Insights for Leaders Navigating
Visibility, Credibility, and Growth.
From media strategy to reputation management, we explore the trends shaping public perception and share the approaches that drive measurable results for growing brands.
Last week Dr. Sanjay Gupta, one of the healthcare industry’s brightest media stars, took himself out of the running for the position of surgeon general within President Barack Obama’s administration.
Dr. Gupta is best-known as CNN’s chief medical correspondent, hosting the network’s weekend health program “House Call” with Dr. Sanjay Gupta and making frequent appearances on the network’s “American Morning,” “Larry King Live,” and “Anderson Cooper 360∞” programs. He also contributes to CBS News and writes a column for TIME. In addition, he practices neurosurgery at Atlanta’s Grady Memorial Hospital.
While Dr. Gupta’s decision may have been a surprise move for some, there’s no doubt that others are breathing a sigh of relief. As one of the most well-known medical correspondents in recent memory, Dr. Gupta has been an integral part of the changing media landscape around healthcare-related news.
A recent study by Pew Research Center’s Excellence for Journalism indicates health-related news coverage is in limbo as the media landscape continues to shift.
According to the report, “as consumers migrate from broadcast to cable, and from print to online; as newspapers cut pages, reporters and editors; as the amount of advertising on TV goes up and the news hole shrinks; as all of these shifts occur, it is likely that viewers will be exposed to less news coverage of health and health policy.”
What will this mean for those of us who look to the news for vital information about healthcare? Fortunately, Dr. Gupta has gone beyond simply reporting on the latest and greatest research studies to shed the media spotlight on some of the world’s most critical health issues including AIDS, mental health, vaccines, autism and gene therapy. These are all issues that will greatly impact our society in the near future and it’s critical that the media continue to incorporate ongoing healthcare perspectives from experts such as Dr. Gupta into their daily coverage agendas.
Health care is an important issue for many people and it should be a top priority for print and broadcast media as well as social media outlets such as blogs and micro-blogs. Dr. Gupta has certainly raised the bar when it comes to health-related news and we could use a few more like him educating people about the issues that will impact those most.
What do you think about the Pew Research Center study? Do you think a reduction in media coverage of health and health policy will be detrimental? We’d love to hear your thoughts.
According to a recent report by eMarketer, podcasts quickly becoming viable vehicles of communication in mainstream media.
Podcasts were born as a result of blending social media with iPods as a vehicle for anyone to broadcast their opinions or discuss topics of interest.
“The popularity of podcasts has created an environment in which increasing numbers of media companies are repurposing content from their radio or TV broadcasts as podcasts, and audiences have responded favorably,” says Paul Verna, senior marketing analyst for eMarketer. “This shift has resulted in the evolution of podcasting from a long-tail medium to a Web 2.0 extension of popular, traditional media.”
Verna continues, “today, the vast majority of the top-rated podcasts come from recognizable media entities that are using podcasts to expand their existing radio, TV, cable or satellite audiences.”
The report also indicates that podcast audiences have grown and will continue to do so. According to recent statistics, next year 26.7 million people will listen to podcasts.
We often recommend our clients leverage podcasts as a way to raise awareness of a company and drive viral buzz within the social media sphere.
Podcasts offer a fantastic platform to help organizations amplify key messages to media and consumers to create evangelists for a brand. With mainstream media joining the ranks of podcasting including TIME, U.S. News and World Report, Business Week and The New York Times, companies have a significant opportunity to get in front of they key audiences and influencers that matter to them most.
There are a variety of ways an organization can leverage podcast opportunities including:
Pitch interview opportunities with relevant podcast – Whether it’s TIME’s Green podcast or Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History podcast, all of these shows are looking for new story ideas and interview subjects. You should pitch podcasts in the same manner you would a traditional media opportunity. Develop a compelling interview topic and send to the producer or host via e-mail.
Develop your own podcast – Many organizations are developing their own podcasts and hosting them on their Web sites or seeding them with relevant blogs. The cost to produce these podcasts can vary depending on whether you have the proper equipment and skills. However, this option offers the ability to have more control over the content and ensures the desired key messages are being relayed.
Do some research on podcasts, you’ll be surprised to learn who is podcasting and how many opportunities there are to reach your key audiences via this medium.
Navigating the changing media landscape while simultaneously outsmarting the economy can be a challenge for PR professionals. It’s important to share our experiences, knowledge and expertise so we can learn from the triumphs and tribulations of others and ultimately, emerge successful.
