Archive for June, 2011


Give Us Something New Google!

Thursday, June 30th, 2011

Valerie Simon

Can Google+ succeed where Google Buzz and Google Wave have failed? While it is probably too early to make predictions, I’ll go out on a limb and share my opinion… unless they unveil something groundbreaking, this latest attempt at social networking by Google will likewise falter.

Social networking is not really about the tools. It’s about the people. In order to succeed, the tools must be designed to innovate how people connect and relate. In order to persuade people to invest the time in a network, tools must offer something new and valuable… a unique selling proposition. Otherwise, why should users invest their time with a new tool when their relationships and communications are already being served by established networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter?

While the initial invite process – one that Google+ has since been shut down because of “insane demand” – makes the network seem promising enough, I have not found anything truly unique in Google+. Yes, it’s cool to drag and drop people into circles, but I am already extremely organized with my Facebook and Twitter lists. Why reinvent the wheel (list, or circle)? Especially if it means walking away from the networks I have already invested time building? Time is limited.

My friend Arik Hanson (who I initially met on Twitter and am now communicating with on Facebook, LinkedIn, Skype and more traditional platforms like the phone and even, gasp, in person), noted that the integration with current tools is the biggest advantage. I’m not convinced that integration is enough.

Opportunities for new networks must be based upon new concepts of how to bring people together in unique ways for distinct purposes. LinkedIn has established itself in the professional arena. Facebook has positioned itself in the more general/ all purpose area. For startups (and yes, I think Google counts as a start up in this area, albeit a start up with tremendous experience and resources), these mammoth social networks are hard to compete with. Because the ultimate reason people use these networks is not the service itself, but the other users.

Let’s get creative Google and utilize your greatest advantage… search. Why not create niche networks that allow people to connect with those searching for similar information. So if I am looking for “Berkeley Heights, NJ” I can (selectively, of course) choose to connect with others who have done the same search in the past 30 days. There’s your circle.

Have you had a chance to try Google+?  Please leave a comment and share your thoughts with BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas readers.

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Posted in Public Relations, Social Media, Technology | 5 Comments »

Truths for Effective Leadership from the PRSA Counselors Academy

Monday, June 27th, 2011

Colleen Flood*

On Friday, May 13, I had the pleasure of attending the session, 20/20 Hindsight: Timeless Truths for Effective Leadership lead by Mimi Meredith, Goodness Grows, at the annual PRSA Counselors Academy.

Everyone makes mistakes – particularly when it comes to building and forging relationships. These can be any sort of relationship, but it is equally true for PR and communications professionals looking to connect with their business associates and audiences, as well as great leaders.

Obstacles to Great Leadership

  • Assumptions
  • What you understand
  • Who you understand

Often when building relationships we allow our assumptions to get in the way. We self-project on individuals (“I think therefore you are”). This saves us time, but we never really get to know people. Since we were children we were told to “treat others they way we want to be treated” and it has become the platinum rule for business and employee engagement.

Great leaders don’t equate understanding with agreement. They speak to be understood.  They learn by assessing what people already understand, limit by taking the ‘me’ or unnecessary information out of the conversation, look by checking out body language and test to see if you are getting through by asking “what do you think?” or “what are your takeaways?”

Great leaders don’t treat employees like they themselves want to be treated. They move beyond preconceptions of people. In essence, great leaders allow people to be beyond what we label them.

What do you see as being some the obstacles of great leadership? And how do you suggest moving past them? Please share your thoughts with me and the readers of BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas.

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*Bio: Colleen Flood has been a sales consultant with BurrellesLuce for over 12 years and is eager to become a more integrated part of the social-public relations community. She primarily handles agency relations in the New York and New Jersey metro-area. She is not only passionate about work, but also about family, friends, and the Jersey Shore. Twitter: @cgflood LinkedIn: Colleen Flood Facebook: BurrellesLuce

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Posted in Career Advice, Industry Events, Public Relations | 2 Comments »

AMEC European Summit on Measurement 2011 – Creating a Focused Measurement Agenda 2020

Friday, June 24th, 2011

AMEC International Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of CommunicationI recently attended and participated as a speaker, on behalf of BurrellesLuce, at the AMEC 3rd European Summit on Measurement in Lisbon, Portugal. The conference represented nearly 200 delegates from 33 countries and provided some good insights and conversation about the future of public relations research, measurement and evaluation.

Last year, in Barcelona, Spain, AMEC was the driving force behind the Barcelona Principles. Many of you have likely seen these referenced in conference presentations or blog posts (some even here on Fresh Ideas) and have worked to apply these basic principles to your own organization’s measurement efforts. The AMEC U.S. Agency Research Leaders Group also provided communicators with the framework and context of how to apply these metrics to drive organization outcomes in the validated metrics overview.

