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I was listening to David Ford’s song State of the Nation as I walked the path to work today and these words jumped out at me.

Have no fear of the state of the nation
Let the facts have no bearing on public relations
It’s a shame, it’s a shame, it’s a shame

I’ve had the song on my iPod for years now, but it isn’t until now that these words struck a cord with me. I think it’s the one issue we need to work on in our industry. We are about the facts and opening the channels of communication, especially in this ever increasing world of everyone having a voice and leveling the playing field.

Coca-Cola just launched Virtual Thirst, which is the latest promotion done in Second Life by a major brand.

Coca-Cola is launching an open contest for Second Life residents and the general population to design a virtual experience machine through its “Virtual Thirst” competition. Second Life is a three-dimensional, online digital world that enables its user “residents” to explore a digital universe and interact through online “avatars” (graphical depictions of the residents). This contest is not a search for the virtual version of a real-life vending machine that distributes bottles and cans, but the mission to create a portable device for Second Life’s “in-world” digital society that unleashes a refreshing and attention-grabbing experience, on demand.

The contest sounds pretty wide open and one truly is only limited by their imagination. It should be interesting to see what people come up with. This contest touches on ideas I had written for my second column over at Gamasutra, which should be launching early next month.

No publicity is bad publicity; but some publicity is bad business. Rockstar understood the first part of that axim as well as anyone; the trick for the company’s new bosses will be to strike the fine balance required by the second.

That’s a line from a feature column over at GamesIndustry.biz called Second Take. Britney Spears, Emimem and K-Fed have all used publicity, good and bad, to raise their profile and take themselves to the next level. I’ve often joked with friends that there is no such things as bad publicity.

I think the article hits on some interest points, especial on how it can be bad for business. I think the level of stardom that Rockstar has received over the years can’t be duplicated by any standard. They truly are in a league of their own when it comes to be the bad boys of gaming. When it comes to any company or brand, you need to walk that fine line between outrageous and normal…otherwise your business could be hurt.

Fast Company has a piece on respect and what people put up with at work. The article is actually more about what we tolerate at work and frames the post around meetings. We’ve all had them, but lets face it most are time wasters or meetings where people spend more time complaining then talking about what’s on the agenda.

Finding the catalyst that motivates people is key in any leadership role. Last time I wrote about leadership I talked about effective listening skills. Everyone has different factors that motivate them to do a good job. Some want more money, others want better benefits and a few even prefer to work a 4-day week verses a 5-day week.

However, I find that recognition and freedom go a long way to keeping people motivated. People want to be congratulated for the hard work, and overtime, that they put in everyday. A simple thank you goes a long way to keeping feeling appreciated. It doesn’t have to be at the company lunch-in or town hall meeting. It could simply be one-on-one at their desk. Check out Top 10 Ways to Motivate Geeks by The Retrospector. The article adds some nice perspective if you manage or work with geeks as part of your job.