Despite the myriad of social networking sites and the “always connected” lifestyle we all embrace, connecting with others in the business world can be tough. Enter the new weekly “PR Works Show,” an online radio show which debuted today at 9 a.m. PST.
PR Works is hosted by Lee Weinstein, former director of communications at Nike, Inc. and principal of LWR PR in Portland, Oregon. The 45-minute talk radio show will feature PR pros from a range of backgrounds discussing what works and what doesn’t in PR. You can listen to the show here.
Says Weinstein, “I’ve always loved radio and with the Internet and podcasting, there is so much more potential with this medium. Reading takes time, which is a shrinking commodity. I’m hopeful that the PR Works show will be something people can listen to as they’re doing e-mail, driving to work or sitting in a reception area with their iPod.”
He goes on to say, “We PR people have a lot to share with one another and we hope this is a format that allows for great discussions!”
Aside from the invaluable insights we hope to gain from listening to PR Works, we’re excited the show will be available via podcast so we can listen whenever we want.
Scheduled guests thus far include:
Dave Ingey, director of Olympic marketing, Johnson & Johnson
Corey DuBrowa, president – Account Services, Waggener Edstrom
We’ll be sure to post any valuable insights we gain from listening on our blog – stay tuned!
Today, RCR Wireless, one of the most well respected mobile and wireless publications in the industry announced it would cease publication of its print and online entities after 25 years.
RCR Wireless is one of several publications who have recently made the decision to close down due to the current economic climate. A few weeks ago, the Rocky Mountain News shut its doors after 150 years, and other major national dailies such as the San Francisco Chronicle and Seattle Post-Intelligencer are up for sale as publishers look for new ways to survive the economic downturn.
It’s no secret that this shift in the media landscape has been a long time coming. For decades, the magazine and newspaper industries have struggled to maintain and increase advertising revenue to support circulation costs. In addition, disruptive technologies such the Internet and social networking as viable forms of communications have forced traditional media outlets to look at other business models to retain readership.
According to a Dec. 2008 survey by the Pew Research Center for People and the Press, more U.S. consumers get their news online than from newspapers. The survey reveals that 40 percent of consumers rely on the Internet for news, surpassing newspapers as the main news source for the first time since Pew started administering the survey in 2001. In addition, the rising popularity of social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook is giving way to the next generation of the citizen journalist with people leveraging these mediums to report and comment on events and news in their neighborhoods, cities and areas that matter most to them.
So what is the future of news? That seems to be the million dollar question and one our industry is watching closely. As traditional and new media continue to converge and social networking increases, I believe we will see traditional media outlets offering their content in new ways. We’re already starting to see this with online content, podcasts and journalist blogs. I think we’ll also see these outlets use micro-blogging sites and mobile social networking more in the near future. No matter what happens it will be interesting to see what happens.
As a PR professional who has worked with editors at RCR Wireless such as Colin Gibbs and Dan Meyer for many years, we are sad to see the publication go and wish everyone there the best of luck. Their industry insight and perspective will be missed.
As social mediums such as Twitter, Facebook and MySpace continue to gain popularity, there’s one thing that’s very important to keep in mind – the line between personal and professional communication is disappearing. A recent incident involving a Ketchum employee exemplifies the importance of self-censorship when it comes to social media.
According to PRWeek, a Ketchum staff member posted a controversial Tweet on Twitter about his client’s hometown. He commented, “I’m in one of those towns where I scratch my head and say ëI would die if I had to live here!'” The Tweet caused offense and “prompted an angry memo that reached executives on both sides and the blogosphere.”
Although this issue has been resolved, it had an impact and undoubtedly scarred a few reputations. This example illustrates the importance of evaluating content before posting it online and reminds PR professionals and business leaders alike to ask ourselves, “Is this content appropriate to share publicly?”
Here are a few tips to on how you can avoid situations such as this.
Educate your employees. Everyone across the organization should receive education in social media etiquette. They should understand the implications and be advised on what is appropriate to post on company blogs or their own personal blogs. (Some companies are providing their employees with guidelines about posting corporate information in their corporate handbooks.) For example, Communiqué PR’s blogging guidelines state:
- Bloggers should state that the opinions expressed in any blog about work-related matters are their own and have not been reviewed or approved by the employers. Bloggers should also state that they assume full responsibility and liability for any work-related content contained in the blog.
