Pass the Mic

Baby Steps

Posted by Ursula Herrick under Uncategorized

September 14th, 2009

Every time a new technology is introduced the early adopters jump in and realize that their lives have forever changed because of this new service or product that didn’t even exist a year ago. How did they ever live without it? On the other side of the technology spectrum are the observers. They watch the technology from a far and secretly hope that they don’t need to even consider change. Life is already good — why do anything different to disturb that ideal existence.

We are all early adopters on some technologies and on the sidelines for others. That’s our personal choice and makes each of us different. But in some cases, one needs to take a baby step to see if this is something that would change our lives forever, and just improve a small part of our lives or market segment of our business.

For example, I have several friends, senior business managers no less, who are resisting the move to social media. There’s skepticism and the excuse of time bandwidth issues. So how does one break that resistance? Start by tying social media to business goals and start small. Pick an underserved part of your business that hasn’t gained traction, determine the baseline and develop a social media roadmap that’s designed to bring measurable results. Once you demonstrate results that support business goals on this test case, you begin to break that resistance.

It’s all about taking baby steps.

Tags: Social Media
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The Lazy Days of Summer = Slow News Days

Posted by Ursula Herrick under Uncategorized

August 31st, 2009

You can tell that it’s the lazy days of summer when the sun is beating down and you’re reaching for a cool drink instead of working on whatever demands your attention. But I’ve discovered a different barometer for the lazy days of summer – slow news days. You know, those days when reporters are scrounging for stories and topics that would never capture a headline or get time on the 6 p.m. news is suddenly giving someone their 15 minutes of fame.

You know it’s going to be the time for slow news days when a reporter from a nationally respected newspaper tells you that his assignment editor is searching for stories because too many reporters are on vacation. In fact, the call also goes out to those reporters on vacation.

It’s that time now before Labor Day when summer has finally settled in and the Fall re-emergence of business and government is still waiting to be kicked off. Companies are holding back on announcements until the vast majority has returned from summer vacations and are back in the mental state to think business. Plus throw in President’s Obama’s week of vacation where he tells his press core to enjoy the beach because no news is being announced this week. So now the airwaves, printed pages, and blog sites make room for “news” that really isn’t news.

I’m not ready for the lazy days of summer to end, but those 15 minutes of fame appearances can certainly end.

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Make Room for Facebook

Posted by Ursula Herrick under Media

August 17th, 2009

Step aside LinkedIn. Facebook is about to take your social media ranking in the enterprise.

The other day I was asked whether Facebook has a place in the marketing plans for technical business-to-business companies. Naturally there would be a place for business-to-consumer companies to have a social media presence there, but what about B-to-B companies? It only took a quick scan of the corporate pages on Facebook to prove that Facebook isn’t just for college students or a widely-known consumer brand.

Sure LinkedIn has long been accepted in the enterprise for its networking advantages. In fact, a new enterprise social networking end user survey by Wainhouse Research shows that LinkedIn is the most popular social networking site used personally by respondents at 67.3 percent. But wait, that same survey shows that Facebook was a close second place at 58.9 percent, with YouTube at 50.9 percent. Plus the report says that Facebook is coming on strong with corporate end-users and is clearly well on its way to overtake LinkedIn in the high tech space.

So the next time you think that Facebook should only be considered as a consumer channel, think again. At the end of the day, senior enterprise managers use the same social media channels as senior consumer business managers, just like the newspaper and magazine channels.

Tags: Facebook, LinkedIn
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A Digital Diet

Posted by Ursula Herrick under Uncategorized

August 4th, 2009

Can you go on a digital diet? USA Today followed five readers with real addictions to their virtual connections as they went on a “digital diet” yet lived to write about it. Two lasted 48 hours and the others for five days, realizing that life’s moments were more meaningful when they did without that constant digital connection.

I survived my own form of a digital diet when I went on a 12-day vacation to Greece and Italy last month without my BlackBerry or laptop. My husband pushed for me to disconnect on my trip with my girlfriend, meaning that I wouldn’t be able to email him regular updates on my adventures. I was tested while I was sandwiched between two laptops on the first leg of my flights to Europe and when my girlfriend checked her first BlackBerry regularly for her work and her second BlackBerry for her friends. I easily survived. Granted, if I wasn’t on vacation and needed to track projects from on the road, I would not have survived. But it took only minutes for me to be digital free while on vacation.

Now I must say that I quickly got back to my usual digital routine when I returned, but going on another “digital diet” is definitely in my future plans.

