Lynne Franks swapped fashion for Feng Shui, and consumer PR is now a much varied and forward thinking place, full of dynamic individuals.  However, it did come to my attention on my short-lived travels as a freelancer, that as an industry we do generally seem to fall into certain PR tribes:

Work hard, play hard – Works like a dog which earns them the right to party. Hard. Hard to the point where it all becomes a bit scary for those with them during said partying and those beside them at work the next day

Most likely to…have a heart attack

PR not ER – Constantly on the verge of tears and believes that without their manic micro managing and hysteria the whole company would go to the dogs

Most likely to…type through the tears because there’s no time to go to the loo for a proper cry (or a pee)

Posturing pervert – Can’t handle working in an industry surrounded by nubile young flesh and believes they have earned the right to ‘give it a go’ with the team assistant after a boozy lunch

Most likely to…be really inappropriate and summoned by HR

The bitter intellectual – Got a big fat academic chip on their shoulder because they are ‘too good’ for PR but have managed to work in the same agency for the last 10 years with minimum career progression

Most likely to…belittle the graduate trainee because they are secretly jealous of their youth and

Nice but dim – Exactly as the name suggests. It’s amazing they ever managed to get a job, let alone keep it but these twits seem to be recession proof. Probably because Daddy owns the company

Most likely to…look vacant while being given a simple task before asking for it to be put on an email so they can ‘get their head round it’

Lazy and deluded – The most infuriating group as you find yourself channelling a grumpy old person and saying things like ‘they wouldn’t know a day’s work if it slapped them round the face’

Most likely to…‘push back’ on work they are given because they are ‘totally maxed’ then leave the office at 5.30 on the dot

Nice as pie – So-o super nice and helpful. Never shouts, even if people deserve it, and can be a bit put upon

Most likely to…have a ‘falling down’ moment at the next inter-agency meeting and put a pic of their privates in the middle of a presentation to the company heads

What’s more the show is supported with a really informative and interactive website – everything from a panoramic view of a labour room to an online birth registry as well as more information about the various women and births featured in the show along with pregnancy and birth help and advice.

There are only three more episodes to go but for anyone who missed any and wants to catch up, downloads are available from the site.  Don’t worry – general consensus is it’s positioned giving birth as a positive experience, rather than the traditional soap opera style screaming scenario!

Celebrities and brands are never very far from each other.  After many stories in the past weeks showing how some sportsmen can terminate sponsorship contracts in more time than sending a naked picture by text message, some PRs clearly still have faith in A-listers.

In fact, Magnum, the yummy ice-cream brand announced last week that Benicio Del Toro, the no less yummy Hollywood actor will be the new face of the new Gold ice cream.  After Eva Longoria and Eva Mendes, it is now our turn ladies to sit back and enjoy these sexy ice-cream ads.

The male opinion on Twitter was quite negative and they didn’t seem to see the connection between the two, whilst the ladies on the other hand are clearly more appreciative.

How do you make sure you choose the right celebrity for your brand?  I believe if the celebrity is credible and its personal story fits the brand, then why not?   In this case, Gold ‘aims to reflect the brand’s indulgence and chocolate credentials’ and ‘the campaign will build on the brand’s positioning as the World’s Pleasure Authority’ according to Unilever which look right on target for Benicio.

She will spend the evening walking a llama through beautiful woodland paths just outside of London before enjoying a meal at the award-winning Merry Harriers pub.

Follow @speedcomms and every Friday at midday we’ll tweet a question. To take part simply send an @ reply with your answer. The winner will be randomly chosen at the end of the day and will be announced on the Speed Blogs and on Twitter on the following Monday morning.

Click here to find out a bit more about our weekly competition.

I’m a loud and proud Marmite lover – there’s no better snack than a wedge of cheddar dipped into a jar of luxuriously silky dark Marmite, so you can imagine my glee when I read in today’s Metro that Unilever has produced a Marmite Extra Old, also known as XO. Due to hit the supermarket shelves a week today (March 8), XO is a result of a secret blend maturing for 28 days – four times longer than the original product.

