While we’ve been preparing for our first Caffeinated Classroom of 2013, Oprah and her team have been busy editing, promoting and uploading her exclusive confessional with cyclist Lance Armstrong.

Before we talking cycling and confessions, let’s talk Caffeinated Classrooms. We ran our first one this morning for eight of our clients and colleagues focused on the incredible communication of 2012 – both from around the table and around the world.

They were an excellent class (very well behaved!) and provided many wonderful examples of communication they had been churning out including creative video campaigns, company mergers, member engagement and fundraising. There was also plenty of discussion about our favourite examples of communications from around the world, including:

• PBS’s campaign to celebrate the centenary of Julia Childs
• Obama’s re-election campaign culminating with his big re-tweet
• NASA’s social media triumphs with the Curiosity Rover trip to Mars

Then it was onto what’s ahead for 2013 and everyone agreed there was a need to focus on developing creative campaigns and building support for them internally. Relationships, partnerships and content will also be a key focus.

Now onto the confessions of a cyclist.

Today saw Oprah’s interview with Lance Armstrong go to air in America and on the world wide web. It was a coup for the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) and a much needed boost for the once-ubiquitous Oprah.

In the week leading up to the interview, Oprah has been busy promoting the “Worldwide Exclusive” with interviews and teasers galore.

There has been some great commentary about the PR value for Oprah as well as what it will mean for Lance, here are a few highlights:

• Lance Armstrong v Oprah Winfrey: the confessional-interview guide
• How Will Sponsors React to Lance Armstrong Confessional?
• Exclusive*: leaked PR’s email suggests damage limitation plan for Lance Armstrong after his interview with Oprah Winfrey is televised

If nothing it reminds us all to watch or re-watch Frost/Nixon and gives us some interesting reading for the weekend papers!

Cheers,

Jack and the c word crew