Digital Thinking Winter 2010

Digital Thinking Winter 2010

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  Digital Thinking Insights intoan evolving online world Spring 2010
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  Introduction: The best Whatever digital program an organization settles on, the key is to create one that drives business digital thinking takes goals. This takes an array of insights and 360 an array of insight and degree thinking – a combination of strategic, creative, technological and subject matter experience expertise to truly seize on your organization’s potential in the digital landscape. The expert John Crean views in this report represent that kind of diverse Today, sharing opinions publicly is no longer insight and thinking. limited to recognized experts, packaged and Whether it’s the latest trends in mobile and social broadcast through mainstream media sources to marketing; the state of the “old media” and mass audiences. As we are all witnessing, media digital expectations of the next generation; best is increasingly social and communications is practices for monitoring and engaging in social evolving into conversations led by the audiences media; creating digitally enabled workplaces and themselves. knowing the distinct difference of social media While it’s clear that digital solutions can help in Quebec; or understanding digital’s impact on support an organization’s communications and investor relations and the pharmaceutical sector, marketing activities, it’s also clear that avoiding our firm has important digital thinking that we the online conversation altogether means lost would like to share. opportunities to protect and build reputation, The global conversation is changing. And helping foster strong relations with key people and business and organizations navigate this change groups, or build better communications within with trusted, bold thinking is what we are about. organizations themselves. John Crean is national managing But finding the right solutions can be a partner of NATIONAL Public challenge. The digital space is vast and Relations constantly changing, and every organization’s [email protected] needs are unique and evolving. Solutions can range from building audiences to locating those key audiences who are talking about you or the issues that impact you.
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  Going wiki atwork: social media and employee engagement Carolyn Ray Several weeks ago, I hosted a lunch-and-learn session on employee engagement and social media at our office. In it, we asked people to do ”day in the life” exercises to show how generational differences influence communications preferences. It was a great way to demonstrate how we need to shift our perspective. We must move beyond the ”comfort zone” of traditional, top-down communications and engage in continuous, open dialogue with employees. As social media in the workplace gains momentum, organizations should be more In less than two years, Gen Ys (those born concerned about being left behind than of losing between 1981 and 2000) will outnumber baby control. There is some risk in allowing employees boomers in the workplace. In our office, almost to freely express their opinions, but the rewards half our employees are Gen Y. Is the printed clearly outweigh the risks. Imagine how all-way company newsletter still the best tool for multi- dialogue could improve the customer experience, generational workforces in a sea of online forums, stimulate innovation or create new products and blogs and wikis and mashups? We need to find services? more personalized ways to connect across the generation gap—and we need to do it now. Today’s organizations are being asked to do and communicate more than ever before. Social Our own research, “Start the Dialogue: media is changing the game for how we engage Engaging Employees in Tough Times”, found all of our employees as partners in business that social media is the top trend impacting success. Fortunately, the right tools are already internal communications. In addition, 45 per available. All that is needed is for business to cent of respondents said changing workplace embrace them—and start the dialogue! demographics is a major challenge. With social media, organizations can enhance trust with Carolyn Ray is a vice president in leaders, understand employee concerns and NATIONAL’s Toronto office overcome internal silos. [email protected]
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  Who should ownsocial Small companies have been able to take advantage of the latest social media tools, media in your company? not only because smaller companies are more nimble, but because small companies and their Megan Halkett employees often better understand what is going When websites became a corporate necessity, on across cubicle borders. it seemed practical to give ownership and Now is the time for larger companies to assess management of the site to the IT department— their social media strategy across traditionally websites being computer-related and all. distinct departments. For example, how is social Slowly, it has become clear that although the media integrated to your customer service technical management of a corporate website is programs? Have you measured its effectiveness? critical, the content on the website is now more How is social media being used to recruit new important than flashy photos have ever been. employees? This is why many communications and marketing Keep in mind that students are evaluating departments have taken over the reins of your social media profile just as you have the corporate websites and the long-term