The NBC / Conan / Leno Debate
Conan O’Brien made a statement Tuesday on his refusal to continue hosting “The Tonight Show” if NBC shifts the program from 11:35 p.m. to 12:05 a.m. Conan’s decision may end up costing him his job, but he is in a position where he can stand up for what he believes. He is handling the situation in an articulate manner so far, submitting a public statement and talking about the situation on air. The statement he released is clear, concise and written in Conan’s style, however it is obvious he is not thrilled about the situation he faces with NBC.
The entire situation from NBC’s perspective seems due to poor ratings, and Conan explains, “it was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both.” Conan expressed respect for the previous ‘Tonight Show’ hosts and argued that making changes to NBC’s “long-established late night schedule” will be harmful to the ‘Tonight Show’. “The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn’t the Tonight Show,” wrote Conan. Bumping back “The Tonight Show” will also affect Jimmy Fallon’s “Late Night” show.
NBC faces a difficult situation dealing with Conan’s arguments and we will continue to see decisions made and public statements both written and on air. What should Conan’s next PR move be?
And if you haven’t heard enough about the situation, David Letterman, who airs on CBS, offers some “free genius TV advice” for NBC:
Thank you for reading, “People of Earth.”
Arts and Social Media.
Copyright R. Finkelstein
Over Fourth of July weekend, I took a bus to New York City with my friend Nicole. We visited another friend who was participating in the Dance New Amsterdam’s (DNA) New York Summer Dance Intensive that I attended last summer. DNA was closed on the 4th, so we took 3 classes in a row on Friday; 6 hours of dance! While that seemed like a good idea at the time, on Saturday we were in a lot of pain.
Before heading to NY, I researched my classes online and found DNA to have the most extensive social media efforts of any dance studio or company. Not only does DNA have Flickr, Twitter, YouTube, a blog and a Facebook page, DNA has their own social network, DNA World! DNA World allows you to connect and network with friends, dance teachers, choreographers, bloggers and dance administrators. DNA World also has forums for discussion about dance and DNA, as well as pictures and videos. The DNA World blog is used for listing upcoming events, classes, dance news and articles, and special offers.
Other dance companies and studios are slowly making their leap into the world of social media with Facebook applications and blogs. Many dance companies and studios have Facebook pages and groups. Facebook is much easier to update and maintain than a blog. Through Facebook, arts organizations can easily reach their audience and update with YouTube and news. Broadway Dance Center, Joy of Motion and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre have Facebook pages.
Dance Place, located in Washington D.C., has a blog, Twitter, as well as a Facebook Page. There are not many comments or followers on the blog (same with DNA’s blog), possibly indicating the dance world has not turned into avid social media fans yet, even though I know the audience is online. I believe those organizations testing blogs are still experimenting with what type of content to include and how often to update. It is exciting to see so many arts organizations take risks to stay current, especially in this tough economic situation.
I am especially interested in dance, but I found this video about how an orchestra has used social media to garner more attention. Listen for the different tools they use and how people are responding to their efforts.
Do you know of any other arts organizations, theaters, museums, dance companies and etc. using social media as part of their marketing campaign?! Let’s talk about how your organization is using social media. How are you making it work and what difficulties have you struggled with?
Twitterpated with Twitter
I first discovered Twitter in the spring when my web communication class watched the Commoncraft Twitter video. I signed up because it was free, but more than half my class thought it was a waste of time. I think by the end of the semester more people were changing their mind about the growing microblogging “fad”.
Twitter is great because it’s ability to direct followers to more information. Shel Holtz (@Shel) refers to the idea of Twitter as a table of contents or a billboard advertisement. You would never just look at a table of contents or a billboard and be satisfied; you would see the message and then go to the destination to be satisfied with an article or product. He does point out that Twitter is best when it is used for conversations. I agree because of the idea of ‘markets as conversations’ outlined in the Cluetrain Manifesto.