The new recipe has been developed with the help of the Mamarati – a secret group of 40 hardcore fans that have expressed their love for all things Marmite flavoured across a variety of different social media networks.

Other fans of the savoury spread can join the new social media group at www.marmarati.org – a website dedicated to Marmite’s loyal fans. Here you can engage in conversation with fellow Marmite lovers and upload videos, poems and photographs of how best to enjoy the strong tasting spread – the most creative posts win one of 200 commemorative jars.

Marmite is the latest in a long line of brands that are using social media to interact directly with their consumers and they’re doing it well.

Yesterday saw the much-anticipated premiere of Tim Burton’s new movie: Alice in Wonderland.

Every premiere comes as a relief for the director after years of hard work but this one in particular could have had a bitter start with Odeon, the largest cinema chain in the UK, threatening to boycott its release in protest against Disney planning to release the DVD just three months after the cinema opening.  Vue and Cineworld followed at first but soon broke the ranks leaving Odeon alone.

Despite being a huge fan of Disney, Burton (and obviously Johnny Depp), I understand how cinemas can be outraged after spending massive costs on digital technology. 

3D equipment now brings a whole new theatre experience and added to the recession, cinema ticket sales have significantly increased.  It’s not hard to imagine though that some people will be more than happy to cut on this spending if the DVD is available soon after the cinema release.  Disney’s argument is all about combating piracy – if an additional month will affect the box-office takings, I doubt that it will have a real effect on illegal downloads.

No details have been given regarding the agreement which was only reached hours before the premiere but we can only imagine more issues arising between studios and cinemas given the millions of pounds linked to 3D technology, the increasing demand for it and the pressure to reduce the time between cinema and DVD releases.

Disney is still trying to impose in the US, Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium – more should follow.

Whilst working from home is actively encouraged at Speed, client meetings and other commitments can make it hard to actually fit it in so today was a real bonus.

In the past, ‘working from home’ was shorthand for a slack day but with my trusty Speed set up of i-phone, laptop and remote server connection, the day passed much like any other (only quicker it seemed?).

And now I read that employees working from home are more productive than those who clock in everyday – maybe there’s no need for our Leicester Square office…… although whilst there are lots of biscuits here to eat, there aren’t as many people to talk to!

For those of us who haven’t scored front row tickets to Mathew Williamson’s show or who are still sitting pretty waiting for an invite to Henry’s after show party, fear not as there are several other things going on in the city in celebration of London Fashion Week.

Here are my top 5 favourite things to do during LFW ’10 . . .

1. Afternoon tea at the Berkeley – aptly called ‘Prêt-á-Portea’, the menu has been inspired by the A/W ’09 fashion collections. Why not try the Mulberry ‘Bayswater’ white chocolate and coconut truffle bag or the Roger Vivier chocolate ‘over the knee’ boot biscuit (available daily from 1pm – 6pm)
2. Pop to Selfridges for a new signature lippie – Rimmel has opened its first pop-up shop in London’s busiest store and it coincides with the launch of their new Colour Show Off lipstick. The campaign is fronted by newcomer Georgia (if only our lips pouted like hers) Jagger and the temporary stand will be up until mid March
3. Topshop rocks fashion week – live catwalk screenings of the shows, DJ, pop-up bakery, nail salon and blogging workshop – you name it Green’s got it covered. All available at the flagship Oxford Circus store daily.
4. Oh! You Pretty Things – is a must see exhibition for fashion photography fans at Liberty. Held in the 4^th floor exhibition space, enjoy an afternoon with the new generation of British fashion photographers including Josh Olins and Alice Hawkins. Running until March 14 during store opening hours.
5. Champagne Darlings! – after a long day of hitting the shops, head to the Mayfair for a well deserved cocktail. Try ‘Destination Fashion Flight’ – a trio of cocktails inspired by leading fashion capitals, Milan, London and Amsterdam (£25).