The PR 2.0 Survey: Assessing New Media's Impact
As part of my efforts to better understand new media’s impact on the PR profession, I would like to initiate an ongoing PR 2.0 Survey: Assessing New Media's Impact. It won’t be exhaustive and certainly is not the first of its kind, but I hope to regularly pose questions to the PR community to build a body of knowledge about new media and best practices.
The survey will take the form of regular questions and spot polls on subjects ranging from breaking news to corporate communications policy. Feel free to post your comments and encourage others to post theirs.
PR 2.0 SURVEY: ASSESSING NEW MEDIA'S IMPACT
Question 1: How do you advise clients and executives who are scared, distrustful, or unaware of new media?
My Take: After reading Robert Scoble’s and Shel Israel’s Naked Conversations, I officially drank the new media Kool-Aid.
New media is allowing us to experience our profession anew. It is exciting, scary, and unknown for us and our executives and clients. Most get it, but fear and uncertainty persist. I was recently struck by two responses to my new media crusade. “Why can’t employees just do their job?” and “I am afraid I will say the wrong thing.”
As I seek to help build my company’s new media communications policy, I see the opportunities, but recognize the challenges. We can’t force change or steamroll the naysayers and undecideds.
Critical to a successful new media strategy is a candid assessment of one’s corporate culture and its tolerance for open discussion and change. What is acceptable? What crosses the line? Who decides? Is the change agent bottom up or top down?
Driving the education process, I am acting on the assumption of when, not if – when blogging will be the norm; when corporate communications will routinely integrate customer feedback; and when blog coverage will become more important than front page news. Reluctant clients and bosses need to make the same assumption.
For the uninitiated, the question is how we get there. We are currently defining the rules of engagement for new media as we write blogs, record podcasts, and update wikis. Clients and bosses also need to understand that there are ramifications for doing it right and doing it wrong. Caution is acceptable; inaction is not an option.
Clearly, there are some no brainers. Any company blogger needs to abide by the company’s code of business conduct and ethics. He or she must adhere to policies that address insider trading, information technology security and SEC Reg FD compliance.
Beyond that, I am personally advocating fewer rules than more. In the end, embracing new media is a leap of faith, but grounded in the tenets of a sound corporate culture and a belief that employees and customers will do the right thing.
Let me get back to you.
The survey will take the form of regular questions and spot polls on subjects ranging from breaking news to corporate communications policy. Feel free to post your comments and encourage others to post theirs.
PR 2.0 SURVEY: ASSESSING NEW MEDIA'S IMPACT
Question 1: How do you advise clients and executives who are scared, distrustful, or unaware of new media?
My Take: After reading Robert Scoble’s and Shel Israel’s Naked Conversations, I officially drank the new media Kool-Aid.
New media is allowing us to experience our profession anew. It is exciting, scary, and unknown for us and our executives and clients. Most get it, but fear and uncertainty persist. I was recently struck by two responses to my new media crusade. “Why can’t employees just do their job?” and “I am afraid I will say the wrong thing.”
As I seek to help build my company’s new media communications policy, I see the opportunities, but recognize the challenges. We can’t force change or steamroll the naysayers and undecideds.
Critical to a successful new media strategy is a candid assessment of one’s corporate culture and its tolerance for open discussion and change. What is acceptable? What crosses the line? Who decides? Is the change agent bottom up or top down?
Driving the education process, I am acting on the assumption of when, not if – when blogging will be the norm; when corporate communications will routinely integrate customer feedback; and when blog coverage will become more important than front page news. Reluctant clients and bosses need to make the same assumption.
For the uninitiated, the question is how we get there. We are currently defining the rules of engagement for new media as we write blogs, record podcasts, and update wikis. Clients and bosses also need to understand that there are ramifications for doing it right and doing it wrong. Caution is acceptable; inaction is not an option.
Clearly, there are some no brainers. Any company blogger needs to abide by the company’s code of business conduct and ethics. He or she must adhere to policies that address insider trading, information technology security and SEC Reg FD compliance.
Beyond that, I am personally advocating fewer rules than more. In the end, embracing new media is a leap of faith, but grounded in the tenets of a sound corporate culture and a belief that employees and customers will do the right thing.
Let me get back to you.
Could you calculate whem the blogs will be spread enough in the western countries? 10 years, 15. When dialogue is good (in companies) and whem is bad? If you say yes to the dialogue, wich means, yes to the web 2.0 era, do you need to mantain always that answer, in any circunstance?
I think we all are (ones more than others) in a process of transition between models ( the old one from XIX century till the end of XX century, to the new one from the end of last century till now). The evolution is much more rapid in our time. And evolution means makings old and new things at the same time, and during a period of time (to use 'paper newspaper' and digital newspaper on the Internet). Our brains need time (ones more than others). This will happen always. But step by step the new era will win the old one (more digital media consum than 'paper newspaper').
Sorry for all my English mistakes. And I will write something, in Spanish of course :) about your brillant sentence: Caution is acceptable; inaction is not an option (this saturday).
(Comment this)
One need only to cite one of the many case studies that demonstrate how a widespread communications crisis developed from a single post in a blog. But scaring companies into action only underscores the need to remain vigilant and be prepared to react.
Whether a company wants to go further by integrating new media channels into their communications or designate resources to actively engage with bloggers in an ongoing dialogue depends on a wide variety of factors.
First and foremost, there must be a discussion about how new media fits into an overall communications strategy – simply put, will new media help drive brand awareness, create new channels to existing or new constituencies, address competitive threats or shifting market dynamics, help balance unfair or inaccurate perceptions, support sales and marketing.
Without a discussion at this level, any new media strategy is sheer folly or merely reactive.
(Comment this)