I recently researched how nonprofits and development organizations are using social media. Some development organizations are using Twitter to promote their mission, publications and events. Web 2.0 for Development explains how Twitter allows organizations to share information, network with stakeholders and discuss ideas with a large audience. Organizations can create dialogues with their audience asking and answering questions. Like any other social media tool, time and resources are the investment made to achieve a high return. Some of the development organizations on Twitter referenced are UNHCR, the World Food Programme, OECD, and the World Bank.
Beth Kanter (@Kanter) discusses Twitter on her blog and shares ideas about how to decide who should tweet for your organization. She suggests creating only one organizational account because of the need for several daily updates. Staffing Twitter with a team of employees may be the best way to manage an organizational account. She highlighted Co-Tweet’s Twitter account to see how each employee identifies their tweets within the account adding faces to the organization.
Employees can have personal accounts and should be encouraged to create an account to humanize the organization, but they need to remain transparent about their affiliation with the organization. An easy way to remain transparent is to identify twitter handles on the staff page of a website or web sites newsroom and to identify their affiliation in the twitter biography and website link.
There are several tools, including Hoot Suite, which can update an organizations twitter account with individual employee’s tweets about the organization. Also, Hoot Suite enables scheduling tweets ahead of time, shortened URLs and measurement options.
At IFPRI, most people rely on e-mail to send information out within the organization. An information and knowledge management specialist at IFPRI recommended this article to explain how Twitter is similar to e-mail because of the abilities to respond, retweet, mention a person or topic, and send direct messages.
Before an organization, like IFPRI, uses Twitter, a strategy must be made concerning what types of content will be tweeted and who will do the tweeting. For individual use I recommend that everyone gives Twitter a try. What’s one more social media addiction?
Summer at IFPRI
One of the most important things I learned about having a successful blog is to remain consistent with your updates. So why didn’t I listen to that advice? What happened? Unfortunately, it seems that finals, a service trip to New Orleans, a beach vacation and work got in the way of keeping up a blogging schedule.
Now my summer has calmed down a bit and I can jump right back into my adventure with blogging.
I started as social media intern for the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) about three weeks ago. IFPRI is a non-profit organization supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). IFPRI seeks, “to provide policy solutions that reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition.”
So far I have researched how IFPRI and other development organizations, like The World Bank, are using social media. Studying the best practices for social media, I have learned how IFPRI can improve their strategy over time to lead to more successful use. IFPRI currently has a blog, a Facebook Fan page, a group on LinkedIn, and a YouTube channel. Like many companies, people and organizations, IFPRI jumped into social media without formulating a concrete strategy. My goal for the summer is to map out how IFPRI can use their applications more effectively and efficiently.
I will post what I have learned and may even have some of the IFPRI communications staff guest blog and share their opinions on IFPRI and the transition to the wonderful world of Web 2.0!
Dell: Social Media
Dell is an example of a company that understands social media. Dell knows how to connect with their audiences, both internally and externally. Using blogs, twitter, forums, and digital suggestion boxes, Dell has discovered ways to promote conversations and dialogue. Even the CEO, Michael Dell, joins in the discussion when he has something to say.
In the video below, Vida Killian, Dell employee, discusses Dell’s blogging strategy with Mark Ragan, CEO of Ragan Communications. Dell started blogging internally and externally in 2006. Direct2Dell, the external blog, represents the main corporate voice and within this blog, blogs on specific topics can be found. One Dell Way is Dell’s internal blog written by the internal communication department. Other internal groups, such as IT, participate in team blogs. Dell encourages all of their audiences to engage in conversation. Listen to her advice on how to create conversations with bloggers.
Vida Killian explained that Dell’s Communities and Conversations 40 member team works to listen to and monitor blogs with the software Radian 6. Dell’s team represents all backgrounds, from engineering to marketing, so that a knowledgeable and credible response will be generated. Dell measures customer sentiment through the number of negative comments found on the web and has worked hard to reduce the negative statements about Dell.
Dell has not always known how to use social media or start conversations. Jeff Jarvis, author of the blog Buzz Machine, knows how Dell had to transform its’ strategy to adhere to the growing numbers of people talking on the internet. Dell initially did not listen to their audience, including small “no name” bloggers, but finally discovered the importance of allowing interactivity into their communication strategy.
