PR Agency study

There was a study recently done by ZDnet titled which firm really gets it? A social pubic relations survey. There are many interesting insights as to how clients perceive the PR firms on the social media front.

KPIs and churning out greater value for money is a norm given the economic downturn. Tighter budgets also means businesses need to leverage on relationships with stakeholders to reduce costs.

Building good relations with the online community isnt just about getting online space for your products or services, its about establishing your brand as a thought leader in the industry and formulating your communications with your strategy.

This survey was done by 642 responses and the respondents are broken down as such

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are the questions with the responses and my personal opinions on them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I guess this doesnt come as a shock. Social media is essentially a medium used for communications. Communications are what PR agencies do. Formulating strategy and aligning it with communications message are a must have. So im not too shocked at this result.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The better the clients understand the groundswell effect, the easier it is to work together to come out with an awesome social media camapign.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Ive learned after being in a PR firm for a month is that time is money, literally! I believe that the stats for clients understanding social media in Asia is much lower and such workshops are neccessary. I believe that the deliverables can be negotiated and that workshops such as these can be included to be a paid for as agencies. However, even if organizing such social media workshops is free, it does enhance your thought leadership position when it comes to social media amongst PR firms. long term investment from my stand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Social media tools are not toys. Don’t wheel them around like its an Xmas day gift. Its the same idea that you don’t pitch a lifestyle article to a b2b tech media. Its comms basics and use the POST- People, Objectives, Strategy and Tools as a good guide when planning your social media engagement. Kindda worrying to see that fourty per cent of agencies act before they think.

I would really love to see this survey done in Asia to see the differences in the stats.

Ive given my thoughts, whatre yours?

Online Self-Regulation in Singapore

I’m opening this topic of discussion to the floor.

The recent case of Yio Chu Kang Member of Parliament (MP) Seng Han Thong being set on fire last month, triggered a mixed reactions from the netizens of Singapore. Senior Minister of State Lui Tuck Yew was quoted saying this

It was disappointing, and my impression is that I do not think the community itself have done enough to rebut some of these unhelpful comments delivered by fellow netizens.

This led to a trigger reaction from both netizens wondering if stricter internet regulation was about to occur in Singapore.However, Minister Liu immediately rectified that by claiming the following

They seem to have misconstrued my remarks as “a desire for more regulation on the Internet”. Let me say clearly that I am not advocating this position

This story was picked up by  The Straits Times which published an article here and  Today which published an article here.

The online discussion was abuzz with comments and you can check out such an example here.

But my 2 cents worth on all this boils down to 3 points

1) Self-regulation is already present. To want self regulation on the internet is to expect a few folks to rebut every negative or non-positive comment being made.But why do that when the basic rules of engaging in a group conversation applies to online comments on blogs and forums as well.

Going back to basics of engagement from a personal level, you will notice people who make useless or negative comments which have no value add to the conversation. These people tend to be ignored. Negative comments which do open up possibilities of a way to improve or stimulate discussion, eventually benefits the community. Hence, the community is already self regulatory in that way. I sincerely believe the Singapore community is mature enough to be able to differentiate “Noise” and true conversations occurring online.

2) Engagement by the government. Basics of communications demands that you answer your relevant stakeholders using the most effective medium to ensure that your medium is put across. I thought this was  an excellent opportunity for the government to have engaged the conversation where it was at, to provide thought leadership on a medium which is still in a development phase.

Even carrying the conversation offline by engaging influences in a dialogue discussion would have been an excellent step forward.

3) Opportunity for Singapore to take the lead in online conversations. Obama has already shown successful use of social tools to engage Gen Y during his campaign to become president. It would be interesting to see, for the rest of his term, how he manages to carry on that engagement. It would be a lot to ask for us to move in that direction, but the idealist in me sincerely believes that the leaders we have could bring us to that same level of communications.

This topic is still open for discussion and any feedback to stimulate discussion is greatly appreciated. I leave it to you to dictate how this goes!

Should PR Professionals have a Separate Online Identity?

I came across this story through FIR. It was about a PR exec (Vice President) who was to give a talk to Fedex Corp Comms people about social media. You can read more about the story here and here.

This was the comment he made on Twitter was the cause of the controversy which almost made it a disaster for the PR agency.

“True confession but I’m in one of those towns where I scratch my head and say, ‘I would die if I had to live here.’”

While the discussion on FIR with regards to the comments which ppl made, the fact that he should have known better not to say that etc was interesting, I was looking (listening) to this story from the view of being a soon-to-be PR exec. (I start work this Wednesday at Edelman)

Firstly, I have no idea why Andrews would do something like that. I mean, if he had an aggregator of social tools like Friendfeed, it would’ve been everywhere else on whichever social platform he’s at.

