Caffeine bubble dreams

In context: Using Deirdre Breakenridge's article PR 2.0: A Communicator's Manifesto, as well as social media experience in Social Media class, I have put together a (hopefully) comic take on the changing ways of public relations.

Find out how PR Guy saves the day for Businessman. Not once, but twice!

I admit, I have hopped on the bandtractor and taken it straight to Farmville.

"Canada is the sixth biggest country in terms of the number of visitors to FarmVille." - CP 24.

Mindless time wasting aside though, I want to focus on what the creators, Zynga Games, are doing to bring people together. I feel that the underlying message in Farmville is one of community. In the game, you have to rely on friends to help you succeed. You must also help friends in order to unlock certain achievements.

With that in mind, it really touched me when Farmville reached out to help Haiti. A few days after the earthquake, Farmville offered a new crop for planting, White Corn. This was a paid item you could only purchase with FarmCash. The response was phenomenal. Many farmers spoke out in support of Zynga's Haiti Relief Fund.



White Corn costs about $5 in real money. When you donate, the crops will be accessible to you for a week, and would never wilt. As a token of appreciation, Farmville offered everyone who donated a gift of a Haiti flag.



To date, Zynga's Haiti Relief received $900,000 in donations. Farmville promises a special surprise for farmers, if the number goes up to $1 million by the end of today.

If a silly game can bring so many people together to do good, it can't be a complete waste of time. In a social media rich world, this is the best way to mobilize the masses to support for a cause. Good job, Farmville. My straw hat goes off to you.