Archive for March, 2009

Spectrum

PR and Journalism, A New Age for PR Professionals

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

Not to beat a dead horse (again), but newspapers are living through the "unthinkable scenario" where the future is uncertain. These unprecedented changes have raised a number of questions, some philosophical, others not so much. For PR pros, the question asked is more practical, do you want to keep your job?

As I write this, the New York Times - which itself is struggling to pay off its own debt - reported that the Sun-Times Media Group, which publishes the Chicago Sun-Times and operates 58 others, filed for bankruptcy protection. I'm not going to lie, I'm still horrified when I hear this type of news, but I'm becoming more desensitized to the situation. I think we all are. However, that doesn't negate the fact that times are changing, industries are being restructured and the need to grow professionally is more important than ever.

Digital technology has changed the relationship between journalism and newspapers, but it also has changed the relationship between PR and journalism. The media skills to successfully compete yesterday, although still important, are not enough in today's digital world.  Brian Solis and Deirdre Breakenridge said it best in their new book, Putting the Public Back in Public Relations (I haven't read it in full, but so far so good):

Social Media is powerful. It is not only changing 'the game,' it is also inspiring everyone across every marketing discipline to evolve or quickly become victims of media 'survival of the fittest.' Some professionals will make it; some won't. Others will get mired in researching ROI and reasons to justify whether there's a business case to participate. Others will waste time questioning the viability of Social Media and the need to reform, while simultaneously the world advances around them. Unfortunately, the outcome will be the gradual obsolescence of many marketing departments and advertising and PR teams.

What does this mean for those in PR? Individuals need to internalize the urgency of the day and make personal investments to develop the skills necessary to compete in an ever-growing digital, participatory world. Otherwise, you risk becoming obsolete and in need of a new job.

Chris Rottler, Digital Strategist & Account Executive

Posted in Journalism, Media Relations, New Media, PR Industry, Technology
By Spectrum | 4 Comments »

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eanderson
Erica
Anderson

Unthinking Television and Thinking Mobile

Monday, March 30th, 2009

On Thursday, I spoke on a roundtable at George Mason's 6th Annual Visual Cultural Symposium. The topic this year was called "Unthinking Television," and I was asked to discuss what "screen life" meant to me.

The other participants on the roundtable - including a video game producer and a social scientist of Second Life - came from diverse backgrounds, to say the least. I was there to speak about my experience as a mobile reporter for MTV's Street Team '08. (Read: Young Reporters, New Tools and Political Reporting in Harvard's Neiman Report).

The question posed to the roundtable was this: What is screen life?

For me, when I hear the word "screen" I immediately think of the screens that I grew up with. First it was the television screen, and of course the big screen for movies. Now, in my early adulthood, it is the mobile screen that dominates my life.

Tomi T. Ahonen, a blogger for Communities Dominate Brands, recently created a comprehensive report on the impact of mobile. He offered this bit of information: the world population is 6.7 billion people. Four billion of which have phone subscriptions, which means over 60 percent of people in the world have access to a phone. Also, 17 percent, or about 680 million people, are subscribing to get news on their phone.

At the GOP National Convention last September, I had the opportunity test out this medium on the Convention floor. I was one of the only reporters on the floor with live mobile-to-web streaming capabilities. My impromptu broadcasts were met with confusion and curiosity. The reactions reflected the monumental brink - and shift in communications, that we are standing before.

So what is screen life? For one, mobile screens and technology provides us all with immediate connectivity - much more than sitting at a stationary computer because we are filming/tweeting/texting from locations beyond the console. The dawn of the World Wide Web was ground breaking because it allowed us to connect instantly to people with common interests. But as the phenomenon unfolded, internet users became immersed, perhaps to a fault, because many substituted internet interaction with real interaction. Now, with mobile tech and the traveling screen, I wonder how that connectivity and interaction will unfold, in a way that supports an informed society.