goals they opportunity to evaluate theirs. How is social hope to achieve with them. media going to be used if the company faces a In large companies with entrenched departmental crisis? Do you know who to contact to update roles and associated budgets, it is often difficult your followers or will you need to track down for one department to oversee assets that other someone in IT? Remember, a timely response departments are in charge of. In the case of is key, even if all you can say to your public is, social media and who should own it, the answer, “We’re working on it!” at first glance, may seem clear. But it is important It is critical when creating and managing a to evaluate how social media can interact with social media presence that you build an internal various end users—the customer, the employee team from multiple departments and that you and the media. understand your social media presence should With the uptake in social media use by not just be used as a copy of your website or a companies large and small, never before has one-off marketing campaign tool. An integrated there been a better time for senior management social media strategy can yield considerable to evaluate the roles played by various “outward benefits, including a strong corporate reputation facing” departments to ensure that their social for your company over the long term. media program is meeting the needs of the Megan Halkett is a senior entire organization. consultant in NATIONAL’s Vancouver office [email protected]
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  Ethics and socialmedia Jeff Scott The challenges presented by social media are not entirely new—by now we have all experienced disruptive technologies in the workplace. But social media presents business with challenges of a scope and pace the likes of which have never been seen before. Some of these challenges are technological, such as where to host a corporate blog or how to design a Facebook page, and these can be solved with the right technological resources. But the human aspect of social media makes its challenges so much more inscrutable. The rules for communicating on social media Princeton’s WordNet defines ethics as “the are not set in stone, but they are shared and principles of right and wrong that are accepted well understood by the people who use them. by an individual or a social group”. So what are No business has been hurt by adhering to the the ethics inherent to the groups we find on four main principles held dear by social media: social media? In general, these groups expect honesty, transparency, authenticity and respect. businesses to treat them on social media just as Adding technology to the mix simply means it is they do in the real world. easier than ever for your customers to check up The ethical challenges raised by the rapid on you. expansion of social media are many: Should Jeff Scott is a consultant in customers be able to speak directly with your NATIONAL’s Montreal office CEO rather than by contacting your established [email protected] customer service team? Should every tweet published on your Twitter feed come from within or is it acceptable to engage an agency to help? Do you have to disclose the specifics of your communications tactics to your customers or is it enough to treat them with respect?
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  Online media and Most of the chatter on investor discussion forums does not warrant any company participation. investor relations: The forums can, however, reveal issues in how opportunity awaits disclosure events are being perceived in the marketplace. Rather than engaging in time- Laurie Stretch consuming individual conversations on investor discussion forums, company spokespeople, The world of online media, social media, clearly identified, can point investors back to blogs and discussion forums has added new relevant disclosed information on the company’s complexity to the discipline of investor relations. website for clarification. A regularly updated Finding the right balance between adhering to online FAQ document can also be an effective disclosure rules and engaging shareholders vehicle for addressing issues that come up in where they are communicating in the online world discussion forums, and companies can post links can be challenging. to the FAQ across social media channels. Due to legal concerns about the risks of including CEO blogs are popular in certain industries, selective disclosure, many companies take a although like any new communications channel, completely hands-off approach to digital media, analysis is required before a blog is launched to limiting their communications to the established ensure that the tone and approach are suited to tactics of news releases, websites, presentations the medium, that there is a purpose to the blog and conference calls. Such an approach other than merely restating news releases, and overlooks a key opportunity for engagement with that processes are in place to ensure the blog can investor audiences in their own space. Provided be maintained over time. that a company continues to disclose all material Laurie Stretch is a vice president news through news releases, online and social in NATIONAL’s Calgary office media can be a very useful way to broaden the reach of the official disclosure. [email protected] Social media monitoring is an essential addition to conventional media monitoring to ensure that companies have a true picture of investor sentiment. Retail investors in particular are avid users of social media. Ongoing and comprehensive monitoring can track attitudinal shifts or emerging issues in real time.
