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Archive for the ‘New Communications’ Category

Describe Yourself!

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009 by John Mallen

I have just been led to a compelling piece “How the Leading Social Sites Describe Themselves” by Steve Rubel. Steve’s piece is worth reading, but his view applies to far more than the social Web, and touches on a favorite peeve of mine.

Rubel’s blog follows his return to the City from the Bay Area where a high penetration of Digerati (I love that term) is accompanied by a parochial focus of these tech-savvy folk, as evinced by how popular social Web sites introduce themselves. It really would be difficult for someone who is not a member of the cognoscenti to make an intelligent choice from among Twitter, digg, Friendfeed and others.

I find the same condition far too often in too many places. Take trade shows, where in my experience the more high-tech the exhibitor the more undifferentiated their presentations. Glitzy to be sure. Clarity of what they are, not much. The same carries over to brochures, videos, Web sites and other marketing materials. You really need to dig to understand just what they’re about.

I’m with Steve Rubel. Describe yourself! It’s job No.1 for any customer facing activity.

Need help? Just call us or any of our 39 colleague firms in the Public Relations Global Network.

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Posted in Communications effectiveness, Marketing Communications, New Communications, PR, PRGN, Public Relations, Social Marketing, Uncategorized, differentiation | 1 Comment »

Print Aweigh

Friday, April 18th, 2008 by admin

March 17 — It is changing. This morning one of our regional weekly business journals reported that the Journal Register Company (NYSE: JRC), publisher of our only daily paper as well as 26 other dailies and 327 other non dailies is facing tough times. Earlier this month they hired Lazard Freres to help devise a financial strategy and received a delisting notice from the New York Stock Exchange. Then I see a feature in The Drudge Report about an earnings loss by The New York Times for the quarter –”one of the worst periods the company and the newspaper industry have seen,” the paper said. Browsing through blogs in the evening, I realized that I was as much in blogs as in mainstream media (MSM). One of them, On Line Spin’s David Morgan predicts a tough four years ahead for the newspaper business.

He wanders into a future where the hometown paper is gone, where weeklies emerge to fill the gap for local business advertising and to some degree the thirst for news. he anticipates a death spiral of offline media which must support huge overhead. And he sees their demise as an opportunity for backfilling.

Someone will have to create a vehicle for the free-standing inserts and what will local businesses do but look for media replacements to carry the in-your-face promotions.

My point is not to repeat what is being covered so well. My point is that those who need to market should be moving into the new media. The groundswell is underway as attested to by the dismal financial news.

Posted in Advertising, Mainstream media, Marketing Communications, New Communications | 1 Comment »

New Voices for Marketing: Blogs & Social Media

Thursday, March 6th, 2008 by admin

The purpose of this blog is to share insights on the power of communications to drive results — success for commercial enterprise and results when we speak of the public good. Danah Boyd, who writes Apophenia, one of the most insightful blogs in the communications zone, yesterday submitted her resignation from mainstream media (MSM) because of how they are covering the presidential primaries. Her main complaint is the media’s penchant fodana-boyd.jpgr stories with conflict and drama to “sell papers.”

Having been both a reporter for and, as a public relations guy, a supplier to the MSM, I would counter that it’s less an institutional bias than it is the DNA of reporters, editors, news producers and the like to scoop the competition with a dramatic story that gains attention. Sure, if you work there selling papers is of acknowledged importance, but for the individual journalists it’s not the main driver. Having the best story of the day is.

That being said, media remains important to the candidates marketing themselves as well as to companies selling products. But media are no longer the only brokers of opinion.

My take: a media outlet and its news and analysis are less the principal sources of information than they are as platforms for discussions. Bloggers are critical to the formation of opinion and (I submit) to the catalysis of behavior. Bloggers like Dana Boyd are being referred about and quoted in conversations among people (not just in the media).

They provide the insight and perspective that we are paying attention to.

What does the above mean for anyone in business marketing? Blogs and other social media will speak with individuals comprising communities of interest. Therefore any plan for communications must now address the bloggers and other Web 2.0 technologies as means of relating with these communities.

Posted in Marketing Communications, New Communications, Social Media, blogging, media | 1 Comment »

Exec 'Revolutionaries' Say Social Media is Increasing its Significance

Tuesday, March 4th, 2008 by admin

When it comes to corporate reputation and brand marketing, social media must be like television was in the 1950s as its penetration became geometric. It seems everyone is talking about it. Meanwhile, there are a group of early adopters who believe in social media and who are putting it to work.

