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Marianne Allison is the Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer for Waggener Edstrom Worldwide, an agency that provides public relation services using innovative communication methods for global organizations impacted by change. As CIO, Marianne is responsible for the agency's intellectual property strategy, as well as promoting ideas and innovation internally through cultural and educational initiatives. She was integral to the development and design of Waggener Edstrom Worldwide flagship Innovation CommunicationSM system, which helped ground the agency's reputation for deep and substantive work in public relations.
Show Notes:
3:20 - Allison describes her role at Waggener Edstrom Worldwide.
4:10 - Allison on how she became the Chief Innovation Officer.
5:23 - Allison explains how she advise clients on promoting early adoption of new, innovative products and services.
6:59 - Allison reveals the challenge of introducing a new technologies to consumers.
8:44 - Allison on what can be done to accelerate the adoption of new technologies.
10:02 - Allison elaborates on steps to alleviating consumer anxiety toward new technologies and consumer electronics.
10:57 - Allison gives examples of how consumer dissent can positively impact product innovation.
13:53 - Allison on the importance of trust when introducing new technology products and services.
16:44 - Allison talks about whether philanthropic endeavors can actually work to build consumer confidence in new technology.
18:54 - Allison on the launch of Microsoft Vista and the future of the software giants.
22:05 - End
Schwartzman is also the managing director of Los Angeles PR firm Schwartzman & Associates.
Christie Goodman, a board member for the PRSA San Antonio and contributor to its Byline blog has put together a primer for social media that you can follow in five lessons. This lesson plan is designed to get public relations pros up-to-speed on social media tools. Follow the entire program or just skip to the parts on which you would like to focus.
How do you eat an elephant?
One bite at a time.
These simple lessons were originally posted at the PRSA chapter blog to introduce PR professionals to different facets of new media (blogs, podcasts, wikis, etc.).
Each “assignment” can be completed in less than an hour, and each lesson can be spaced out over five months (one or two assignments a week). The best part is that there are no grades and nothing to turn in.
My rationale was that if PR folk wait until they have a free week to focus on learning about social media, it’ll never happen. So I figured we could learn together one bite at a time.
While this is still a work in progress, below are links to posts from the first five lessons.
Lesson One: Exploring Newsfeeds and Webfeeds
1. Lesson One – Explore Newsfeeds and Webfeeds
In this lesson we learned a bit about using RSS (“indoor plumbing of Web 2.0”).
2. More Learning about RSS
Ideas for RSS feeds to subscribe to and a link to a video that shows you how to subscribe to a feed.
3. Using RSS in PR
Extra Credit: Subscribe to specific search terms through Technorati.
4. Don’t Limit RSS to Receiving Information, Use RSS to Send Info Too Four ways to use RSS to send information.
Lesson Two: Getting Acquainted with the Blogs
1. Lesson Two: Get Acquainted with the Blogs Read some blogs. Leave a comment and let other readers know what blogs you like best.
2. Monitoring Blogs without Going Crazy Assignment: Set up a free account with one of these services to monitor blogs.
3. First Reason for Monitoring Blogs for Public Relations – And a Word About Reporting
Assignment: Set up some RSS searches for your organization.
4. Second Reason for Monitoring Blogs for Public Relations Assignment: Test out some searches using terms related to your organization or a client. Compare the results you get from different search terms and different search services.
5. Third Reason for Monitoring Blogs for Public Relations In this new world of social media, the number of blog posts is pretty trivial. It’s all about the conversation.
6. Resources for Learning about the Blogosphere for PR Folk
Lesson Three: Podcasts
1. Lesson Three: The World of Podcasting First homework assignment: Set up an iTunes account if you don’t already have one.
2. Sampling a Short Podcast Homework assignment: Subscribe to the Advertising Age "Why It Matters" audio show podcast and listen to at least two episodes.
3. Podcasting to Your Niche Homework assignment: Find a podcast about a topic that interests you. One that is not work related.
4. Benefits of Podcasting Eric Schwartzman of On the Record Online podcast fame posted a list of benefits of podcasting.
5. Understanding the Podcasting Listener So if the first rule in communications is to know your audience, then here is a little info on podcast listeners.
6. PR- and Communications-Related Podcasts
7. Six Lessons from Starting a New Podcast
My list of lessons learned about getting started, based on my experience coordinating a new podcast series for my organization.
8. Podcast Resources
Lesson Four: Using Delicious
1. Lesson Four: Using Delicious Homework assignment: Set up a free Delicious account.
2. Sharing your Delicious Bookmarks Assignment: Bookmark a few web pages on any topic you like.
3. Using Delicious in Public Relations What I find fascinating is how many ways there are to use Delicious in your public relations work.
Lesson Five: Online Social Networks
1. Social Networks: Lesson 5 in Learning About Social Media from Your Desk Homework assignment: Ask three to five people you know if they are using a social networking site.
2. Data on Social Networks Advertising Age reports on the growth of online social networks.
3. ABCs of Facebook Homework assignment: Listen to the New Comm Road episode #033 “Building Facebook Communities” by Bryan Person.
4. Business Use of Online Social Networks Researchers were intrigued at the “high percentage of business professionals that use social networking for professional purposes."
5. Some Social Networks Are Bad for Your Reputation
Homework assignment: Read “WARNING: Do NOT load Quechup” by Robert Scoble and stay away.
6. A Social Network Just for Communicators: MyRagan.com
By far, this is the online social network that I’ve found most useful.
Christie Goodman, APR, is the communications manager for the Intercultural Development Research Association, and serves as a board member for the PRSA San Antonio
tags: PRSA2007
Since the last presidential campaign we've seen that candidates are continually learning that the Internet is more than just a fund-raising tool. Rather, savvy campaign staffers are implementing the Web as an integral piece of their overall communications strategy. However, a seminal question remains: Is it possible to convert online buzz surrounding a candidate or an issue into actual votes at the ballot box come election day? And if so, who's really meeting this new media communications challenge best?