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  Responsible digital Conversely, if misinformation is being posted—on Wikipedia, Facebook, a blog or YouTube—who has engagement for the responsibility to correct it? And how can this pharmaceutical be done without appearing self-serving? Should— and possibly will—companies be held responsible companies if they don’t correct erroneous information disseminated by others? Miranda Dini Some companies have devised clever ways to Despite ever-increasing pressure—and desire— address these communications challenges and for pharmaceutical companies to enter the digital opportunities. When faced with SideWiki posts space and engage in an interactive dialogue with ”graffiti-ing” its corporate website, AstraZeneca their target audiences, this industry has been a posted legal statements running the length of “late adopter”. Clearly this is a highly regulated the page, ”owning” their space and ensuring environment—with a vacuum of clear-cut no inaccuracies are posted there. Roche, Novo guidelines on digital engagement. Additionally, Nordisk and others use the immediacy of the pharmaceutical industry (or pharma as it’s Twitter to issue news releases live from medical often called) is conservative, often hesitant to conferences. Novartis sponsors an educational leap into uncharted territories, particularly without Facebook page (Marcia Strassman—Patient well-proven ROI. Advocate) about the realities of breast cancer and As a result, pharma has generally remained a provides information about its drug’s efficacy and silent spectator in the digital space. But are these safety. And numerous companies have created companies missing opportunities to communicate interactive educational websites on diseases with their target audiences? Definitely. Does and treatments. silence equal responsibility? Not necessarily. Will So the industry can proactively, strategically we continue to see more intrepid pharma clients and responsibly educate audiences using the leading to creative digital projects? Hopefully! digital space, but there are limited examples to When audiences want to learn more about a date. What’s needed is both regulatory guidance disease, treatment or company, can pharma on the rules of engagement (the FDA is likely communicate proactively? Opportunities vary. to be first, estimated Q4 2010), as well as a For example, corporate reputation activities groundswell of digital industry advocates to push are similar to other industries, while treatment- their colleagues to become digital players instead specific discussions are highly regulated. of spectators. Education about diseases provides the Miranda Dini is director of greatest opportunities to communicate digitally operations of AxON’s office with audiences. in London [email protected]
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  Numbers that matter: So which numbers matter? First, it is vital to identify specific metrics that tie directly in to your a common sense key goals. Calibrating a campaign might involve approach to social media 30 different metrics ranging from basics like the number of unique visitors, to tracking passing monitoring of campaign collateral on Twitter, or tweaking Facebook Ads for better audience targeting. Channing Rodman Start specific, and narrow focus as the campaign Increasingly, companies demand that their social moves forward. media campaigns show clear ROI, so it’s crucial Secondly, recognize that time is also a number to have a good social media monitoring strategy. that matters. To properly evaluate a campaign, Understanding which numbers matter in your companies must budget for real time spent monitoring is the key to seeing real value from a strategizing, setting up and, above all, checking digital initiative. metrics. Metrics is a science, so regular checks Think of social media monitoring as the heartbeat are necessary in order to spot patterns of use that of any campaign—it drives everything you do. spell success or trouble for a campaign. During your planning stages, monitoring is how Finally, diversify. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all you find out where the conversation is happening. platform yet, so companies can only ensure Prior to launch, it lets you identify champions for smart monitoring through cross-checking tools. outreach and helps you prepare for crises. After For example, in a Facebook campaign you will launch, it lets you gauge success and points use insights to track users—but because social toward adjustments you can make to grow your media does not happen in isolation, this must be campaign. combined with other monitoring tools to track It can, however, be difficult to identify just where users spread the campaign off Facebook. which numbers matter most. Companies selling Designing social media monitoring from the start monitoring platforms further cloud the issue by to count the numbers that matter is what leads to claiming to measure metrics that can’t really real value for companies online. be counted, like “engagement” or “sentiment.” Channing Rodman is a Beware of claims to measure emotion since consultant in NATIONAL’s computers aren’t currently accurate at Vancouver office understanding natural language, so a platform [email protected] can’t truly gauge how users feel about a topic. More importantly, metrics shouldn’t be about emotions—they’re about what works and what doesn’t.
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  Customers generating Value exchange is the “what’s in it for me?” factor. For a moment, let’s admit that we are self- customers interested. As social creatures, we seek personal gain and act when we are given an incentive to Alex Pejcic do so. The interesting thing about value exchange As a digital marketer, I used to live in a world in today’s social web is that the pay-off can come where brand marketing, direct-response in various forms. marketing and advertising were all that mattered In traditional direct-response marketing, we would for the success of our clients. “reward” consumers with contests, coupons, “Big Ideas” were translated into multi-directional or access to exclusive content. Nowadays, creative executions, eventually pushed in front of consumers might share a brand’s piece of media target audiences courtesy of a mass media buy. to help increase their own popularity or reputation However, with the proliferation of peer-based among their online social graph. social networking, this modus operandi has been A good digital partner will look for ways to revolutionized—forever. develop opportunities that capitalize on these In less than three years, social networking has types of value exchange. They will be able to become mainstream. It’s transformed the way employ new strategies, rules and tactics that we communicate online. We are no longer simply leverage the best of traditional communications, motivated by a single brand voice, but have interactive marketing and the social web become further persuaded by the multifaceted for success. viewpoints of our online peers. For businesses and organizations, it’s critical to Inside the social web, we can see that peer take advantage of this important cultural shift influence will play a deeper role in brand affinity and allow consumers to drive brand affinity and and purchasing decisions. As well, if brands or purchase intent through peer influence. products are strong and ultimately worth talking Alex Pejcic is vice president, about, customers will be eager to do the online managing director of marketing for us. Sonic Boom Creative Media. And yet, this notion generates even more [email protected] questions. What would motivate a person to share a piece of media with a group of friends? Why would a person participate in an online community? One way to answer these questions is with value exchange.
