Random thoughts for the week: Gender-trenders and the name game

I see a website called PR Moment is running a poll on whether men or women are better at PR.

The answer of course is ‘neither, what a stupid question’.

That’s not to say it isn’t a consideration when planning teams and looking for the right mix of skills and personalities. But the notion that skills sets are so starkly different on either side of the gender divide (men are more confident communicators, women more organised and efficient, right?) that one could be classed as 'better' is laughable.

All the research will likely tell us, if anything, is the gender divide within PR. At the moment I see 44 per cent of PRs are male, 56 per cent female. Assuming anybody who votes does so in their own favour.

Speaking of wholly unscientific research I’ve just closed the guest list for next week’s Tech PR drinks and have exactly 100 names on there, which makes percentages dead easy!

I can now officially reveal that Brown is the most common name in PR - making up five per cent of surnames in the sector. It is then a 95-way dead-heat (really, not even a pair of Campbells, Davies or Jones… or a single Smith!) Proof if you needed it that you shouldn't always trust surveys.

And speaking of a PR industry roll call. I see my name's made it into PR Week three weeks in a row now. 4th September, 9th September and now 15th September. Completing the hattrick - will I get a match ball? I probably shouldn't tempt fate pushing for a fourth.

Worth a read elsewhere:

Jon Bernstein - The 2010 YouTube election has just begun
Steve Earl - Flippin' 'eck: Google 'Fast Flip' isn't fast, doesn't flip
Paul Stallard - Buying PR: Paul Callow, marketing director of Lexmark
Phil Szomszor - Can journalists can make a mint as bloggers?
Stephen Waddington - NLA engages directly with critics