We'll also look at how Web 2.0 has changed the old political campaign communications model and created a new influence model simply by taking online communications to the next level, giving each of the candidates the chance to have their voices heard via numerous online community building, social networking, and user generated content sites.
My presentation will delve into how candidates are using their campaign sites, as well as various types of Web 2.0 applications such as blogs, YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and Second Life, and discuss their effect and popularity, especially among the generation Y crowd, on the presidential races. These resources have opened the discussion beyond the mainstream media and provide new opportunities for the average citizen to voice their opinion and determine what is newsworthy. As a result, the public is playing a more vital role in news media, which is changing the dynamic for traditional presidential campaign strategies.
As a result of this public engagement through interactive media methods, the election process is able to reach, engage and educate a younger and broader audience more effectively, which my panel will address from a public affairs practitioner's perspective. As we prepare for this panel discussion, I've pulled examples of how presidential candidates are engaging online. Which Web 2.0 application do you feel has the most impact?
YouTube.com - http://www.youtube.com/debates
MySpace.com - http://impact.myspace.com/
Campaign site example - http://johnedwards.com/recipe/pecan-pie/
I can't wait to see and talk with you at the conference.
By Torod Neptune, senior vice president, U.S. public affairs practice, Waggener Edstrom Worldwide. Join Neptune for his workshop "Hitting the Moving Target: Political Campaigns and Mobile Technology" on Sunday, October 21.
The consumer is in charge. Trust in media falls. Trust in word-of-mouth rises. Now there's traditional media, new media and consumer-generated media. Media explodes. Every day, 50,000 blogs are created, and social networks connect millions of people from China to Chattanooga. People are watching less TV, reading fewer newspapers and Internet usage grows. Now there are traditional influencers and new influencers. One influencer is a business leader in NYC. The other is a momblogger in New Mexico. Conversation is more important than messaging, and search engines change the game.
Hype or Truth?
The truth is that our definition of "media" has exploded while our idea of "influencers" has expanded. Effective communications has as much to do with building relationships through conversations and word-of-mouth as it does with marketing campaigns and message delivery.
How do we create effective communications programs when peer-to-peer recommendations are the new form of "earned" media? The best place to start is surely by listening but beyond that, it's time for a new type of digital strategy -- a comprehensive approach that goes beyond launching a blog or trying to jump-start a viral video on YouTube. As PR professionals in our evolving field, we need to adopt a complete strategy that takes into account mapping conversations and new influencers, creating a search strategy that is as much tied to third-party content in social media (and multimedia) as it is to a company's search engine optimization program for their own domains. We need a thoughtful engagement plan that offers a blueprint for how a client can use social media to build deeper, longer lasting relationships with customers and constituents. Oh, and it has to be actionable, immediately.
This session is all about inventorying what makes a complete strategy. I'll walk in with a strawman and you will add to it, challenge it and bring your own POV about what makes for a complete digital and social media strategy. Let's start the conversation now -- tell me what you think should be included.
By John H. Bell, managing director, 360° Digital Influence, Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide. Join Bell for his workshop "Using Social Media to Engage in the 360-Degree Conversation" on Tuesday, October 23.
* Control - With TIVO for television, iPods for music, commercial-free satellite radio and RSS feeds online, today's consumers have an increasing ability to screen out brands they consider not relevant to their current lifestyle. Brands can no longer afford to communicate with their consumers via traditional media forums, but must now adapt, communicating with their audiences, leveraging the passion of brand advocates and viral communities to create buzz and convert new consumers on their behalf.
* Credibility - With control of the communication forum comes control of the message, and subsequent credibility with consumers. Companies must move quickly to embrace the concept of online social networking and viral communities, where consumers control the message, if they are to deliver credible messages that will be heard by both existing and new audiences.
* Convergence - Nowhere is the fallout from consumer control and message credibility having more impact than with the traditional news media. Every sector of the traditional news media is declining, be it print circulation or broadcast audiences. In order to meet the demand for "my news, my way," the news media are converging online to the point where their Web sites are beginning to look and feel more alike than unalike. We are also seeing the growth of consumer journalism in both the blogosphere and mainstream news Web sites, which will further blur the lines of who will deliver the news of the future.
* Content - Despite the communication revolution taking place, there remains one clear constant -- authenticity. As information and intelligence becomes the domain of computers, society is placing more and more value on the one human element computers cannot create -- authentic, real emotion. This trend has been most recently highlighted by the success of low-budget documentary films, e.g., "The March of the Penguins," and by the extraordinary growth of viral communities, e.g., YouTube and MySpace, which embrace real people and real stories.
All these changing dynamics have brought us to the dawn of an era in which people want authentic stories about authentic topics; and we in the PR industry are uniquely positioned to take advantage of this trend, as we are the ultimate storytellers. It is our job to find the authentic stories and share them with the real world in real words that will be heard. It is credible, creative content that will truly connect with humanity.
Public relations will essentially need to go back to its roots, becoming the storytellers, but not necessarily distributing its creative content via the traditional media vehicles. Companies with authentic brands and creative content will be able to open up a dialogue directly with their consumers, serving up relevant, creative content that is embraced by brand advocates and viral communities alike. Ultimately, it is adapting to the new dynamics that will allow public relations to reach new consumers in a world where consumers will control the brands with which they engage.
By Duncan Wardle, vice president, Global & WDW Public Relations, Disney. Join Wardle for his workshop "The Communication Revolution", sponsored by the Travel & Tourism Section, on Monday, October 22.
