Beyond Campaigns

Every company is a media company… except CrunchFund

Beyond Campaigns — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 16:43:42 +0000

I think all of us in the media industry have been watching the Michael Arrington controversy over at TechCrunch with great interest (long story short, many felt his launch of a massive venture fund, CrunchFund, conflicted with his role as editor, and now he is editor no longer). It has added fresh fodder for questions that have been we have all been debating for a long time: How has journalism changed in the digital age? Where is the line between a blog and news outlet? What standards, if any, should we be holding blogs to? #

The question that strikes me as perhaps most interesting, however, is this: Are we ready to trust editorial content provided by companies with a clear vested interest? Many in the corporate communications world seem eager to answer “yes.” According to Shel Holtz, Cisco now has 30 journalists working for them, writing purportedly independent and objective articles about the networking industry. Even I am fond of invoking the clarion call, “every company is a media company,” heralding a new age where the creation of the type of useful journalistic content traditionally considered the realm of “the media” becomes a core part of effective public relations and corporate communications. But are people ready to consume that content? Is disclosure enough to mitigate bias, perceived or real (or, put another way, is transparency the new objectivity)? The answer the TechCrunch/CrunchFund case seems to have given us is, “not yet.” #

How do we shift that to a “yes”? #

Social media’s “sorry I got caught”

Beyond Campaigns — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 13:05:04 +0000

In the aftermath of “Weinergate,” pundits were quick to question whether Twitter was any place for politicians and offer advice on managing social media. It was the standard bevy of responses to social media-triggered crises. The infamous Domino’s Pizza YouTube incident was met with reminders to have corporate policies in place and know how and where to respond. The Ketchum-Fedex tweet mishap came with the classic “think before you tweet” warning. #

While I think all of this is good (and important) advice, I feel it is mostly in the “sorry I got caught” vein. That is to say, the focus appears not to be on the genesis of such issues, but on how it came to be exposed and propagated. And we are quick to issue a “social media fix” for a “social media problem.” #

In the case of Anthony Weiner, the obvious reality is that he should never have been engaging in that sort of behavior in the first place, online or off. And when we look cases like the Domino’s and Ketchum-Fedex ones I’ve cited above, a critical question becomes clear: “How has the importance of employee and third-party ally (e.g. PR agency) buy-in changed in the world of social media?” The answer is, of course, that buy-in is now more important than ever and needs to be more deep-rooted than before. When employees and allies share the values and objectives of your organization, not only are they more likely to be on message, but they will also act more responsibly and thoughtfully when discussing relevant matters on social media. And this is yet another reason to be sure you find the right partners, in communications in particular, who genuinely care about your organization and feel like they’re in the same boat. If you’ve got the buy-in, you won’t have to worry so much about “getting caught.” #

The Chair

Beyond Campaigns — Sat, 07 May 2011 11:38:06 +0000

I recently came across a post from Daring Fireball about the iPad 2 launch, which contained this inspired observation: #

There are aspects of [Apple's advantages] that Apple’s competitors seemingly can’t copy — lower prices from economies of scale, amazing battery life, UI responsiveness, build quality. #

But there are other things any competitor could copy, easily, but they seemingly don’t even understand that they should, because such things aren’t technical. Take that chair. The on-stage demos of the iPad aren’t conducted at a table or a lectern. They’re conducted sitting in an armchair. That conveys something about the feel of the iPad before its screen is even turned on. Comfortable, emotional, simple, elegant. How itfeels is the entirety of the iPad’s appeal. #

What a striking reminder of how significant the “little” details can actually be and how easily insights about them can elude us. #

What’s so great about Twitter? My thoughts four years on.