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  Social media inQuebec Doris Juergens Je tweete, When it comes to traditional media, Quebec tu tweetes is definitely distinct. We have just 13 daily newspapers and it’s not unusual for over half the province to be glued to the TVA and Société Radio-Canada TV networks on Sunday evenings for local programming. But what about social media? Does the French language factor into that as well? The answer is yes and no. Yes, because Quebeckers in general—and francophones in particular—have been slower to adopt social media. By way of example, in late 2009, less than half of Quebeckers (42%) Many Twitter accounts move back and forth had even heard of Twitter, let alone used it. from one language to the other quite seamlessly, Just 2% held a Twitter account, according to a depending on the conversation. On my Twitter SOM survey, and usage among francophones is account (@juergens), I post in either English or significantly lower than among non-francophones French, depending on the topic. The reality is (1% vs. 5%) what tends to slow down communicators’ use For communicators, the low(er) numbers can be of social media in Quebec is the availability of a challenge. Many Quebec-based blogs won’t French interfaces for tools. For example, in some show up on the radar of standard social media instances, we have not recommended the new monitoring tools because the number of visitors foursquare application because there isn’t a is below their threshold, making it difficult to French interface (yet). identify online key opinion leaders and track But like most things with social media, it comes conversations. down to the main questions: What are we trying On the other hand, language can be even less of to accomplish? Is a social media strategy a good a factor in the digital world. While organizations fit? And if so, where is our audience? These that want to reach out to Quebeckers generally questions must be answered before we reach out have French-English mirror websites, blogs reflect to them and join the conversation. And in that their author’s preference and can be unilingual sense, Quebec is no different from anywhere else. or bilingual. Doris Juergens is a partner in NATIONAL’s Montreal office [email protected]
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  Not dead yet It’s also true that traditional media outlets are facing unprecedented financial challenges. Many Alan Fryer and Zdenka Buric have already folded; others are teetering on the brink. In order to survive, those that remain Hard to believe looking back now, but when we are struggling to redefine themselves and what first got into the business—one in TV journalism, constitutes hard news. What used to be “just the other in public relations—we were unarmed the facts, Ma’am” now comes injected with and didn’t know it. No email, no Internet and no increasingly large doses of opinion and analysis. one had ever heard of Google, let alone LinkedIn, (Just look at the growing popularity of Fox News Facebook or Twitter. in the US). Fast forward to the present day. We’ve gone from And that presents huge challenges for your what seemed like a trickle of information back company’s media relations strategy. Now, when then—brought to you exclusively by what we now things go wrong and your company finds itself refer to as the mainstream media—to a virtual in the news, it’s just as likely the media will be deluge. And the waters just keep rising. writing about how you handled the issue—your Amid all this, we keep hearing predictions (there’s strategy—as it will the five W’s. even a Twitter feed that’s counting it down) about Consider this recent headline from Reuters: the death of traditional media. If you buy that line, “Toyota grapples with PR bungles, tarnished you do so at your peril. brand” While it’s true that the glory days of the In other words, your strategy itself is now mainstream media are long gone, there remains considered newsworthy. The good (Maple one undeniable fact confirmed recently by a Leaf Foods), the bad (Toyota) and the ugly major study by the Pew Research Center’s (Tiger Woods). Project for Excellence in Journalism: most of what the public learns—in other words, most Alan Fryer, a former Washington of the news that’s reported and consumed—is bureau chief for CTV News, is still generated by traditional media, particularly senior counsel to NATIONAL newspapers and local television news. [email protected] By contrast, the world of new media—blogs and social media sites—serve more as online “echo chambers” that pick up that original content and Zdenka Buric is managing pass it around with added commentary. You can’t partner of NATIONAL’s ignore it: you have to deal with it, but it’s unlikely Vancouver office you’ll learn much new from it. [email protected]
