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ADOPTING SOCIAL MEDIA: KEY INSIGHTS
This past fall, I had the opportunity to attend the
International Association of Business Communicators
Pacific Plains Regional Conference in Seattle.
Not only did I have the chance to meet other
professional communicators from around the region, I
also had a chance to attend several interesting and
educational presentations by top experts on strategic
planning, new public relations tools, internal
communications, creativity and body language.
New media tools
Presentations centered around the impact of the
Internet, powerful new media tools and the
importance of integrating social media with traditional
media. As I was reviewing my notes on the
conference, I ran across a very fascinating report
summarizing the North American New Media
Academic Summit held in Chicago on June 26 - 27,
2008 sponsored by Edelman and PRWeek.
The report echoed many of the key points
discussed at the IABC conference.
Social media adoption
The white paper
recaps some of the most compelling
insights derived from the Summit about how the
media as well as public and private companies are
adopting social media to their needs.
PR can engage stakeholders
The report
authors point out that "the advancement of social
media around the world, and the changes to
business, media and communications that follow,
means that PR can enable companies to more
effectively engage with their stakeholders". The report
authors are Richard Edelman, president and CEO of
Edelman and Rick Murray, president of Edelman
Digital.
Compelling key insights
Following is a
brief
description of key insights from the Summit:
- An evolution from a top-down model to an open-
dialogue model is in full swing.
- Mainstream media is a powerful amplifier for new
media.
- News will move from being at the very core of print
to a supporting element to products and services.
- Media will become comfortable with the
economics of fragmentation, not scale.
- Companies are embracing the open-dialogue
model, but slowly and carefully.
- Social media require a continuing dialogue.
- Blogs are not the most popular method of social
media worldwide.
This brave new world of social media can be exciting,
yet challenging. I know that I'm still learning and trying
to find effective ways to adopt social media and
integrate it into marketing communications and PR
strategies and tactics that achieve results for clients.
If you'd like to read the white paper, go to www.edelman.com/s
ummit08.
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Greetings and Happy Holidays!
As 2008 winds down and we stand at the threshold of
another new year -- the word "change" echoes in my
head. As the rallying cry of the Obama campaign, the
word "change" conjures up both exciting and at times,
sobering images that underscore a year of challenge,
excitement and change.
So, what challenges and changes lie ahead for
marketing communication professionals in 2009?
And, what trends and values will shape consumer
behavior? Included this month are several articles that
shed light on these questions and provide
some intriguing answers for 2009 and beyond.
As always, I hope you find the articles interesting,
useful, and most of all insightful!
Sincerely,
Barbara K. Mednick
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| TOP CULTURAL TRENDS FOR 2009 |
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What trends and values will shape consumer
behavior in the coming year? Well, now you don't have
to wonder anymore. That's because the leading
cultural trend research company Iconoculture, based
in Minneapolis, has identified the top cultural trends
for 2009.
Influences marketing strategies
Following are the top trends for 2009 identified by
Iconoculture as critical influences in consumer
behavior, which in turn influences overall product and
marketing strategies. So, it's important to keep these
trends in mind when developing a marketing
communications and/or PR plan for your organization.
Trend 1: Buying Out
Motivated by a trifecta of dire economic pressures,
changing sustainability beliefs and a growing indie
aesthetic, leading-edge consumers are redefining
what it means to consume, from upcycling to victory
gardening to the radical rethinking of household
finances.
Trend #2: Forced Full Disclosure
The Internet and other technologies have ushered in
an unprecedented era of personal honesty, whether
consumers like it or not. Location-based services,
social networks and online banking portfolios will, in
the coming year, change the nature of privacy, with
implications stretching from technology, personal
finance and politics to work and play.
Trend #3: Morphing Multicultural Mobility
In the not-too-distant future, "minorities" will be the
U.S. majority. Knowing how to reach these consumers
is only becoming more difficult as they migrate to new
geographic areas in search of economic opportunity.
Trend #4: Shame Shift
We're seeing social mores morph, and watching as
the
shift in attitude around what's socially acceptable and
what isn't reshapes a broad swath of businesses.
Generational divides, changing economic
circumstances, environmental awareness and an
expanded slate of public and personal data is causing
consumer attitudes about acceptability to morph.
>From dumpster diving to mixed martial arts to teen
pregnancy and extreme media violence, the future ain' t
what it used to be.
Trend #5: Community Living
The shape of the nation is changing as cultural rural,
urban and suburban commingle and consumers
seek out new kinds of community -- ones that
transcend geography. Phenomena like localism in
food (and other goods) in urban settings and the
flattening effects of technology in rural and suburban
areas are resetting the nation's working/playing field.
Consumers are craving less commuting pain and are
looking for innovative ways to make more touchable
moments with other people.
Trend #6: Health Holism
Health has stepped out of the hospital -- way out.
Consumer engagement with health and wellness
information and care no longer requires extensive
outlays of money, time or sacrifice. From expanding
wellness initiatives in the workplace to information-
sharing among consumers, Americans are
increasingly finding that the tools for living better and
knowing more are seamlessly integrated into daily life.
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| YOUR FEEDBACK REQUESTED |
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I've decided to include a new section in the BKM
Consulting Insights newsletter for 2009 and would
like to request your help and feedback!
Each month, I'll pose a question and ask you to send
me your feedback on the question. With your
permission, I will then include your feedback on the
question in the next issue.
Please email me with your feedback to the following
question:
"What types of social media tools have you used
or are you using in your business or organization?
Have they been successful and if so, why?"
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