Beyond Campaigns — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:27:23 +0000

Four years ago this week I joined Twitter. Back then, the debate about the value of Twitter was still raging in the tech community. Today, most of us geeks have moved on from that debate, and Twitter’s value is taken for granted. Yet I feel that many people are still left behind scratching their heads over the phenomenon and wondering why anyway wastes their time on it — particulary those who still view tweeting as a navel-gazing activity (“I’m eating a sandwich”). Thus, in honor of my fourth Twitter-versary, here are my four favorite things about Twitter: #

1. It’s a great equalizer
No, I’m not talking about Twitter being a catalyst for pro-Democracy protests. I’m talking about the amazing level playing field that is the Twitter stream. No matter who you are, how many followers you have, or how often you tweet, in your followers’ streams your posts are presented and ranked chronologically in the same way as everyone else. The same is largely true for search result. #

It may seem like an innocuous part of Twitter, but I believe that it plays a huge role in the dynamic of Twitter. Combined with the low cost (time and energy) of composing a tweet, it means that those who might otherwise seem “unreachable,” such as celebrities or industry leaders, become far more accessible and likely to engage with random strangers (and we in return become more comfortable in approaching them). And it means that the usefulness or value of content becomes of primary importance. This point was really driven home for me when I commented on a talk I was attending at the Personal Democracy Forum in New York in 2009, and Craig Newmark (that’s Craig of Craigslist!) retweeted it to his tens of thousands of followers. #

2. It’s instant
The revolution in immediacy that social media, Twitter in particular, has brought to large scale, global, user communication cannot be understated. While watching the Oscars, for example, one could instantly see how thousands of people across the world were reacting to a winner announced just moments ago. This scenario would have been completely impossible just a few years ago. Of course, this has more useful applications beyond reactions to TV events. News organizations are now rather fond of using Twitter to scout for on-the-ground tips, and I personally greatly appreciate being able to use it to check if technical problems I’m facing are universal (e.g. if Gmail is being slow today for everyone, then someone out there must be tweeting about it!). All of this instant content is extremely valuable, which is why we’ve seen Bing and Google fight to include it in their search results. #

3. It makes you get to the point
Everyone is forced to get their points across in 140 characters. Even if you string together multiple tweets, it’s not a lot. And my favorite thing is, brands are bound by this too. That means no beating around the bush or dressing up the main point with superfluous buzzwords or corporate speak. A customer complaint should be dealt swiftly with a “Sorry” and a solution; there is just no room for excuses, groveling, or waffling. #

4. It tells me what my friend had for lunch
All those tweets about miscellaneous personal life details (aforementioned navel-gazing) may seem inane and self-indulgent, but I believe they have some real value. In fact, when I first blogged about the value of Twitter four years ago (on a now defunct blog), this is the very aspect I latched on to. There is inherent value in staying and keeping others updated — providing “presence” information — even if the actual details provided seem trivial. The reality is that we do want to know this information, and all those tidbits added up together provide us with a connection and more intimate understanding of our friends. #

So those are my favorite things. What are yours? #

Three steps towards an agency that groks digital

Beyond Campaigns — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 16:28:08 +0000

Sometimes I meet people in the communications field who are largely disconnected from new media (having a Facebook account doesn’t really count anymore folks) and I wonder how it can be so. Harsh as it may be, the pull quote on the right from a recent WSJ Magazine profile of Michael Eisner (the “former Disney CEO [who] has reinvented himself as author and new-media entrepreneur” as he is introduced by the publication) really resonates with me. #

In public relations, “traditional” media expertise may still be critical, but the bigger picture is, and always has been, about communicating effectively with stakeholders. And with eyeballs, engagement, trust and other key indicators shifting to new media, being able to integrate them successfully into your strategy and tactics as a core element is essential. By now that should be old news. But the reality is that, outside of the digital strategists, agencies are almost all filled with people who still don’t know what a hashtag is. #

The PR focus (and dollars) will eventually shift in the direction of new media and you don’t want to be left with a team that’s behind the curve. You should be building your firm’s expertise now, while the opportunities for owning new media communications are still ripe (both within PR and within the communications industry as a whole). And digital cannot continue to be relegated to a single small team – it is becoming core to all PR and your entire workforce should grok* new media.
*”To understand so thoroughly that the observer becomes a part of the observed.” #

