By calling the product “magical and revolutionary”, Jobs looked to be applying the polish a little too vigorously and at risk of resembling P.T. Barnum. Certainly, according to the Telegraph, analysts CCS Insight see nothing revolutionary in it, and Gizmodo can’t see it as a must-have for millions of homes.

But I’m not so sure. I think that, even though this might not push the envelope technologically or create a totally new product category, Apple have indeed packaged up the capabilities that millions of homes want. Take my wife (go on, please! Ta da!). She would love something tactile and gorgeous from Apple, but has never been a heavy enough phone user for an iPhone. Meanwhile, the iPod Touch has seemed too small, fiddly and basically expensive for what it offers her. What she’d love is a 27” iMac flat panel, which Santa didn’t quite stretch to last year.

But hang on a minute – let’s think about her main needs and interests: email (a Gmail account), banking, search, iTunes, online shopping, a few apps (which she’s only just discovered and LOVES) and that’s about it for now. Throw in the ability to watch some films on a decent screen size, and maybe read some e-Books, and you’ve probably got everything that could be needed day-to-day. (For grown up stuff, like spreadsheets and letter writing, we’ve got a perfectly good Dell hidden away in the study upstairs, but it hardly ever gets used.)

So, why would she want to sit at a desk doing those things, which feels so ‘business’, when she could do it all in the comfort of an armchair with a cup of coffee? I think Jobs is bang on when he says the iPad will make the Internet a far more intimate experience. When you also consider how tidy an iPad will look in a family room or kitchen, as opposed to the wires, space and clutter of a Mac or PC, it looks even sexier as a proposition.

I think that’s a reasonable profile of a non-geek, average household user, precisely the sort of mainstream market that Apple has exploited so brilliantly since Jobs’ return. I haven’t even got into the other, huge markets of gamers, music fans, social media mavens and others who will apparently also be well-served by the iPad.

So, overall, I’d say Apple has done it again, even though the initial buzz might not say so. I, for one, can see little alternative to shelling out for an iPad when it comes to these shores (especially as the likely price looks pretty damn good).

Hilton Garden Inn Hotel, Luton

Property client The Ability Group is building up a head of steam on its hotel portfolio openings. This week we worked with operator Hilton to announce Ability’s plans for a Hilton Garden Inn in Luton (pictured). This came hard on the heels of the jamboree that marked the opening of the Doubletree by Hilton Dunblane Hydro.

This has major implications for public relations and corporate communications.  While still important, the media is no longer the first place that people look for advice and information.  It’s therefore vital for businesses to ensure that their news and information can also be found online, and that they score highly in search rankings.  If you’re lower than page 2 on Google (and, in many cases, that’s already too low), you’re nowhere.

The good news is that PR has a strong hand to play in boosting your online visibility.  By combining the traditional skills of storytelling and copywriting with an understanding of search, PR can play a powerful role as part of a Search Engine Optimisation strategy.

A principal tool is the press release, as reinvented for the search era.  To ensure it satisfies twin goals – ‘news appeal’ for humans and ‘search appeal’ for the ‘crawlers’ that index websites – it’s important to take certain steps.

• Identify one or more keywords, key phrases or search terms that are central to your news and your company or product.  While some may be obvious, it’s advisable to use online tools to confirm which are actually being searched for, and which offer you the best chances of being found versus your competitors.

• Draft your press release to include these terms, deliberately but unobtrusively. The ideal ratio of search terms to other written content is a secret closely guarded by search firms, and it constantly changes as their algorithms evolve.  Be sure, however, to include your search terms in the headline, the body text, alt tags and the ‘boilerplate’ at the end of your release.  Beware, however:  adding too many could see your release downgraded by search engines and will make it clumsy for the reader, who will quickly tire of text that is stuffed with search terms.

• Understand the importance of links.  As algorithms have evolved they’ve placed increasing emphasis on what other people think about a web page.  Keywords are still important, but your ranking is heavily influenced by what other people think about your content, and the words they use to describe it, in the form of hyperlinks to your site.  Therefore, link wisely from your press release to the pages you want to optimise (not just your homepage), and be sure to link from your keywords rather than from ‘click here’ or similar.

• Get your release out on the Web using distribution tools to maximise the number of incoming links to your site.  Use a number of different tools, but prioritise those that are well-indexed and highly-ranked themselves.

• Analyse, analyse, analyse.  Use analytics tools to understand the traffic this brings to your site, and use this information to continually refine future press release activity.

“We have had a long relationship with general aviation in Brazil, from our propeller aircraft on up, but the Citation remains most popular,” said Todd Duhnke, director, International Citation Sales. “The performance of the Citation makes it perfect for operations throughout Brazil. It moves easily in point-to-point operations between far-off commerce centers around the country without having to rely on airline hubs, it performs well in the extremes of Brazilian climate, and we have TAM providing expert sales and service.

“This is why more Brazilians have chosen Cessna than any other business jet,” Duhnke said.

The Citation Mustang, introduced in early 2008, has proven particularly popular in Brazil with 22 of the entry level business jets delivered to Brazilian customers. This is the largest concentration of Mustangs outside the U.S. The Citation Sovereign and XLS+ mid-size jets are also popular.

Currently, there are 213 Citations in Brazil, including 22 Citation Mustangs, both leading totals for any one country outside the U.S. Germany has the second largest Citation fleet outside the U.S. with 197. The United Kingdom follows Brazil in Mustang deliveries with 15.

Cessna will be joining TAM to display popular Citations and single-engine propeller aircraft at the Latin American Business Aviation Convention and Exposition (LABACE) taking place Aug. 13-15 in São Paulo.

Well, not so fast there.  For one thing, as we’ve blogged previously, many media outlets are gleefully serving up the very worst news and not flagging up some of the other stories that might help balance the picture a little (sorry, guys, but there it is).

The other point is that in 12 or 18 months’ time, the same media will be running a string of stories about the businesses that have had a ‘good’ recession. Fact: not every business is in the kind of hole in which overleveraged retailers and legacy-bound automotive firms find themselves.  With hard work and planning, some companies are going to do just fine in this recession – and when things perk up globally, they’re really going to soar.

So, make it your New Year’s resolution to tackle the coming year as you would any other challenge – with a clear head.  Cash comes first, so make sure that you’re not being profligate.  But at the same, recognise that the only way to get through this is to market your business – intelligently.

Focus resources on activities that will yield you a good return.  Happily, PR continues to be one of the most cost effective disciplines in the marketing mix.  But, be sure to get evidence that your investment is leading to something.

One of the most satisfying things for us is being able to measure the impact that PR has for our clients and clearly demonstrate how it brings additional traffic to their websites.  Clearly measurable results have long been the missing piece of the jigsaw for PR, but by breaking down the barriers between PR, web design and SEO we are finally able to  deliver it.  We’ve always known that PR can work wonders – now we can prove it to your FD.

At the same time, look at the other tools in your marketing toolkit and see which are working well.  Do you need another brochure, or would more money spent on the website or email marketing yield better results for less?  Do you need to attend every trade fair, just because the herd thinks you should.  And, most crucially of all, have you got as much data as you can on what your customers are thinking and looking for?  Make that your starting point and then build your programme from there.

It seems so simple, but, as with most things, it will be common sense and sticking to your principles that will get you through this and out the other side.

In the meantime, have a fantastic New Year’s Eve!