But more importantly, as a PR professional, should you adopt a different social identity? Are the bloggers and community u engage in comfortable with just seeing your professional side? After all,  the use of social media is all about building relationships directly with the community. Will they be uncomfortable with seeing a ‘fake side’ to me?

Yet, if i do maintain my current identity, i have to restrain my thoughts and opinions because I know EVERYONE will see this. That would defeat the purpose of my blog, to EXPRESS my opinions and pen down my thoughts. Everything churned out would be with restricted control.

So share with me PR fellows, where do you draw the line between professionalism and personal space? Or does this profession carry the gift and bane of engagement?

Andrews could’ve avoided all this if he had a separate Twitter account.

Do share (Before i begin work this Wednesday!:)

China’s censorship and communications problem

China needs to learn to communicate. It needs to learn that it can’t protect its’ people forever and instill ideals which might not be accepted by the masses.

I applaud China’s communications efforts in the Sichun earthquake and the Olympics was an excellent way of showing the world that China was ready to move on.

However, the Sanlu incident showed that the communications efforts by the Chinese company did not address any stakeholders’ concerns until pressure caved in.

Now, we have a censored Obama speech!! You can read the article here.

This was the part which was censored,

“Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions,”Mr Obama said in his speech.

“To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist,” Mr Obama said. This excerpt was also censored.

What annoys me is that not only did traditional media attempt to cover up the truth, but also 2 of China’s largest internet portals censored this information from the speech.

However, the beauty of web2.0 is that there are many alternative tools which can be used to spread the news and this is just a classic example of China’s unsuccessful attempt to filter out the information.

It would be interesting to see what happens over the next few days as the ‘original uncut’ speech spreads around. How would the Chinese people react?

Real Time News

Tomorrow will mark Obama’s inauguration into the white house. A significant event befitting the memory of Dr Martin Luther King. However, it is also a landmark in a convergence of traditional and online media.

CNN will be showcasing the event by live streaming and Facebook status updates. You can watch the video to understand more about what CNN is doing.

Why is this significant? It shows that a traditional media outlet has recognized the importance of real time news. We’ve all seen the effects of these ‘status updates’ by Twitter users on the Mumbai attacks, the Sichuan earthquake, Obama being elected as the 44th President of U.S. etc.

And yes, the debate has alwasy been that social media outlets provide faster BUT inaccurate news while traditional media provides slower BUT more reliable news. CNN has merged the 2 benefits and canceled out the kimks which the 2 mediums have to cover.

It will be interesting to see how this works out for the community using Facebook. How will CNN control spam? How about negative messages? Will the community self regulate or will CNN have to step in to cancel out certain comments?

Will interactivity amongst the FB community propel viewership of the event, especially among the younger GEN Y and below crowd?

What do you think?

1)FB community needs regulation?

2) Interactivity to enhance viewer’s experience and increase viewership?

3) Would Singapore or any Asian country ever allow an event like this to be covered the way CNN has done?

I would love to hear your thoughts! Do share!!

Oh, and you can join the FB event invitation here. Have a good inauguration experience!

Stagnant Social Media News

Is it me or has the news with regards to social media and it’s uses become stagnent? There’re no new social tools which can once again change the way we communicate and connect with each other. There also haven’t been any new campaigns which have been though provoking enough to go “Wow, that was smart”

Are we coming to a point whereby we are comfortable with the social tools such that every company’s campaign is similar to the others? Inspired by Peter Kim’s post on It’s time to transform, I’m inclined to agree with the points he makes that bigger goals need to be set. Quarterly campaigns just don’t cut it anymore. The ROI, if it’s calculated, might prove short term and after another quarter, people only have the most vague memory of what you did.

The only company which seems to understand people’s use of social technology is Burger King with it’s Whopper Sacrifice campaign. It’s a given that we have many social identities and people whom we don’t know who’re our friends on Facebook and following us on Twitter. Hence, it just makes sense to scale things down a little and Burger King hit this on the head.

But other than this campaign, there’s hasn’t really been anything that gets me excited.

Are we getting too comfortable and stagnant? or have we maximized the full potential of social media?

Reputation in an online community

It’s doesn’t matter if you’re an individual or a company who’s reading this, because your reputation in an online community counts. After all, it’s the reputation you have, the engagements you make and the relationships you build that give you a standing of how much influence you have on an online community.

However, there are some taboo topics which are better not to include in the community discussion. A few weeks back, i came across an interesting conflict on Friendfeed (You can find me here) with Igor the Troll and the social media room community in Friendfeed.

Basically, the conversation began with Igor the Troll questioning Twitter’s ban on his account because of ethnic reasons with regards to the Gaza conflict. Below is a screen shot of one of the conversations.

The screen shot is unclear but you can view the discussion here.