Communications itself is incredibly powerful, a function and capability that can energize success. Social media, is a vehicle, or really series of vehicles, that not only give voice to buyer and seller but make it possible for them to dialogue. I personally believe this is of enormous importance.

The importance of social media to business leaders is well covered by New Communications Review in a report on a study by TNS media intelligence/Cymfony. According to New Communications, the research shows that “senior marketing executives in several countries agree that the use of social media for corporate, brand and product marketing is not a passing fad.”

The companies called revolutionaries are implementing social media and eight in 10 of them say it will grow in significance. The “wait and see” group of executives are paying attention and learning the ropes.

Social media. It’s changing how we communicate personally and commercially.

Posted in Communications, Corporate communications, Marketing Communications, New Communications, Social Media | No Comments »

Social Media Rocks

Wednesday, November 28th, 2007 by John Mallen

Corporate leaders have a sharp eye on social media when it comes to driving success. 

ClearlyMaple_leaves, with Internet developments we are in a sea change when it comes to communications. Senior execs see that change approaching. Just today, a survey report from Toronto-based Veritas Communications reported that senior execs (85 percent) believe social media like Facebook, You Tube, and blogs are becoming essential to communications. Nearly half (46 percent) say social media tools are becoming even more important than television, radio, newspapers and magazines.

"It is astounding that one in two executives say social media is becoming even more important than television," says Keith McArthur, principal of com.motion and Senior Director of Media Innovation at the Veritas group. "TV advertising," he says, "is still where marketers spend most of their money, while social media represents a tiny sliver of the budget. It’s clear that’s going to change." The results are contained in a survey of 444 business and marketing leaders conducted by Pollara Strategic Insights. The survey was conducted in Canada.

Have specialists in communication provided corporate leaders with the strategic insights and tactical planning they need to win elections and maintain success?

Stay tuned.

Posted in Advertising, Communications, Marketing, Marketing Communications, New Communications, Social Marketing, Social Media, Television, Weblogs, blogging | No Comments »

Use New Media to Listen? Great Idea!

Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 by John Mallen

Early in my career, I recall a great corporate ad campaign that urged all of us to give more attention to listening. Sadly, I don’t remember the company, or the aesthetics, but I do recall the campaign. Some years later, I recall reading how Jack Welch, then CEO of General Electric, emphasizing the same in his executive seminars.

Of great interest are two recent blogs calling on us to remember to use the power of social media to, yup, listen.

It is not that marketing and sales don’t listen, but we have developed strong habits for how we listen. In my office, we’re discussing yet another focus group for a project. On another project, we at JMC are recommending a survey. And for a third client we’re deep in the trenches mining data that will be followed by what we call Soundings Research. All of this is good.

But I also like the reminder that we should consider new communications as a tool for listening to the publics in addition to being vehicles for communicating to and dialoging with our groups. I saw this mentioned in Jennifer Laycock’s blog in Search Engine Guide, and followed her to The Buzz Saw blog from Bill Balderaz.

Now we have to learn how to listen effectively!

Posted in Advertising, Communications, Marketing Communications, New Communications, Public Relations, Social Media, Web 2.0, blogging | No Comments »

Social Media - Watching the Future

Monday, September 17th, 2007 by John Mallen

One of the best reports seen lately on the import of social media is an article by Shel Israel, senior fellow with the Society for New Communications Research, appearing today in that group’s Communications Review.

Shel is conducting a global research project on social media for SAP. Well "conducting," may be the wrong term if you mean it to bespeak "control." It’s more like the two-way social engine took over. See the article!

Noting that social media is getting bigger and moving faster, Shel offers real interesting learnings which are quoted here:

• Social networking is the most relevant and sustainable tool in our global workshed. Local, regional and global versions are growing and morphing even as they imitate each other.

• If you want to know what your business will look like in five years, go talk to you kids. Watch their habits. They will make more decisions based on friendship than marketing.

• At about the point when early adopters get bored, large organizations feel it is safe to adopt. Current example: blogs. They’re old news in the Silicon Valley and suddenly hot in the enterprise. Future example: online video. It’s hot in the Valley, but no yet ready for prime time in the enterprise.

• Where there is broadband, there is social networking.

• The company most mentioned in the SAP Global Survey was “Facebook.” Surprisingly little discussed: Google. Mentioned twice in 40 conversations: Microsoft.

I’m looking forward to the final report at the SNCR’s December conference in Boston.

Posted in Communications, New Communications, Public Relations, Social Marketing, Social Media, Web 2.0, blogging | No Comments »