Polly’s Perspective

Its no denying the Internet has changed corporate communication, casual communication and news in general. Think about it.

Its not only changed where you find your news but, also how you digest it, who writes it and how quickly it develops.

What was once a 24-hour news cycle has changed into a 24-second tweet cycle. This immediate nature of news, especially for my peers has led to a lot of changes with more to come. In college we reaped the consequences of “instant news/gossip” with social media sites like Facebook. And I can’t even begin to go into the consequences of when my mother joined Facebook.

But more importantly is the discussion of these effects on the modern day business model. To understand this first we must understand the role of the news. Everyone is now a potential reporter due to the accessibility of the Internet and the growing popularity of Internet on mobile devices. Think about what this does for the next generation of customer service.

If my mother had a problem with something, like poor service at a restaurant what would she do? Well apart from nothing, she would consider a comment card on the table or perhaps hand off her complaint to a manager.

Conclusion= No bad press.

But this next generation of social media users approaches things very differently. We want to tell our network. “Just had the nastiest, worst service at ______” It’s a toss up on benefits to have immediate thumbs up or thumbs down from a tweeting/plugged-in customer.

So what does this mean for every company? Dirty laundry is being brought out left and right. This makes for many interesting developments in the corporate world.

More and more agencies are realizing it’s not a choice of whether or not to get into digital media, but more a question of which digital media practices will best serve your communication goals.

We trust our network. Why? Because we aren’t selling anything, we are socializing.

So what does this mean for Marketing and PR professionals? Well, social media provides a opportunity to maximize global coverage and build, protect and promote their brands to online publics with unsurpassed speed, transparency and control.

“What was once considered a consumer should now be considered a partner, which requires agencies to actively listen and communicate quickly and honestly.”

Corporate blogs provide a platform to help the media understand your company. Consider this you interactive Press Release/Media Kit.

Ive have been working with CPX Interactive as a Digital Marketing Assistant for two months now. I have been lucky to work with other social media activist Samantha Karol. She laid the ground work for so much interactive branding within the CPX title. Just check out the blog!

If your looking for a new interactive media platform online there are so many out there! One I recently have been exploring is a publishing platform ISSUU. Here I took our tri-fold display and uploaded it into a fun to play with widget that is easy to embed across other sites. ISSUU is a great tool!

If you liked this post you might like this one where I interviewed Adam Singer about the evolving role of social media and the role of the reporter.

As a PR student I have been trying to wrap my mind around the concept of social media. With so many definitions buzzing around I looked towards a blogging guru Adam Singer. Singer has been integrated in social media since 2004.

“I would describe it as democratized media; a place to contribute digital content and receive feedback,” said Singer.

I think one of the biggest lessons about social media I have realized is that to learn social media you must use it. My style and design teacher, Robert French, has taken this approach by integrating his students into many social networking sites that we contribute to weekly.

Involvement =Impact.

Social media is changing the media landscape and it is being adopted as a record breaking rate.

THE NEWS:

This was the old equation:

Your message (Press release) + Reporter (gatekeeper) = Awareness (news coverage)

“Social media has reduced the role of the reporter, the gatekeeper,” said Singer. “Now you can wrap your promotion around a good hook, upload your story on the company blog and share your message with your network.”

Reporters are still important, but not vital. “Social media hasn’t quite replaced traditional media, but it supplements everything digitally,” said Singer. “For success you can’t ignore any channel.”

“Using social media, I don’t necessarily need a reporter to take an interest in my news for it to spread.”said Singer.

Some argue that blogging can’t be seen as reliable news, but how can you only consider traditional media more reliable when it is driven by advertisement sales. Blogging allows for a more honest platform that not only expresses your opinion, but keeps an open ear to hear others’ opinions and feedback. Web news is all about participating in the conversation to further understanding.

Social media is not for everybody, but if you are working in a consumer industry it ranks supreme because of instant consumer feedback. Happy customers will spread the word and drive sales.

So how does a business take the plunge into social media successfully? Adam Singer explains the process.

