Comments for In Session http://blogs.iabc.com/ic The official blog of the IABC International Conference. Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:44:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 Comment on ConferenceCast: Interview with Dow Jones’ Alan Scott by Common Sense PR http://blogs.iabc.com/ic/2007/06/26/conferencecast-interview-with-dow-jones-alan-scott/#comment-1846 Common Sense PR Sat, 30 Jun 2007 15:48:11 +0000 http://blogs.iabc.com/ic/2007/06/26/conferencecast-interview-with-dow-jones-alan-scott/#comment-1846 <strong>Dow’s Brand-building Campaign - Needs more Cowbell...</strong> Are we getting to the point where it’s impossible to roll out a communications strategy without including a blog, podcast, digg-like voting, or some other inclusive, interactive approach? Angelo Fernando looks at the elegance and impact of the Do... Dow’s Brand-building Campaign - Needs more Cowbell…

Are we getting to the point where it’s impossible to roll out a communications strategy without including a blog, podcast, digg-like voting, or some other inclusive, interactive approach?
Angelo Fernando looks at the elegance and impact of the Do…

]]> Comment on Let’s predict the future by Russell Grossman http://blogs.iabc.com/ic/2007/06/08/lets-predict-the-future/#comment-1843 Russell Grossman Sun, 24 Jun 2007 02:44:51 +0000 http://blogs.iabc.com/ic/2007/06/08/lets-predict-the-future/#comment-1843 Meryl talks about a sense of time getting shorter and tasks getting longer. I'm sensing a widening gulf between those who are genuinely using the various social media as part of the way they lead their lives (and the blurring between work, play and home in these spaces) and C-suiters who increasingly want to know what the ROI on these is before they will engage with them. Communications practitioners are trying to bridge the gulf, but we are beginning to do the splits! The trap we must not fall into is to side either way, but seek to reconcile the two in the best way we can. Any ideas? Meryl talks about a sense of time getting shorter and tasks getting longer.

I’m sensing a widening gulf between those who are genuinely using the various social media as part of the way they lead their lives (and the blurring between work, play and home in these spaces) and C-suiters who increasingly want to know what the ROI on these is before they will engage with them.

Communications practitioners are trying to bridge the gulf, but we are beginning to do the splits! The trap we must not fall into is to side either way, but seek to reconcile the two in the best way we can. Any ideas?

]]> Comment on PR’s new assignment: Crunching the numbers on Web 2.0 by Meryl David http://blogs.iabc.com/ic/2007/06/17/prs-new-assignment-crunching-the-numbers-on-web-20/#comment-1842 Meryl David Mon, 18 Jun 2007 20:42:43 +0000 http://blogs.iabc.com/ic/2007/06/17/prs-new-assignment-crunching-the-numbers-on-web-20/#comment-1842 A resource I found after last year's conference is the book "Naked conversations" by Robert Scoble and Shel Israel. Its subtitle is "How blogs are changing the way businesses talk with customers". It stimulates good thinking about various ways in which blogs can be part of a strategic communication environment and helps understand what sort of things need to be measured/evaluated - and it's not HITS. A resource I found after last year’s conference is the book “Naked conversations” by Robert Scoble and Shel Israel. Its subtitle is “How blogs are changing the way businesses talk with customers”. It stimulates good thinking about various ways in which blogs can be part of a strategic communication environment and helps understand what sort of things need to be measured/evaluated - and it’s not HITS.

]]> Comment on Let’s predict the future by Ralph Gaillard http://blogs.iabc.com/ic/2007/06/08/lets-predict-the-future/#comment-1841 Ralph Gaillard Sun, 17 Jun 2007 22:08:30 +0000 http://blogs.iabc.com/ic/2007/06/08/lets-predict-the-future/#comment-1841 Meryl: I just visited trendwatching.com. Thanks for sharing this great resource. RG Meryl: I just visited trendwatching.com. Thanks for sharing this great resource. RG

]]> Comment on Let’s predict the future by Meryl David http://blogs.iabc.com/ic/2007/06/08/lets-predict-the-future/#comment-1840 Meryl David Sat, 16 Jun 2007 03:21:09 +0000 http://blogs.iabc.com/ic/2007/06/08/lets-predict-the-future/#comment-1840 Here's a website I stumbled on which has some very interesting trend stuff http://www.trendwatching.com/briefing/ for marketing communication people. Here’s a website I stumbled on which has some very interesting trend stuff http://www.trendwatching.com/briefing/ for marketing communication people.