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Authentic conversation

Posted by Kate Walker under Uncategorized

August 3rd, 2009

Conversation is defined as the ability to talk socially with others. I bring this up because all too often, people turn to social networks to shout their message from the rooftops – except they’re shouting only to be heard, not to see who shouts back or to hear what is being shouted at them.

Looking to establish your Facebook presence or to augment your existing page? Start by listening to what people are saying, and then respond. Respond thoughtfully – without echoing your Web site content or marketing collateral. In other words, respond as you would want to be responded to.

Of course, chances are you’re not just going to be responding to positive comments. Negative voices tend to clamor the loudest on social networks. Don’t enter into the conversation if you’re not willing to take the pain with the props. Part of engaging in a dialogue with your users is hearing what they have to say. Sometimes, it’s a simple misunderstanding. Other times, it is an authentic dialogue that you can learn from.

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Who is now the most trusted in America?

Posted by Ursula Herrick under Media

August 3rd, 2009

When Walter Cronkite, the iconic news anchor for CBS known for his easygoing style and measured delivery, passed away last month he was remembered as “the most trusted man in America.” He earned the country’s trust over years of reporting each night on the CBS Evening News and on top historic events, including the first moon landing and President Kennedy’s assassination.

It was a small, unscientific poll of 1,000 women, conducted by Ladies Home Journal in 1980 which named Cronkite the nation’s most trusted newscaster. But since he received 40 percent of the respondent’s vote, a higher percentage than the most trusted political leader (Gerald Ford with 11 percent) and religious leader (Pope John Paul II with 36 percent), he became labeled not only as the nation’s most trusted newscaster, but as the most trusted person in the nation as well.

But times have certainly changed and the most trusted person is America won’t be found in either traditional media or the emerging social media channel. After Cronkite’s passing, Time Magazine conducted a new poll to name today’s most trusted newscaster in America. NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams scored 29 percent, ABC World News anchor Charlie Gibson garnered 19 percent, and Katie Couric, today’s host of the CBS Evening News, which Cronkite once anchored, finished with only seven percent of the votes. The “newscaster” receiving 44 percent of the poll votes was Jon Stewart, comedian and host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central, a cable satire on the day’s news.

That tells you something when Stewart, who is not even a true newscaster, scores more than Cronkite did in his day. Even when New York Magazine pulled together their list of candidates for the nation’s new most trusted person, Oprah Winfrey, who offers sage advice on the books we should be reading or the foods we should be eating, tops the list.

Tags: Media
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A Real Leading Indicator?

Posted by Jon Bloom under Uncategorized

July 24th, 2009

As I write this, the Dow has lost a little ground from yesterday’s surge past the 9,000 mark - its highest point since January. Even with weak earnings from Microsoft, the Dow is only down a bit and remains north of the 9K line. Stock is nearly the equivalent of mother’s milk here in Silicon Valley – powering everything from compensation packages, to acquisitions and general mental health. Should the Dow be able to sustain its current momentum, it could be one of the best indicators that the Valley will be returning to its old feisty self in the second half of this year. However, today I also heard of another leading indicator that just may serve as a more grassroots sign that things are turning for the better in this part of the world. A car detailer who serves many of the Valley’s elite and charges nearly $400 to make their Aston Martins, Bentleys, BMWs and Benzes gleam said that his business has gone from radioactive to robust over the past 45 days. While the Dow carries more heft globally, the detailer is closer to the everyday money flow and I am betting that we are going to see many more shiny cars on Interstate 280 as the year progresses.

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Really, Joe?

Posted by Jon Bloom under Media, Trends

July 24th, 2009

The train wreck that is the Jackson Family Communications Process in the aftermath of Michael’s death continued with Joe Jackson’s surreal appearance on Larry King Live. Looking and sounding every bit like somebody ill prepared to represent his family on a major global television network, Joe told King that he isn’t aware of where Michael was buried. “You’d have to ask somebody who knows,” said the unprepared Papa who also said he “did nothing wrong” while raising his children. Those who have watched and listened to his children over the past 20+ years may beg to differ. I would also assume that those responsible for sorting out custody of Michael’s children could also have alternative viewpoints. As brother Jermaine Jackson once sang, “Let’s Get Serious.” The Jackson family must put somebody out there who can properly communicate on behalf of the family and ensure that Michael’s wishes are carried out. Nothing good will come from more Joe and more of the same will most certainly fuel the very same negative media repercussions that the family and other entertainers have railed against in past weeks. Joe, if you don’t know where your son is buried, you are not the guy to represent him or communicate on behalf of the family moving forward.

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Pole Dancer or Ballerina?