(1)The first and most important step is to LISTEN. This step requires persistence. Seek out ideas about your market, issues other companies are having and listen to the conversation. Consider this free market research.

(2)Next, see how you fit it. This is the analyzing step. Start joining in the conversation and participate in your industry.

“Make the choice. Do you want to be a leader in your industry or a follower?”

(3) Now is time to get creative. If your goal is to please your customers then ask them what they want and deliver.

(4) The last step for social media adoption is to find your niche and speak to them. While some target audiences aren’t found on the web, the adoption rate is growing quickly. The groups that are participating online are extremely responsive and ready to speak up.

Starbucks is a good example for how social media reaches the masses. Recently Starbuck created a free forum on their website for consumers to give ideas they want to see implemented in their local Starbucks. This free crowd sourcing garnished great feedback on improvements and promotional materials. Starbucks then took the ideas; let customers vote on their favorite improvements then delivered. This interactive campaign showed that Starbucks has concern as well as reliability.

So use all the tools and spread your brand. WARNING: you must be ready for honest feedback and be ready to adapt!

GOVERNMENT:

As we see social media playing a large role in consumer campaigns many people are noticing the potential social media has to change the role of government.

As Obama opened change.gov within 24 hours after his win. Democratic hopefuls are tuning into to watch his weekly video addresses, review his agenda and discuss his administration while it is being built. These online addresses are coming at a time when our country is in need of these fireside chats and reform.

“I think it will be great as long as they listen,” said Singer. “If change.gov doesn’t deliver they will be called out and there will be intense backlash.”

This is the beauty of online bloggers. It’s all about open communication that works together to find problems, increase awareness and bring developmental change. I could not be more excited to participate and watch as this trend grows.

As we saw social media play historic part in the 2008 presidential election, CNN recently reported how Obama is continuing to use social media to communicate with the public as well as listen. According to the report.

Within 24 hours of last week’s historic vote, his transition team rolled out change.gov, a Web site that promises to be “your source for the latest news, events and announcements so that you can follow the setting up of the Obama administration.”

Obama will use the online video and interactively revolutionize the way the chief in commander communicates.

The president-elect already has said he’ll have a five-day online comment period before signing any nonemergency legislation, so Americans can be part of the process.

The problem our country currently faces with this amazing communication tool is the digital divide: With the internet being fastest technological adoption in history; it has become an integral part in our lives and our market.

The Internet is connecting people like never before and widening the social gap for people who don’t have access and education. These groups are being left behind and their participation is critical.

Providing access to technology is critical, but also finding ways to make it more affordable and proper training. The digital divide is a global issue and a national issue if our government plans to use it as a voice for democracy.

To combat this problem we must get everyone plugged in and let their voices be heard, so that issues can be resolved.

Obama is planning to appoint a chief technology officer and has pledged to get true broadband to every community in the country.

We have seen our government bring Internet to the classroom all over this nation and now it is working to close this gap. We have a long way to go, but this is a great step towards action. We will see in the coming months how progressive our actions will prove.

Young web users have long realized that social media allows for people to “get in your business” so to speak. You can get up to the minute updates on who your friends or significant others are being photographed with, what they enjoyand who they are socializing with. 
Everyday I hear a new story of “well she told me < blank> so I facebooked stalked her and found out the truth,” or “I found the pictures he had untagged himself and now I know what he was really doing last weekend” or even “I meet this guy and thought he was cool until I facebooked him and I found ….”  

Facebook and myspace and other various media sites have brought a new depth to relationships. Once people are plugged into these sites many find themselves addicted to what is being posted which pictures of them are being tagged, so in a sense these young social media users are learning online image control as a second hobby.  They have also learned how to get the word out about upcoming events and voice opinions online. 

Even as parents are beginning to join, they are realizing the effects of these social media site on relationships. My mother once scoffed at my addiction to “spacebook,” and later joined facebook to stay in touch when I went to Europe. She now finds the addiction quite enjoyable and has her own Facebook drama.

The same revelation is happening around the world, as seen in the current financial crisis. With online podcasts, up to the minute news and online media outlets many businesses have found this transparency to be alarming and disruptive.