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  Mobile and emerging technologies BrentMarshall The emergence of the mobile marketplace is one of the most significant events to hit the digital environment in recent memory. Two years ago, we witnessed the launch of the first mobile marketplace. Competitors recently started to appear and vie for a piece of the mobile application pie. Now marketers are jumping into the fray, leading the development charge to get their brand in front of the consumer. There’s no shortage of compelling arguments in favour of mobile application development. As with any industry moving this quickly, there The development can be monetized and are caveats. Each of the mobile platforms relies handled through third-party marketplaces; on an individual framework. The more devices we there’s no need to manage an e-commerce target, the longer the development will take. The platform. Development cycles are short since mobile device we choose changes the way we the applications are concise executions on a interact with the application. Understanding your specific idea. Screen time for your brand can target market and the device they use is key to be maximized with an application design that achieving a solid foundation for your application. encourages re-use. Meanwhile, the penetration of We are fortunate to have been given a solid smart phones continues to grow. foundation on which to construct and distribute The mobile marketplace represents a paradigm our applications. Consumers can now conduct shift in software distribution. Refereed any number of tasks through their mobile marketplaces guarantee that only well-executed devices—from anywhere. Doesn’t it make sense applications make it on to your phone. Daily to put your brand into the consumer’s hand? reports are provided to track your application’s Brent Marshall is the lead standing in the marketplace. Multiple-language technologist at Sonic Boom support enables worldwide distribution. Touch Creative Media screens, motion tracking and geo-location can [email protected] alter your approach to interface design.
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  Growing up digital John: Social networks fulfill a human and very teenage yearning for belonging and John Paul Fraser and Sam Merritt reinforcement.  No wonder these networks are so popular and the place to be if you want content Sam: I am 16 years old. to spread. John: I am not 16 years old.  But I have two Sam: And just about every young teen surveyed daughters who are under sixteen. has a cellphone and texts—a lot.  “Facebooking” Sam: Together John’s kids and I have something and texting are about equal in popularity. We in common: we know nothing about a world crave communication—spoken, written, visual— without online social networks. in our hands.  John: Some call them Digital Natives or John: Young people don’t fear technology Generation Z.  Whatever brand we impose, and, shockingly, can live without TV and its they bring attitudes and perspective that will, constraints. They’ve never lived without choice like generations before, define how the world over what they watch and when. YouTube produces and shares information. beats TV.   Sam: Sound crazy?  It was a 20-year-old who Behind these conclusions lies a core finding. The helped friends, and then the world, share days of raising awareness through traditional music online. Teens were the ones who made one-to-many broadcast channels are ending.  texting technology a dominant platform for More and more people will receive information communication. from their friends—the people they trust.  What’s more, they’ll expect to receive it on the move, in John: So it’s critical to know more about creative ways, without financial barriers.  tomorrow’s generation, today. Soon they will be a driving force of global opinion—if they aren’t For businesses and organizations, this means already. becoming a “friend” too—giving the audience more ways to participate with you.  It means your Sam: Recently, I surveyed my friends about their story becomes your audience’s story. online habits.  The first big conclusion: free. If it’s not free, then it’s not worth checking out. Sam: How do we know this? Because the people you share your house with say so. John: Young people expect to be able to receive content without paying for it.  And as companies John Paul Fraser is a vice continue to develop technology to safeguard president in NATIONAL’s it, youth will just continue to find ways to get Vancouver office  content for free. [email protected] Sam: Another conclusion: Facebook rules.  Most of my friends spend over two hours a day on it.  And it’s more than a place to get information, Sam Merritt is an intern in check up on friends or receive fan updates—it’s NATIONAL’s Vancouver office the best way for us to have direct one-to-one [email protected] contact.  Goodbye email.
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  For over 33years, NATIONAL Public Relations has helped Canada’s leading organizations reach their business goals with bold thinking that drives innovative communications solutions. And for over 13 years, Sonic Boom Creative Media has helped clients understand, embrace and optimize the massive potential of the digital world. Together we have the strategic, creative, technological and subject matter expertise to help you seize the potential of the digital landscape. Contact us: [email protected]