Since blog readers love lists, here are my thoughts on three steps that agencies should take to build such a workforce:
#

1. Recruit like you care about “digital”
I would like to be asked by interviewers what social media channels I use, just as I am almost always asked what newspapers or magazines I read. I would like interviewers to show that their company values and is invested in new media when I express my interest. Yet these things almost never happen. How you hire is reflected strongly in the people you eventually hire. Hiring like you care about digital (at all levels, for all positions) will help you find and attract the talent that will elevate your agency’s new media savvy. #

2. Encourage and enable your people to become digitally-conversant
I have no doubt that you’ve hired people smart enough to recognize that new media are important, but there is significant inertia in putting that understanding into action. Host internal trainings and workshops, give people the time and freedom to explore during the workday, and lead by example. They need the push. #

3. Talk about it
Wisdom about new media is still nascent, and we’re all still feeling our way in the dark a bit, especially as things are changing constantly. And part of the beauty of new media is their multitude – there are hundreds of platforms and millions of niches – but that also means no one person or team can know it all. So finding ways to share experiences, knowledge, and insight across your agency is important. #

The bottom line is that your agency has to care about and prioritize new media. Your clients and their stakeholders increasingly do. You may have a great digital team, but if the rest of your agency is filled with troglodytes, you will be left behind. #

“But then, in the real world, nothing happened”

Beyond Campaigns — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 15:26:16 +0000

You want viral? Well, the TSA story that exploded across social media, and then mass media, was the very definition of viral. In a matter of days, the anecdotes of a few individuals who were unhappy with the TSA’s new imaging devices and “enhanced” patdowns had drawn everyone’s attention to the issue. Yet when what was supposed to be the climax, Thanksgiving, came and went quietly, everyone was left scratching their heads. #

“But then, in the real world, nothing happened,” says the New York Times. #

With those words, and its echoes around the world, whatever momentum those with a legitimate argument that the pendulum had swung too far in the direction of surrending liberties for security was lost. Just a blip in the media cycle, a social media meme that came and went in a matter of days as they do. #

And while it was not a PR campaign per se (or a very clandestine one?), it epitomizes for me what happens when you have a have a campaign that’s not part of a platform built on substance, backed by evidence, and sustained over time. No matter how brilliantly successful the honeymoon of a viral social media explosion is (and this TSA case was certainly a great case study in how social media can successfully get a message across), that will have to come to end, and you had better have something real on the other end. Lest your work be eulogized with a matter-of-fact “nothing happened.” #

Hello, world

Beyond Campaigns — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 15:38:27 +0000

Welcome to Beyond Campaigns, my new blog which will largely focus on the world of professional communications – public relations, advertising, and the like. #

I guess I should explain the title. I have nothing against a good campaign, and no doubt I will be talking about them from time to time. But when I first started thinking about creating this blog a long time ago, I was fixated on the issue of a general lack of understanding in the industry of how to approach social media. One-off, gimmicky campaigns were (and continue to be) ubiquitous. So one of the things I’ll be discussing in my posts is going “beyond campaigns” and thinking about the big picture strategy – particularly in social media, but in other fields too. (But I’m by no means not committed to keeping my thoughts within the limits of that, or any, interpretation of this blog’s title.) #

Just a little bit about myself – I’m a young PR practitioner based in Hong Kong, with some experience working in New York and Shanghai. I’ve been blogging (sporadically) at my personal blog since 2002, which should give you an indication of what a geek I am. I welcome your emails at hello@harold.li, and you can find other ways to connect with me at http://harold.li. Oh, and of course, you can follow me on Twitter @waphle. #

Looking forward to sharing my thoughts and, hopefully, hearing yours in return! #