Interactive blogging and citizens news has provided the people with a louder voice, more avalible information and more questions that need to be answered. With these developments it is imperative that companies do major image control and stay plugged into social media.

 Many financial intuitions’ are currently under scrutiny for exesive spending. Some have taken measures to focus on PR and social media for reputation control.

American International Group (AIG) recently hired Burson-Marsteller for PR services, reported PRWeek.

“We have hired Burson-Marsteller to help us respond to the hugh volume of requests for information we are receiving from customer, employees, and the media,” said Peter Tulupman, corporate PR manager for AIG. In an effort to help their image they recently announced that AIG agreed to suspend all junkets and perk not justified by legitimate business needs.

Social media whether it is a blessing or a curse has linked people together, and led to a transparency of actions. This must be noticed by companies and taken into consideration when adapting policies and PR campaigns.

Many practioners are wondering what role the financial crisis will play on the field of public relations.  Todd Defren, Shift Communications principal, told PRweek that his firm recently lost two startup clients. He admitted he was not worried about his current clients.

“Startups who were weak at the start have to strip out extraneous spending or they’ll go out of business,” said Defren.

He added that clients are holding their PR budgets steady, but that “everyone is holding their breath.”

Sabrina Horn, Founder of Horn group, noted that “For many clients this means focusing on essential rather than the ‘nice things.’”

 For instant, some clients are scaling back down on trade shows and focusing on efforts that would directly increase Web traffic or sales.

One such commodity being focused on is social media. Social media is an incredible tool that when used appropriately can be less expensive and just as effective in gaining support and trust from consumers and in-house employees.

Horn said her firm just won two start up clients last week: Sportgenic and Syncsort. She added that one client cut its marketing budget 40 percent, but increased its PR budget 10 percent.

Public relations is a necessity in any company that wants to gain sustainability in a ever changing economy.

The current financial crisis should bring more work for public relations practitioners especially from financial companies.  It is vital for our economy that Wall Street and the banking industry as a whole recover the public’s trust. While some say that Wall Street only relies on hugh institutions –municipalities, pension funds, governments and corporation, they still need the public’s support. In our capitalistic society every large institution need support from consumers and investors. Banks currently are under more scrutiny than ever and better get ready to communicate openly and quickly.

Campaigns will have to focus largely on investor relations, consumer relations and providing honest communication.  One example of how this is plaguing the market is the recent Wall Street parties. After news that  AIG was hosting a $440,000 retreat in Monarch Beach, CA, just days after asking the government for $85 billion financial institution took another hit to their credibility. Also Wachovia was also planning a cruise around the Greek isles for employees of its brokerage firm A.G. Edwards.  Since then both companies have cancel future events and begun damage control.

“They should stress that there is a plan in place and that they are executing this plan,””said John DIllard, SVP at Edelman. “They need to communicate transparently …for one reason: to maintain trust.”

With all the debating and fuss about the upcoming presidential election NBC’s Saturday Night Live has become a nice comedic relief for the American public.

SNL’s ratings have gone up 49 percent over the last year, with their first show of the season pulling in its largest audience since 2001. The premiere episode started with a classic political impersonation of Sarah Palin that left everyone talking.

Those who missed it caught it on the web. SNL’s official site reported that Tina Fey’s debut skit has had more than 6.5 million views.
With everyone buzzing about Fey’s portrayal of Sarah Palin, some people have wondered if these skits are affecting public opinion?

The answer is yes. According to a recent survey from HCD, Palin’s favorability dropped among all responders from 47 down to 43 after the first skit. For Democrats specifically, numbers fell from 24 to 17, among Republicans numbers slightly fell from 80 to 79 percent and for independents number fell from 37 to 33.

SNL has a history of influencing both the media and cultural vibe, which plays a large role in affecting many undecided voters. I can remember, as a child laughing, at Dana Carvey do a hilarious rendition of President George H.W. Bush repeating the line, “Read my Lips.”

Although my absolute favorite is a tie between Will Ferrell’s impression George W. Bush explaining the “axis of evil” and his impression of Janet Reno in the blue dress. CLASSIC!
http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/

In Palin’s case SNL’s political sketch joked about her lack of experience, religious explanations, and lack of foreign policy knowledge. Here is a highlight of the dialog.