]]> Comment on Let’s predict the future by Ralph Gaillard http://blogs.iabc.com/ic/2007/06/08/lets-predict-the-future/#comment-1837 Ralph Gaillard Wed, 13 Jun 2007 21:09:06 +0000 http://blogs.iabc.com/ic/2007/06/08/lets-predict-the-future/#comment-1837 Chris, Tom, Bernie: Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the future. Bernie: Web 2.0 will certainly be a hot topic of conversation in New Orleans. There are at least six sessions on this year's program that address the use of social media as a marketing and communication tool. Between these sessions and attendee chatter about the latest YouTube video, I think this topic will get plenty of attention---which is great. I haven't this much excitement and innovation in the online communication arena in a while. It's fun to watch communicators launch video podcast campaigns for consumers, blogs for their CEOs and marketing efforts aimed at the audience inside Second Life. RG Chris, Tom, Bernie: Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the future. Bernie: Web 2.0 will certainly be a hot topic of conversation in New Orleans. There are at least six sessions on this year’s program that address the use of social media as a marketing and communication tool. Between these sessions and attendee chatter about the latest YouTube video, I think this topic will get plenty of attention—which is great. I haven’t this much excitement and innovation in the online communication arena in a while. It’s fun to watch communicators launch video podcast campaigns for consumers, blogs for their CEOs and marketing efforts aimed at the audience inside Second Life. RG

]]> Comment on Let’s predict the future by Ralph Gaillard http://blogs.iabc.com/ic/2007/06/08/lets-predict-the-future/#comment-1835 Ralph Gaillard Wed, 13 Jun 2007 02:10:21 +0000 http://blogs.iabc.com/ic/2007/06/08/lets-predict-the-future/#comment-1835 Meryl: Thanks for your comments. Employee engagement is also back on the "worry lists" of CEOs, HR and Corporate Communicators. As the war for talented employees heats up (especially within the technology industry), companies are starting to pay attention to retention--and a a big part of retention is keeping employees engaged in their work. I recently saw a rather disturbing and interesting survey of American workers. The survey, conducted by The Conference Board, found that satisfaction levels among U.S. workers has hit an absolute low point. (Less than half of those polled said they were satisfied in the 2007 survey.) It looks like this engagement will be with us for a while and prevents yet another opportunity for business communicators to step up and tackle this issue. Wilma: Excellent point. Thank you for reminding me of the "two CSRs." I'd be interested to hear or see evidence of how both can directly/indirectly affect a company's performance and reputation. RG Meryl: Thanks for your comments. Employee engagement is also back on the “worry lists” of CEOs, HR and Corporate Communicators. As the war for talented employees heats up (especially within the technology industry), companies are starting to pay attention to retention–and a a big part of retention is keeping employees engaged in their work. I recently saw a rather disturbing and interesting survey of American workers. The survey, conducted by The Conference Board, found that satisfaction levels among U.S. workers has hit an absolute low point. (Less than half of those polled said they were satisfied in the 2007 survey.) It looks like this engagement will be with us for a while and prevents yet another opportunity for business communicators to step up and tackle this issue.

Wilma: Excellent point. Thank you for reminding me of the “two CSRs.” I’d be interested to hear or see evidence of how both can directly/indirectly affect a company’s performance and reputation.