Erica Anderson, Senior Digital Strategist

Posted in Journalism, New Media, Technology
By Erica Anderson | No Comments »

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Spectrum

Internet Fundraising: The Whole Really is Greater Than the Sum of its Parts

Thursday, March 26th, 2009

President Obama's use of the Internet to raise record-breaking campaign contributions was impressive, but now that those headlines have been replaced with the economic tsunamis hitting organizations worldwide, some are left with an agonizing question: How can we do what he did?

Well, beyond clever "Calls to Action," nice landing pages, strategic online ad buys, Bono and other effective fundraising tactics, organizations need to learn how to strategically leverage the right technology that resonates with their target audiences to tap into the long-tail - which almost goes without saying ... almost.

There are plenty of online applications - Paypal and Spare Change Payments to name a couple - and a few more on the horizon that efficiently collect and organize micropayments that could easily be integrated into a Web site, Weblog, social-network or other online property. However, it's important to remember that these applications are just pieces that should be used to enhance a larger campaign, not stand alone.

Creativity never goes out of style, and the more one understands their target, the more successful the campaign will be. These are pretty simple assertions, but all too often I see online fundraising initiatives without much substance, direction or clarity. The "if we build it, they will come" mentality has not, and will never, produce the ROI that a strategically-based campaign with clear goals can achieve.

So how can you do what the Obama campaign did? First, don't forget the fundamentals of fundraising: understand your target audience; engage people with content that moves them to take action; make it simple to donate; and don't forget to be creative. Second, don't limit yourself to the Internet. Some of the most effective campaigns I've come across are those that effectively balance their online tactics with traditional ones.

Are you going to raise over $750 million? Probably not, but by thinking strategically and creatively - not forgetting the fundamentals - you are more likely to grab hold of those dollars within the nooks and crannies of the Internet that would have otherwise been ignored.

Do you want to learn more? Here are a couple of books that really lay the groundwork for a successful Internet fundraising campaign: People to People Fundraising: Social Networking and Web 2.0 for Charities and Nonprofit Internet Strategies: Best Practices for Marketing, Communications, and Fundraising.

Chris Rottler, Digital Strategist & Account Executive

Posted in Fundraising, New Media
By Spectrum | 1 Comment »

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CButz
Colleen
Butz

Spectrum Gears Up For the 2009 ADA National Capital Tour de Cure

Friday, March 20th, 2009
John Seng at DC Kick Off

John Seng at DC Kick Off

Last night, Spectrum President & CEO John Seng joined over 100 other Washington, D.C. metro area citizens as they rallied together in support of finding a cure for diabetes at the 2009 American Diabetes Association's National Capital Tour de Cure D.C. Kick-Off. Hosted by CycleLife USA, the D.C. Kick-Off jump started the Tour de Cure fundraising and training season.

Seng, the Chair of the 2009 ADA National Capital Tour de Cure, shared his outlook on this year's fundraising and advocacy. In efforts to expand diabetes awareness and fundraising goals, Seng encouraged Tour de Cure participants to enlist the help of their HR directors and employers to organize and support corporate teams. Spectrum's team, the "SpokesPersons," has been riding with the Tour de Cure for over five years and has raised over $26,000 to support the American Diabetes Association.

An avid cyclist, Seng became involved in Tour de Cure because of his passion for bike riding and desire to help find a cure to save lives. Currently, there are 423,000 people living in the Washington, D.C. metro area living with diabetes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 in 3 children born after the year 2000 will develop diabetes at some point in their lifetimes.

"I am humbled to be the Chair of the 2009 ADA National Capital Tour de Cure," Seng said. "Riding in the Tour de Cure is a win, win, win situation. It is fun, healthy and directly supports the American Diabetes Association's mission to find a cure for diabetes."

The Tour de Cure is a fun cycling event that allows both avid and recreational cyclists to raise money for diabetes research and educational programs. The 2009 ADA National Capital Tour de Cure will take place on Sunday, June 14, 2009 at the Reston Towne Center.

Whether you are an avid cyclist or enjoy recreational riding, register you and your team for the 2009

ADA National Capital Tour de Cure by visiting http://tour.diabetes.org.