POEHLER AS CLINTON: “I believe that diplomacy should be the cornerstone of any foreign policy.”
FEY AS PALIN: “And I can see Russia from my house.”
POEHLER AS CLINTON: “I believe global warming is caused by man.”
FEY AS PALIN: “And I believe it’s just God hugging us closer.”
POEHLER AS CLINTON: “I don’t agree with the Bush Doctrine.”
FEY AS PALIN: “I don’t know what that is.”

Poehler ended the skit reminding the media that is never “sexist” to question female candidate’s credentials.

She encourages the media to do their job by saying, “I would like to invite the media to grow a pair, and if you can’t you can borrow mine.”

Like the rest of the public, politicians pay close attention to these skits. Janet Reno actually did a skit with Will Ferrill to show her sense of humor. More recently Hilary Clinton referenced Amy Poehler’s impression of her in the Febuary debate between Clinton and Obama (played by Fred Armisen).

In the actual debate Clinton said, “Maybe we should ask Barack if he’s comfortable and wants another pillow.” This comment let to tougher press vetting Obama.

So what is Palin going to do to counter this bad impression?

Well, Palin is rumored to be doing a spoof of Fey’s American Express commercial on the Oct. 25 show. This is a smart move by the Republican camp to help with the opinion polls and display her sense of humor.

When asked about appearing on the show Palin said, “I would love to. I love her. She’s a hoot and she’s so talented and it would be fun to either imitate her or keep on giving her more material and keep her in business.”

Neither Palin nor NBC have confirmed the reports on the upcoming performance.

Peter Kaplan, New York Observer editor-in-chief, recently spoke about the newspaper industry stating the medium, “is not considered essential to [the] lives of consumers under 30.”

As a college student I particularly get my news from the web. Online news provides instant information and allows me to go into depth about any part of a concept with the click of a button.

Like any new professional generation we want to understand current events and ask questions. When learning and researching tricky concepts like the current financial crisis and upcoming election online articles prove helpful with built in links that provide further explanations and definitions.

The Internet has turned news into a proactive activity of answering question rather than a passive consumption like reading a story.

The involvement online, particularly due to the upcoming election has reached record levels. News is also coming from different sources such as commentators like John Stewart. The Daily Show’s site recently broke record views reaching the millions.

Business Week recently stated, “”According to a Pew Research Center survey released in mid-June about 40 percent of American have gone online to get political news, up from 31 percent in 2004, and 16 percent in 2000.”

Newspapers are still an important part of life; I personally worked for the Auburn Plainsman and found it to be very rewarding and informative. I enjoy reading newspapers, but it is a matter of convenience and time.

With never ending papers, projects, exams and social media students have trouble fitting in the 5 p.m. news or a long sit with a cup of coffee and daily paper. However with the new Iphone as well as Sprint Instinct students are able to get a brief synopsis of the news worldwide instantly.

I love to ride the Tiger Transit every morning while catching up on what happened all over the world while I was sleeping the night before.  I recently purchased the Sprint Instinct.

With the touch of a button I can look at headline about world news, political new, us news, health news and technology news. This comes in handy whether I’m in line at the doctor’s office, or waiting for my next class to begin.

The newspaper industry as long felt the effects of the social media generation.

Experts have been predicting that this could possibly turn out to be the worst year for newspapers. I’m afraid this is only going to get worse. Online is the future and it is vital for every publication to follow suite and provide accurate online copies of every newspaper.

There is always going to be money in news market, but the structure of how people receive it is evolving.  In my phone I have my very own newspaper catered to my interests and up to the minute information which I pay for directly.

There will be changes made for sure, but people will always need their news and they will want it in a timely manner.

As a senior in public relations I’m currently enrolled in mostly public relations classes. As the year progresses I look around to see my classes are filled with girls.

Recently PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) has made mention that men in public relations are an endangered species.

Research predicts that with the current enrollment of men in PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America) this problem is going to get worse.