I’m not here to flame Igor the Troll because I do appreciate his active contributions to the social media community on Firendfeed. However, forcing your personal viewpoints with regards to ethnic or religious issues can be touchy, and at times, best left unsaid.

This scene here has taught me 2 things.

1) Taboo issues with personal viewpoints should best be left unsaid. If the need does arise for you to say so, then maintain a non-bias and objective viewpoint by relating it as an example to the community’s topic. And in this case the use of social media in the Gaza war.

2) The power of social tools which aggregate are powerful. I talked about Facebook Connect and why i thought it would take off. But those who maintain 2 separate identities online (Professional and personal) ought to be careful about the social tools that they aggregate. (Your personal viewpoints aren’t always appreciated in some communities)

So think about what you say as you engage the community, a tarnished reputation is hard to revert.

What are some other ‘not to do’s’ when engaging your online community to maintain a decent reputation? Do share!!

The Good Old Personal Touch

This post is inspired by Jason Falls post on Is the Future of Advertising Public Relationships?

I find myself more of a critique than a creator as i carry on my train of thought(following the Groundswell terms for definition) but i digress.

It was heartening to know that a sponsored post, when declared openly, is still widely accepted because of the appeal and engagement it can provide to the blog’s audience. The fact that marketing and communications have to integrate ONLINE is because of the relationships a brand needs to develop with it’s stakeholders. After all, the web2.0 movement was built based on collaborative efforts between people, how else can you engage these communities without building any relationship with them.

Hence the importance of the evergreen personal touch. Remembering a twitter follower or a blogger and engaging them by mentioning past experiences you’ll share is still essential. Pretty much the same as knowing which journalist is interested in the angle of your story before pushing it out.

I’ve always been impressed by those who can never forget a name, always being able to engage a person based on past experiences shared or even if their newly introduced to each other, that person can always find someway to connect and engage.

Are there any campaigns or firms which have such active engagement on a regular basis? Could your firms be one of those? It takes time to develop but once developed, it’s like knowing an old friend is there to back you up.

A little personal touch never hurt, try it, it might work for your blog or comapny!

Fictional Characters in a Social Media Campaign

As the year draws to a close, there is the ever increasing need for companies to regain trust to build back consumer confidence. Coming across Andy Drish post on What is this company doing wrong?, he asks for opinions on what a real estate company who have used a fictional character called “Hailey Brownstone” to be the face of a digital media campaign.

Fictional Characters in a digital media Campaign, is it still the way to go for 2009?I was instantly struck by the similarity with one of my favorite digital media campaigns by Microsoft, the I’m Talkathon campaign which i blogged about a couple of months ago here.

In fact, this use of a fictional character as a ‘face’ of a campaign isn’t a new move. Many consumer products have done it to attempt to build relationships based on using someone similar to their target audience.

I’m not questioning the ethics of such a campaign. In fact, I’m pretty much a fan of it as long as there is a disclaimer stating that this person is ‘made up’. It has entertainment value and potential for building invaluable relationships which most companies seek when using social media tools for a a campaign.

Yet, I find myself wondering if such a move in the coming year is wise? With the trust issue a sensitive topic in 2009, will such a campaign appeal to consumers then? Would users still be delighted that a fictional character is the mascot of a campaign appealing to them?

Or would 3rd party validation from either mainstream media and friends be a more appealing approach to entice consumers and rebuild ‘the lost trust’.

Building relationships through entertainment or building relationships through trusted sources?

What do you think? Fictional characters in campaigns still the way to go? Do share!

Social Media for social projects

While the news focuses on the latest turn in the financial world on the Madoff case, Tech companies being bought over and the automobile industry in US dying out, i think we need to take a step back during this festive period.

Non-government organizations who depend on donations for survival will also be one of the ‘industries’ who are going to be hit the hardest during the bad times.

While it is heartening to know that more companies are adopting CSR efforts (mainly to enhance reputation), I think the digital space has given NGOs a platform to showcase to people causes which they were previously unaware of. There’re tons of examples and a simple search on any search engines can testify to what I’ve just said.

While this is a “known fact’ for all who are well versed in the digital media scene, let me bring your attention to this blog, Project Yuksam. Project Yuksam is a project by Singapore Management University (SMU) Students who have traveled to Sikkim to help the local community in Yuksam. (I was part of the 2007 team)

Now look at this school email which has been sent to all students within SMU students.

Usage of a blog and Flickr photos. (Youtube videos would have been nice but i think the internet speed there is the main deterrence). Coupled with the school email which has an online promotion tied down with a sponsor. It’s a nice way of engaging the school to promote the cause of the project.

If a school community has begun using web 2.0 to engage the students to promote it’s cause, what’s stopping you from expanding that CSR effort?

I know it’s a cliche phrase but it’s time to bring the social back to social media and what better way than to focus on your brand’s CSR efforts?

Merry Xmas people!!