This year, the focus of the group was on identifying and starting to work on the top priorities and issues referenced as the Measurement Agenda 2020. During the delegate discussion, each delegate had the option to select four topics where the organization would look to focus effort and resources.

The top ranking issues, along with their percentage of the vote, are represented below:

  1. How to measure the return on investment (ROI) of public relations (89%)
  2. Create and adopt global standards for social media measurement (83%)
  3. Measurement of PR campaigns and programs needs to become an intrinsic part of the PR toolkit (73%)
  4. Institute a client education program such that clients insist on measurement of outputs, outcomes and business results from the PR programs (61%)

(more…)

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Posted in Industry Events, Media Measurement, Public Relations | No Comments »

Measurement and the Barcelona Principles: Angie Jeffrey, VMS, Interview With Johna Burke, BurrellesLuce, at the 2011 PR News Measurement Conference

Tuesday, June 21st, 2011

Transcript –

JOHNA BURKE: Hello, this is Johna Burke with BurrellesLuce, and we’re here at the PR News Measurement conference. I’m joined by Angie.

Angie, will you please introduce yourself?

ANGIE JEFFREY: Angie–I’m Angie Jeffrey, vice president of integrated media for VMS.

BURKE: Angie, you spoke earlier about the Barcelona principles. Can you talk a little bit about the validated metrics for those that weren’t here to experience those, about what those mean to PR and to PR campaigns?

JEFFREY: Yes. The validated metrics guidelines were put together by a group of people from AMEC and PRSA who wanted to make public relations measurement much more–much more valid, and to give an alternative to ad value equivalency.  And they take into account three phases of public relations on the left-hand part of the matrix, and on the top they go through the five stages of the communications funnel so that you go from a very simplistic type of measure down to outcomes, business outcomes, much more complex. But the goal of the program would be to work a client down through that grid to that business outcome.

BURKE: Excellent. And I know that part of the benefit of being an AMEC member is having that international influence, and we look forward to seeing how those Barcelona principles continue to develop and influence measurement. Angie, can you tell people where they can connect with you online and in social media?

JEFFREY: Sure, Johna. I’m @ajeffrey1, which is A-J-E-F-F-R-E-Y-1, or my regular e-mail address is ajeffrey@vmsinfo.com.

BURKE: Thanks so much, Angie.

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Posted in Industry Events, Media Measurement, Media Relations, Online Video, Public Relations | No Comments »

Cause Marketing – Personal Word-Of-Mouth and TV Most Influence Engagement of Generation Y

Friday, June 17th, 2011

Smiling business people standing togetherDeborah Gilbert-Rogers*

Earlier this week, Georgetown University’s Center for Social Impact Communications and Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide released some findings from the Dynamics of Cause Engagement study. The purpose of the study was to reveal trends in cause involvement and evaluate the impact activities play on engagement. Other results will be released in the coming weeks.

“Despite the growing popularity of social media as means of engaging with causes today, younger Americans still look to personal communication with friends and family as well as traditional media when learning about and telling others about causes,” confirms this press release announcing the study.

Below are some other findings highlighted in the release:

  • More than four out of ten Americans (ages 18-29) get their information from family (48%), friends (46%), and TV (45%).
  • Sixty-two percent of Americans say that “being told in person” is how they are most often informed about causes and other social issues.
  • Fifty-six percent of Generation Y (ages 18-29) and 59% of Generation X (ages 30-45) say that they are engaged via face-to-face communication regarding causes, despite them being more likely than other generations to also be sent social media or text messages about causes.
  • Thirty-six percent of Generation X and 37% of Generation Y say that they would support a cause online compared to offline, believing that social media helps increase the exposure of causes.
  • Seven out of ten participants indicated that cause-related emails sometimes feel like spam.
  • The Silent Generation (those over the age of 60) is more likely than other generations to be told about causes via email. However, 55% believe they receive too many cause-related emails.

As a member of GenY, I can relate to the idea of using social media to promote causes. However, most of the causes that I am involved with are ones that have been introduced to me by others (also confirmed by the study) or ones that I have researched because they speak to my personal values. However, I don’t get a lot of cause-related emails and the ones I do get are for causes that I already support so they don’t feel all that much like spam. What I find more ”spammy” are the banner ads that follow me around the web after I’ve visited a cause-related site or interacted with a cause or charity on Facebook. What are your experiences? Do you agree with the study?

Please share your thoughts with me and the readers of BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas.

***

Bio: After graduating from Rider University, where she received a B.A. in English-writing and minor degrees in Gender Studies and French, Deborah joined the BurrellesLuce Marketing team in 2007.  As a marketing specialist she continues to help develop the company’s thought leadership and social media efforts, including the copywriting and editing of day-to-day marketing initiatives and management of the BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas blog. Facebook: BurrellesLuce Twitter: @BurrellesLuce LinkedIn: dgrogers

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Posted in Advertising/Marketing, Media Industry, Public Relations, Social Media | No Comments »

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