One of Dell’s most important social media applications, though perhaps not considered blogging, is Dell’s Idea Storm. The tool is an “online suggestion box” where anyone can suggest an idea for Dell and have others vote on it. Dell actually takes the time to consider the ideas with the highest votes. The Idea Storm is an alternative direct feedback blogging application created by Dell for their audience. Idea Storm brings more customer feedback directly to the Dell site. Vida Killian, manager of Dell’s Idea Storm, discusses Idea Storm with Mark Ragan and the importance of listening to your audience. Killian also discusses Employee Storm for employee suggestions.
The New Communications Review acknowledged Dell’s efforts in internal communication and provides some of Dell’s goals and figures regarding their social media efforts. Dell, a direct company, has continued with their previous programs offline, but uses their online forums to learn more about their audience. All feedback is important in the progress and reputation of a company because Dell’s reactions affect the company. Dell is working to establish online outreach and participation with social media into the culture of Dell’s employee’s.
Sun Microsystems: Leaders in Blogging
CEO Schwartz represents a company creating innovative technology. It makes sense Sun Microsystems is a leader in blogging.
Sun Microsystems, Inc. is a company that promotes network services and connections by providing shared innovation, community development and open source leadership. Well known brands include the Java technology platform and the Solaris operating system. Sun Microsystems supports network interactions and technology solutions for everyday consumer and business use.
A leader in social media, CEO of Sun Microsystems, Jonathan Schwartz has blogged as CEO since 2006. As one of the first Fortune 500 companies to start a CEO blog, Schwartz has represented the transition to corporate blogging. He uses a conversational tone, while discussing topics directly related to his company. Schwartz posts about Sun, the future of Sun, and the technology industry. The transparency and authenticity Schwartz uses in his blog presents Schwartz as a credible and relevant source for his audience. In 2006, The Washington Post ran an article on Sun’s CEO blog. Schwartz’s blog is translated into many different languages and is an effective communication medium to connect with all of Sun’s stakeholders. Schwartz could talk about personal issues occasionally to present more of a personality, but his blog is still the most popular of all the Sun blogs. Schwartz does not respond directly to comments, but he reads all of them. He directs the comments to the appropriate department. He forms relationships through what he provides to his audience. He also will comment and write on other blogs.
Sun Microsystems employees are encouraged to write blogs, which are then linked to the main blog website. The communications department does not manage the blogs, possibly because there are so many, but guidelines on public discourse are explained for employee bloggers. The main idea in these guidelines is common sense. If there is a question of legality, Sun requests the employees ask a higher authority. Sun mentions the importance of quality and to think about the consequences of your actions before publishing.
Schwartz discusses in a video interview about how he uses his blog as a medium to communicate with employees and other stakeholders. He talks about the importance of maintaining a direct and honest personality. In the video, pay attention to how blogs help Schwartz deal with the challenges of life as a CEO.
The success of Sun’s CEO and employee blogs is due to the amount of energy that goes into the blogs. The fact that all these employees make time to provide relevant and authentic information regularly improves the brand image of Sun Microsystems. As more companies are following in the footsteps of Sun Microsystems, it will be interesting to see how Sun will continue to update their social media communications strategy.
Southwest: Blogs and Twitter
Companies are no longer in control. This idea is very frightening for companies who are used to traditional marketing campaigns and research. Through the use of social media, consumers can promote or damage the reputation of businesses. It has become the company’s job to listen and engage consumers to maintain credibility and authenticity.
The groundswell is the social phenomenon of individuals and communities gaining power using technology. People are using Twitter, blogs and YouTube to spread messages and experiences with each other. Viral marketing creates an impact through conversations with peers. Josh Bernoff and Charlene Li, vice presidents for Forester Research, promote the idea of working with the groundswell to improve the reputation and credibility of their company.
Many companies have determined that consumers have great power over their brand and are engaging consumers through social media, especially blogs and Twitter. In earlier posts, I described several examples of companies working with the groundswell to improve their brand image through conversation and interactivity.
Southwest Airlines is a company that exemplifies the use of social media to engage with consumers.