Washington D.C.'s CW station DC 50, 2009 ADA National Capital Tour de Cure television media sponsor, was on the scene at the D.C. Kick-Off and recorded the evening's presentations that will soon be posted on DC50tv.com along with photos from the event. ADA National Capital Tour de Cure riders are encouraged to check-out the DC 50's "Biking for a Cause" pages updates on the cyclists health and training blog and important information on upcoming bike rides in the Washington, D.C. area.

Colleen T. Butz, Account Executive

Posted in Awards, Community Involvement, Disease Awareness
By Colleen Butz | 2 Comments »

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Budget Bull

Wednesday, March 18th, 2009

Numerous commentators have argued that, although the budget reconciliation procedure would allow health reform legislation to avoid filibuster and pass with a majority Democratic vote, the Byrd rule would prohibit many no cost provisions critical to such an enterprise. These no cost provisions include standards to protect consumers in marketing commercial insurance, the design of independent review of health claims denials and mechanisms to ensure universal enrollment in public and private insurance plans and subsidy programs to assist low-income families.

This week, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad joined those concerned about the effect of the Byrd Rule, stating that "If you try to write in reconciliation healthcare reform ... you'll be left with Swiss cheese because so much will be subjected to Byrd rule strikes."

In fact, the Byrd rule can be easily repealed or revised to accommodate health reform by a simple majority vote of Democrats in the Budget Committee. With a 12-9 majority, the aye votes of only 11 Democrats on the Committee are required to remove the Byrd rule impediment to passing substantive and well-designed health reform legislation. Indeed, the arcane Budget Rules provide that a sixty-vote super-majority is required to reverse such a vote on the Senate floor.

Marsha Simon, PhD, President, Simon & Co., LLC

Posted in Congress, Health Care Reform, Health Policy, Public Affairs
By The Full Spectrum | No Comments »

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Spectrum

Clay Shirky: Society Doesn't Need Newspapers. What We Need is Journalism

Wednesday, March 18th, 2009

As the Seattle Post-Intelligencer prints its last edition Tuesday shifting entirely to the Web, Clay Shirky's recent post on the relationship between journalism and the newspaper industry, as well as the "revolution" that is taking place before our eyes, is more relevant than ever.

Shirky, an outspoken writer on the social and economic effects of Internet technologies recently wrote an articulate, clear and a substantive piece that I urge everyone to read in full. Here are a few of my favorite excerpts that summarize what I like to call the "Dark Age" of the newspaper industry:

When reality is labeled unthinkable, it creates a kind of sickness in an industry. Leadership becomes faith-based, while employees who have the temerity to suggest that what seems to be happening is in fact happening are herded into Innovation Departments, where they can be ignored en masse. This shunting aside of the realists in favor of the fabulists has different effects on different industries at different times. One of the effects on the newspapers is that many of its most passionate defenders are unable, even now, to plan for a world in which the industry they knew is visibly going away.[...]

When we shift our attention from 'save newspapers' to 'save society', the imperative changes from ‘preserve the current institutions' to ‘do whatever works.' And what works today isn't the same as what used to work.

Shirky also discusses how both digital technology and the industry's reluctance, or fear, to "think the unthinkable" scenario (i.e., that the ability to share content would not decline, but explode) has led to the crucible newspapers are about to pass.

As a former reporter myself, I look upon this "revolution" in awe, shock, frustration and excitement. I definitely hope the best for all the talented reporters on the cusp of losing their jobs, and those already forced to move on, but I am left anxious to see what comes out the other side of that crucible.

It is clear the relationship between journalism and newspapers is coming to an end - or at least as it has been manifested previously. No one knows which model will fill the void as the current system collapses, as Shirky suggests; however, I'm optimistic - call it blind - that the foundation of good journalism and the need for investigative reporting will survive the transformation, albeit a little more digital.

Chris Rottler, Digital Strategist & Account Executive

Posted in Journalism, New Media, Technology
By Spectrum | 3 Comments »

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