Plenary Session: You Too Social Media Conference (3/08)

Plenary Session Strategic Considerations and Best Practices

THE LIFE OF THE PARTY

William E. Sledzik, APR, Fellow PRSA Kent State University

Sledzik’s Theory on the new social media They’re not so new… not in theory!

Grunig & Hunt’s 4 Models of Public Relations Practice (1983)

Adapted from http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/Fall99/Westbrook/models.htm Press agentry/ publicity model One-way Communication Uses persuasion & manipulation to influence Public Information model One-way communication Uses publicity and other one-way techniques to distribute information. Public relations practitioner operates as "journalist in residence.” Two-way asymmetrical model Two-way unbalanced communication Uses persuasion and manipulation based on research to influence audience and bring about desired behaviors. Research is NOT to learn how it publics feel about the organization, but simply to help position persuasive messages. Two-way symmetrical model Two-way communication Uses communication to negotiate with publics, resolve conflict, and promote mutual understanding and respect between the organization and its public(s).

2-way symmetrical model

Research gauges public needs and expectations

Research leads to strategy that adapts organization to publics needs and expectations

Facilitated by ongoing conversations/exchanges with key publics and influencers

Negative feedback and criticism are welcome

Public has more control, management less control

Jim Grunig

Pat Jackson Public relations is at its core a philosophy based on the premise that people have a right to participate in decisions that affect their lives.

Let’s compare

2-way symmetrical (1983)

vs.

Web 2.0 model (1999)

The Cluetrain Manifesto

“ Cluetrain Manifesto” vs. Pat Jackson

Cluetrain: Markets are conversations . Markets consist of human beings, not demographic sectors.

Jackson: Publics are people, so treat ‘em that way. Talk with them, not at them.

Cluetrain: Companies can now communicate with their markets directly .

Jackson: The mass media tend to filter and distort our messages, and people aren’t listening anyway. Go direct. Get face to face. Talk. Listen.

Cluetrain: Companies need to lighten up and take themselves less seriously. They need to get a sense of humor .

Jackson: Show the public your human side. Drop the facade.

Cluetrain: Markets do not want to talk to flacks and hucksters. They want to participate in the conversations going on behind the corporate firewall.

Jackson: Involve public in the decisions that affect their lives. Focus on participation, not persuasion. Connect to people.

Social media “must-reads”

Also of interest

Web 2.0 is 2-way symmetrical PR—only digital

Listen carefully and adapt to meet public needs and expectations.

Expand the discussion beyond management, beginning with employees and close allies.

Welcome criticism and discussion, even when it bruises the organizational ego.

Expand participation in decisionmaking. Empower.

Experiment, experiment, experiment!

It’s not too late for join the conversation. Thing are just getting interesting!

I LIKE SHINY THINGS

Dino V. Baskovic Lawrence Technological University / Vincena

Will you crash the web?

The year was 1990…

You couldn’t touch MC Hammer

The web was born

You adopted , advocated , advanced

A “new” web to learn?

So many new tools, so little time

Budgets only go so far

Stakeholders are increasingly fickle

New tools, same rules

Don’t rush to replace

See what works & message accordingly

Augment & measure

It’s the usability, stupid

Widgets can be clunky

Blogs, feeds get unwieldy

Basic UI and design breaks

“Miranda 2.0”

Your web history goes Wayback

Mobile comms make us abbr

Facebook friends can be your enemy

You must always be on-duty

Show off the shiny

Explore the new tools of the trade

Find the right strategic balance

You won’t crash the web, I promise

LET’S SEE THE GOODS

Michele E. Ewing, APR Kent State University

Best Practices Criteria CONVERSATION NARROW AUDIENCE RESEARCH INTEGRATE RULES OF ONLINE RESPONSE MECHANISM

Dove’s Real Beauty http:// www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/home.asp http:// www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/home.asp

English Cut

Blog http :// www.englishcut.com /

BusinessWeek Podcast http ://www.businessweek.com/mediacenter/qt/podcasts/podcasting/thomas_mahon20051025.mp3

Goodwill of Greater Washington

Goodwill Online Store http ://stores.ebay.com/DC-Goodwill-Retail-Store /

Blog http:// dcgoodwillfashions.blogspot.com / /

Virtual Fashion Show http://fashionofgoodwill.org/

Buzz on the Buzz Bin http://www.livingstonbuzz.com/blog/2007/08/29/case-study-goodwills-social-media-strategy/

Washington Post Story http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/28/AR2007102801139.html

Vyatta

“ The versatile open-source application can direct data traffic for a giant corporation as easily as it can manage a home Wi-Fi network… Vyatta’s router will cost about a fifth the price of comparable models from big networking equipment makers such as Cisco Systems.”

- Om Malik, GIGAOM

Vyatta

Vyatta Community http :// www.vyatta.com/community/index. php

Dear John Campaign http :// www.vyatta.com/secret/dearjohn/index.php

Leveraging Influential Bloggers http://gigaom.com/2006/02/23/here-comes-open-source-telecom/ http :// blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p = 2626 http :// blogs.zdnet.com/Ou/?p = 182

LAFD and Red Cross

Red Cross Twitter http :// overtonecomm .blogspot.com/2007/10/red-cross-uses-social-media-tools-to. html

LAFD Twitter http://twitter.com/LAFD

Blog Posts http://overtonecomm.blogspot.com/2007/10/red-cross-uses-social-media-tools-to.html http://gigaom.com/2007/10/23/web-20-the-california-fire-crisis/

Bookmarking http://del.icio.us/AmericanRedCross/california

Whirlpool’s American Family

American Family Podcasts http ://www.whirlpool.com/custserv/promo.jsp?sectionId= 563

Reporters, Bloggers and other Podcasters Promote http://trafcom.typepad.com/podcast/2005/10/show_8_oct_31_2.html http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_46/b3959134.htm?chan=tc http://blogs.forrester.com/charleneli/2005/09/whirlpool_is_po.html http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/blogspotting/archives/2005/09/whos_podcasting.html http://www.gillin.com/ podcast_innovators. htm

DONATE LIFE OHIO