According to PRWeek, PRSSA, the largest membership group for PR students, is mostly females. Their most recent member survey revealed that 89 percent of current members are female, based on more than 1,100 responses out of its 9,600 members at 284 academic institutions

One male student told PRWeek, “There’s a widespread perception, with some hint of reality, that entry-level positions at many PR firms are low paying, regardless of gender. This is a turn-off for young men just leaving school. Male college grads come out of the chute very competitive. They often equate ‘best’ with most financially rewarding.”

With an obvious need for diversity in the work place many public relations professionals are brainstorming how to attract more men and what is driving this trend.

Rochelle Ford, a researcher form Howard University, explained that public relations research shows that it is seen as a “female” profession, and it is regarded as a low salary career for fresh graduates.

Brad MacAfee, director at Porter Novelli, explained that “people gravitate to fields where they see people like themselves.”

This might be the case, but I think there is a lack of men because there is little education about the career field. I’ve been majoring in PR for four years now and I am just now being able to explain what to people what I am going to be doing.

When I tell friends I’m studying public relations I an usually asked… “So what do you do?”

For a while I regurgitated the definition I learned in Principals of Public Relations and I was just hoping I would like my job.

In middle school and high school I remember taking surveys in school about my career future. Never did I once receive information about public relations as option or have a teacher that could adequately explains the job description to me.

If there is such a lack of men and this is considered a problem then lets educate boys. We need to be in schools discussing benefits and giving a proper job description.

John Edelman, director of global human resources at Edelman, recently discussed the need to start with middle school and high school students.

“Young people have social media skills highly transferable, desirable in public relations,” said Edelman.

Although this is a serious problem Edelman looks at the positive noting that at least, “the topic of fewer men entering public relations is being talked about more”.

In efforts to recruit men Rochelle Ford explained that, “PRSSA Chapters have academies to teach public relations at high schools. Howard University has a program called “Men Up” that brings male public relations executives to campus to speak to male students interested in public relations.”

Social media is becoming increasingly popular for employee-employee relations, consumers-reporters relations and the connection between reporters and PR practitioners.

As big business continues to adopt social media in preparation for the next generation of employees, it is vital that companies train current employees on how to use this tool.

Before blogging companies were used to shaping their message, and now they have lost some control. This development makes understanding social media vital for every company.

Understanding social media has also played an important role in the 2008 presidential election. With YouTube-sponsoring the primary debates on CNN this allowed average citizens to have an unprecedented level of input into the process.

Each candidate is currently using social media as “standard” digital PR tools: e-mail newsletters, online video, Facebook pages and blogger outreach. Politics have adapted to inform the public through web communication much like many companies around the world.

Melcrum, a research organization, did a survey into social media adoption by large corporations and found that the top two perceived benefits of social media for their organizations, 71 percent selected “improved employee engagement”, 59 percent said “improved internal collaboration” and 47 percent chose “creating a two-way dialogue with senior executives”. http://www.socialmedia.biz/2007/04/big_business_ge.html

With new outlets for internal communication there comes inherent risk.
Seventy percent of employees surveyed admitted that they had no guidelines or policies relating to blogging or other social-media tools.

All employee should be trained, especially those that are currently practicing social media on their own. These employees are golden for insight to successful consumer relations.

Promoting from within and in-house social media training you proactively adjust to the market and  minimize risk of damaging your brand.

Successful social media practice required a dedication, and constant monitoring of conversation about each companies particular brand as well as the market for whatever service they provide.

Even though it is good to train employees, don’t believe that you can control social media.
Ed Schipul, president and chief executive officer of Schipul-The Web marketing Company, stressed in a recent article to not attempt to control social media.

Schipul explained that any “successful social media efforts are largely driven by people outside of your control or influence. Accepting and even embracing opposition can add to the credibility of your initiative.”

It is important to be transparent. Social media is all about improvisation and adaptation. It provides a quick one way communication channel between consumer and company, making it very beneficial to take the time to listen and understand what the consumer like and dislikes.

Social Media is based on the principal of conversation, so companies need to allow their audience to participate in the future of their products