“Nuts about Southwest,” is complete with a blog, video blog, Flikr group, polls, news, and a media center. The media center includes a video gallery, image gallery, and Red Belly Radio, a podcast. Each section of the media center is RSS feed enabled and favorite feeds are available once you log in.
To actively participate on “Nuts about Southwest,” a user account must be created, but everything can be read or heard without logging in to the site. Each blog post is identified by author and their job position. Employees, as well the CEO, engage in updates on the podcast, blogs and video blogs.
At the bottom of the homepage screen, there are links to YouTube, Flikr, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Southwest has created a good reputation on Twitter. With 18,364 followers, Twitter is an excellent way to communicate with their audience providing customer support, weather updates, boarding information and links to the other social media tools such as the video blog. In the blog, Read,Write,Web, Sarah Perez cites user experiences with twittering Southwest and the favorable and quick responses that were received.
In the video below, Paula Berg, manager of emerging media at Southwest Airlines discusses their performance in social media. Look for how Southwest Airlines used customer feedback on their blog and how they are using Twitter. Also, be sure to notice why there is only one Twitter manager.
Other companies and organizations should look to Southwest as a model who actively engages the consumers to provide information and customer service using social media. Southwest has many diverse options available to engage consumers effectively online. Southwest has done a good job improving its’ reputation by working with social media demonstrating trustworthiness and credibility through interactivity.
Zappos: Microblogging with Twitter
Everywhere I go, I hear people talking about Twitter. Twitter is a new social network application where you can ‘follow’ people and be ‘followed’ by those you may or may not know personally. Information is updated by answering the question, “what are you doing?’ Answers can range from a simple, “I am eating a sandwich” to providing breaking news on any type of situation. There are many opinions on whether this microblogging site really can be useful in the corporate world. Some people think the 140 character limit is too restricting, while others think it is a chance to really learn to write concise and relevant material. Twitter has only been around for three years, yet there are many companies who have turned to Twitter for extra support with their social media objectives.
According to a cision-twitter-conversation, Twitter should be used to establish relationships and create dialogues with audiences. Public relations can benefit from using Twitter because the format makes conversations simple and direct. Listen to your audience and decide if and when you should pitch an idea. If you are not trying to pitch a story, just try to find out what your audience is interested in and improve the way you communicate with them.
One company that has really explored Twitter is Zappos. An online shoe and clothing retailer, Zappos.com, has found a way to excel as a company with the help of social media. Tony Hsieh, Zappos’ CEO, uses Twitter regularly to update on anything from work travels to what he is eating to company news. The way Tony writes, as well as the links he provides, gives a personal insight into the company. On his blog, Hsieh lists the reasons he loves and appreciates Twitter.
The Zappos CEO is not the only one ‘tweeting.’ All of the Zappos employees are allowed to join Twitter and/or write for the company blogs. On Twitter, the picture identifies them as employees, so they are immediately showing transparency and authenticity with their followers.
Marshall Kirkpatrick on Read,Write,Web discusses how Zappos is using Twitter to engage with customers and provide personalities for the people working at Zappos. The post is from almost a year ago and the numbers of employees using Twitter and CEO followers has increased by a huge margin since then. Kirkpatrick discusses in depth the importance of Zappos including public brand mentions, employee tweets, employee twitpics, and employees who Twitter. Also, Hsieh has created an introduction guide for using Twitter.
As I have discovered in my previous posts, it doesn’t matter who blogs (or tweets) for your company as long as that person is willing to take on the commitment and deliver relevant information to their audience. Twitter presents a chance to really show a personality and have fun with the character limit. Zappos has found a strong personality and is recognized as an innovator in social media technology.
Craigslist: CEO and Founder Blogs
If you need to rent a new apartment, buy used golf clubs, hire a babysitter for your daughter, find someone to spend your Saturday night with, discuss world politics, find a new job and have only time to look in one place, where can you look?
Craigslist boasts extensive online classified advertisements and discussion forums for over 550 cities in more than 50 countries. Essentially, anything you are looking for and plenty you are not looking for can be found on this one online resource.