- Bloggers are required to comply with the Company’s policies protecting its trade secrets and other confidential information, including information about customers.
- Bloggers should not disclose any customer “insider information” and should not address any customer-related activity during certain black out periods required by securities laws and regulations.
If you don’t want your manager or clients to see something, DON’T POST IT. Even with privacy settings on social networking sites, such as Facebook and MySpace, it’s important to remember content on the Internet can be forwarded to other friends, colleagues and even strangers. Someone that you don’t want to see inappropriate pictures or read personal comments may be exposed to them through network connections. According to Barri Rafferty with PRWeek, “Everything should be treated like it’s in the public domain, because it is.”
Remember “digital dialogue” travels at a rapid speed. As exemplified by the Ketchum situation, one post has the possibility to affect thousands of people within minutes or even seconds. It can drive social reaction and also create positive or negative conversations throughout the blogosphere and social networking space.
The more informed and experienced you and your colleagues are with social mediums, the less likely it will be that you will make mistakes that can have an affect on your career, your relationships and your personal and professional reputation.. Social media is a great tool and when used properly, can help you and your company or clients immensely.
As PR professionals with clients in the high-tech industry, we see first-hand, how technology impacts everyday lives. The evolution of mobile phones, Wi-Fi hotspots and mobile WiMAX has shifted our lifestyle to an “always-connected” culture. Given this, we are especially excited about helping Alaska Airlines launch the customer trial of its new satellite-based wireless Internet service.
The service is called Alaska Airlines Inflight Wi-Fi and can be used by passengers to browse the Web; access online music, games, podcasts and webcasts; send and receive e-mail and connect to Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).
There are many times I have boarded a plane and wished I had bought one more magazine to read or remembered an e-mail I wanted to send. With this service, I am looking forward to staying connected – whether for business or entertainment. I can only imagine the fun I could have getting caught up with friends on Facebook at 30,000 feet.
I am not the only one excited about Alaska Airlines’ announcement. We did an informal poll to determine what others think about this service and here are a few of the comments we heard:
“This is one more thing that makes Alaska Airlines the very best,” wrote Debra Yergen. “I’ve been an MVP flyer with them some years, and just a regular flyer other years (when I’ve just missed the levels), and I always feel like I get the very best service. From their inflight digEplayers to inflight Wi-Fi, Alaska Airlines is continually fantastic. It’s great to be able to send e-mails and keep current with events – especially on long flights from Seattle to Maui (which I just took in November/December 2008).
According to Spencer Harrison, “Inflight Wi-Fi is amazing. I was literally checking e-mail and chatting with friends via Instant Messenger at 37,000 feet. It made the flight go by so much faster.”
Ed Kohler, a frequent traveler out of Minneapolis, and a customer of Alaska Airlines for flights to Vancouver and Seattle wrote us to say, “I’m much more likely to consider Alaska Airlines over other options including Minneapolis-Saint Paul’s incumbent airline Northwest Airlines (soon to be Delta) based on having Wi-Fi as an option.”
Kohler went on to explain. “My hope is that they’ll also include power outlets onboard. If not, this may prompt me to go out to buy an iPod Touch for use when my laptop’s battery eventually dies. Using e-mail will be my biggest benefit from this. While surfing the web, online games are great, e-mail is the killer app for communication while traveling for business. It’s the first thing I check when I hit the ground.”
Ruth Carter shared, “I think it’s awesome that Alaska Airlines is adding Wi-Fi service to its airlines. I’m a law student and a research assistant. Even though I’m only in my first year, I already have the mindset that ëtime is money.’ I support anything that lets me use my time more efficiently. For some of us, being out of touch, even if only for a few hours, can be a huge hassle. I don’t think that cell phone use should ever be allowed on airplanes because it would be so annoying and distracting to other passengers. However, I completely support the idea that travelers will be able to conduct research on the Internet and communicate with others through their laptops while they are in-flight.”
To date, there have been more than 45 print and broadcast mentions about Alaska Airlines’ Wi-Fi service trial including USA Today, Wireless Week, CNET TV, Anchorage Daily News, Seattle Times, KOMO 4 News, KING 5 News and KIRO 7 News.
We hope this is helpful as you consider how you might take advantage of this new service. For more information on Alaska Airlines Inflight Wi-Fi please e-mail us at [email protected].