RG

]]> Comment on Let’s predict the future by Wilma Mathews, ABC http://blogs.iabc.com/ic/2007/06/08/lets-predict-the-future/#comment-1834 Wilma Mathews, ABC Tue, 12 Jun 2007 21:32:52 +0000 http://blogs.iabc.com/ic/2007/06/08/lets-predict-the-future/#comment-1834 Ralph, There's CSR and then there's ... CSR. For extraction companies such as mining, CSR is a very real, visceral part of their ability to conduct business. There, CSR can include providing school buildings, housing for workers, a hospital or other inprovements in exchange for the right to tear up the land. The "other" CSR is what more genteel companies say when they're talking about cleaning up a park, or having employees volunteer for a walk-a-thon. It's critical to understand the difference between the two and how they affect -- directly and/or indirectly -- a company's bottom line and acceptance into the community. Ralph,
There’s CSR and then there’s … CSR.
For extraction companies such as mining, CSR is a very real, visceral part of their ability to conduct business. There, CSR can include providing school buildings, housing for workers, a hospital or other inprovements in exchange for the right to tear up the land.
The “other” CSR is what more genteel companies say when they’re talking about cleaning up a park, or having employees volunteer for a walk-a-thon.
It’s critical to understand the difference between the two and how they affect — directly and/or indirectly — a company’s bottom line and acceptance into the community.

]]> Comment on Let’s predict the future by Bernie Charland http://blogs.iabc.com/ic/2007/06/08/lets-predict-the-future/#comment-1833 Bernie Charland Tue, 12 Jun 2007 20:19:17 +0000 http://blogs.iabc.com/ic/2007/06/08/lets-predict-the-future/#comment-1833 Ralph, I think the two trends you list are definitely salient these days. But to me the most dramatic trend in corporate communication - as well as in business and marketing - is the dramatic impact of Web 2.0 technology on how people access and share information. The change is so fundamental that it impacts virtually all aspects related to communication - from marketing to media relations to employee communications. The advent of crowd-sourcing, social networks and citizen journalists are just the tip of the iceberg, if we are to believe studies on the younger generations and how they get and share information. My observation is that many communicators are operating as if they still back in the old days, and that is not good news for the profession. Hopefully, this topic will be given a good airing at the conference. Cheers Ralph,
I think the two trends you list are definitely salient these days. But to me the most dramatic trend in corporate communication - as well as in business and marketing - is the dramatic impact of Web 2.0 technology on how people access and share information. The change is so fundamental that it impacts virtually all aspects related to communication - from marketing to media relations to employee communications. The advent of crowd-sourcing, social networks and citizen journalists are just the tip of the iceberg, if we are to believe studies on the younger generations and how they get and share information. My observation is that many communicators are operating as if they still back in the old days, and that is not good news for the profession. Hopefully, this topic will be given a good airing at the conference.
Cheers

]]> Comment on Let’s predict the future by Tom Keefe http://blogs.iabc.com/ic/2007/06/08/lets-predict-the-future/#comment-1832 Tom Keefe Tue, 12 Jun 2007 15:51:17 +0000 http://blogs.iabc.com/ic/2007/06/08/lets-predict-the-future/#comment-1832 Ralph and Meryl, thanks for starting this conversation. I see the need for communicators to participate in the preparation of leaders to be more flexible and responsive in conversation and information-sharing. Social media tools and technologies like blogs, podcasts and online discussion forums are changing the ways that conversations are occuring within and outside of companies. The conversations are, at times, blending the internal and external participants. Most importantly, leaders of a company really can only steer part of the conversation, and need to be able to respond to the thoughts and feelings of other people who may, or may not, agree with the company's "line." The leaders of the company where I work seem to be straddling the line between the old ways of communicating, and the current ways. Ralph and Meryl, thanks for starting this conversation. I see the need for communicators to participate in the preparation of leaders to be more flexible and responsive in conversation and information-sharing.

Social media tools and technologies like blogs, podcasts and online discussion forums are changing the ways that conversations are occuring within and outside of companies. The conversations are, at times, blending the internal and external participants. Most importantly, leaders of a company really can only steer part of the conversation, and need to be able to respond to the thoughts and feelings of other people who may, or may not, agree with the company’s “line.”

The leaders of the company where I work seem to be straddling the line between the old ways of communicating, and the current ways.

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