Posted by Jon Bloom under Media, Public Relations, Strategy, Trends

July 7th, 2009

Pole dancer or ballerina? The same question could be reworded to read: Communications professional or publicist? Don’t call me a publicist. The very word makes me queasy and minimizes the value of strategy-based communications. Way back in the day, say of 1960’s Hollywood, publicists for movie stars abounded. These early media hounds – an early generation of “flacks” - got their clients into the paper by any means necessary. Anybody who ever watched “I Love Lucy” remembers the role of the publicist during the show’s shift to California when Ricky got a movie contract. Then communications profession has evolved since then but, still, publicists exist. From what I see, publicists are still locked in the communications’ yester-year - working with an end game to get a picture of Ricky kissing a starlet in Variety. Bigger picture? Forget about it. Strategy and research? Who needs them? Just capture a moment and deal with the bigger picture later, if at all. Need evidence? The Jackson Family has a publicist and, wow, what else needs to be said about how they are coming across these days? The Octo-Mom had a publicist (OK, she actually had group of people that likely should have known better but acted like publicists) and my favorite highlight of their work was a video clip in which the representative couldn’t remember the name of the baby goods company who supplied free diapers. The NFL’s Terrell Owens has a publicist who no doubt was behind one of the worst staged media events of all time – the infamous workout-in-the-driveway of Owens’ former home in the Philly suburbs. And, lest I forget, the New York Times just chronicled the exploits of a publicist who is supposedly changing the way PR is done in Silicon Valley but actually sounds an awful lot like the Samantha Jones character in Sex and The City. After reading the ego-driven, name-dropping in that piece, I am glad I have worked the past 26 years to craft a reputation as a communications professional as opposed to a publicist. The differences are as stark as those between a pole dancer and a ballerina.

Tags: media relations, Public Relations, publicists
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Honoring Michael Jackson - Thinking Before Speaking

Posted by Jon Bloom under Media, Public Relations, Trends

July 7th, 2009

The memorial is over and may Michael Jackson finally rest in peace. I have my doubts if he will, though, unless the rhetoric of the past two weeks abates and a dignified approach can be found to communicating and carrying out the King Of Pop’s wishes surrounding his estate and children.

Since his death, many have contributed to tarnishing Jackson’s 50-year legacy as a premiere entertainer and cultural icon. Unfortunately, much of the media-driven rehashing of his debt, past legal woes and medical issues was unavoidable – those are the grist for today’s 24×7 machine. At the same time, some woefully sad moments have been created by the Jackson family itself apparently on the recommendation of “communications advisors” and “publicists” who do not appear up to the task or the moment.

I watched a portion of today’s memorial on CNN and the coverage was as appropriate as anybody could hope for. Unfortunately, the media circus that preceded today’s service was not only less balanced, it was 100 percent predictable and fed in part by bad communications by the family. Only Jermaine Jackson’s initial statement given immediately following Michael’s death had any semblance of professional and thought out communications. Once Al Sharpton arrived and stood by the side of a woefully unprepared Joe Jackson to address the media, all bets were off and things rapdily got worse. Using your son’s death to discuss your record company? C’mon, Joe. After the backlash that followed, the family seemed to regroup for today’s memorial and at least avoid any further foibles.

If ever there was a time the support of family and peers it is now. The Jackson family needs to embrace the vibe that was put forth today and maintain it through what will certainly be a rocky next few weeks and months as MJ’s estate and child custody issues take center stage. A clear and singular voice must represent the family and MJ’s wishes. And the situation would improve even more if the divisive rhetoric would cease from high profile people who really should know better.

One of Michael’s most recognizable songs, and the one that closed today’s memorial was “We Are The World.” The message is clear – love and togetherness will prevail. Smart people like Jamie Foxx and P. Diddy who understand how the media works and understand how controversy fuels flames should avoid making the media coverage surrounding Jackson’s life and death a racial issue. Michael belonged to the world and no one community needs to “take him back.” Jackson was a true genius that inspired millions but let’s face it, the last 10 years of his life were characterized by behavior that took attention away from his art. By railing against the media’s coverage of Jackson’s life, Foxx and Diddy are violating a primary rule of external communications and perpetuating the very issue they would like to see go away. Perhaps Jamie can “blame it on the “a-a-a-cohol” to quote his latest hit but even with a ton of “Henny” in your system, it’s not a great idea to provoke the 24×7 beast always on the lookout for a sound bite.

It would be wonderful to see all involved truly think before they speak as we move through the next chapter of the Michael Jackson saga. By doing so, everybody can honor his professional legacy and communicate about him in a way that unites and celebrates.

Tags: communications, michael jackson, Public Relations, publicists
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