Linked on Craigslist is the Craigslist blog written and updated by CEO Jim Buckmaster. Buckmaster uses the blog to give current news and media coverage about the company. Posting relevant Craigslist issues, good or bad, shows transparency and authenticity in the blog. Buckmaster is not trying to sugarcoat the real issues. He also provides the occasional humorous picture or story. By hearing directly from the CEO, the diverse audience perceives the company as wanting to engage in dialogues regarding current issues. CEO’s have to invest huge time commitments for blogging and risk disclosure of important company information.
In ADWeek , it was suggested that instead of focusing on whether the CEO or employees are posting, it is more important to look at whether the blog is saying something important and interesting to its’ audiences. The CEO’s who are blogging are CEO’s the stakeholders want to hear from. Buckmasters’ blog remains close to topics concerning Craigslist.
Before researching Craigslist, I had no idea there was a real Craig. Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist works as a customer service representative for Craigslist, but he is known in the blogosphere for his blog, CNewmark. His blog provides a real personality to Craigslist. While there are posts about Craigslist, Newmark primarily posts on subjects that are relevant to him, his audience and organizations he wishes to promote. With all the news and spam entering inboxes these days, adding humor to relevant subjects helps Newmark get his message across to readers.
PRWeek interviewed Newmark at the 2008 PRSA International Conference addressing many issues including media relations and the benefits of communicating on the web with accountability and transparency. He calls himself a “community organizer” because he has strived to bring attention to the people who are impacting the world in a positive way. He acknowledges the growth of media as well as how and why companies need to actively engage their audiences.
Peer-to-peer communication, such as Newmarks blog, builds trust because of the direct engagement. Newmark explains how when a company is serious about supporting its customers, they must engage in a dialogue and take ideas from customers seriously. Customer feedback is genuinely important to help a company improve its tactics. Craigslist is driven by community feedback, which accounts for much of its’ success.
Newmark offers PR professionals some suggestions on communicating in the new world of Web 2.0. He suggests becoming familiar with the new tools available and creating an online reputation. Word of mouth is driving all these new practices and PR communicators must join in the conversation.
Marriott: CEO Blog
Mark Ragan, CEO of Ragan Communications, says that when blogs are done well and post the key issues on the mind of the CEO in a personal way, a wall is removed between the audience and the CEO. Blogging with a conversational tone is a personal way to create a two-way dialogue connection with various stakeholders. While Ragan states that bloggers don’t have to always be top executives, companies with CEO bloggers show themselves as leaders and innovators in social media. People are not just consumers anymore, they are producers. People are producing blogs, wikis and podcasts that can shape the reputation of a company’s brand. The company has to learn to reach the producer where they are and in this case, the blogosphere.
Companies and CEO’s find excuses for not blogging including time, liability and creativity. CEO’s need to realize that the length of a post doesn’t matter; it’s the consistent, interesting and informative content that is vital to a blog. References in the form of external links can drive a blog to relevant information for the audience. Comments provide a sense of community. Ragan Communications supports the use of anonymous comments to learn all perspectives on issues; however comments should be moderated.
According to an article, only a small group of executives have taken up blogging. More companies and CEO’s should consider blogging because direct communication with your marketplace coming from the CEO carries authority and credibility. When setbacks arise within a company, a blog is a place where CEO’s can clarify and explain the situation. Blogs are effective forums for discussing company’s issues. The more people know about a company and the personalities behind it, the more likely they will do business with the company. Stakeholders gain a different perspective on a company’s behaviors by reading and interacting on the blog.
Bill Marriott, CEO of Marriott International Inc., has seen growth in sales since he started blogging. On his blog, he discusses the way he publishes his posts. In his seventies, Marriott does not know how to type or use a computer, so he hand writes or dictates his posts. What is helpful on his blog is the ability to listen to Marriott read the posts, sort of like a blog specific podcast. His posts vary in length, but address topics focused on the hotel business. Marriott is seen as a leader in social media providing his audience with interactivity and transparency.
To see more ways Marriott International is using corporate blogging, check out Vice President Culinary and Corporate Chef, Brad Nelson’s food and travel blog.
