By Ashley Bowen, MBWC Intern

As we all know, social media is the big “to do” now.

Companies all over the world use social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and more to increase awareness about their organizations. Tweets are going out every second asking followers to “read this article,” “join our cause,” “use our product,” etc.

Amid the global flurry, however, is everyone really strategically thinking of what the right message is, or are they throwing out whatever comes to mind first? Most importantly, are the messages ethical and following media guidelines that have been long set for traditional media?

One such questionable ethical situation happened just recently when a Washington Post columnist failed to consider the implications of sending a false tweet. Referring to the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who has been suspended for six games by the NFL after allegations of misconduct, Mike Wise tweeted “Roethlisberger will get five games, I’m told-” meaning he’ll only have to sit out five games.

This important news quickly spread throughout the Internet, but Wise soon admitted it was a joke and was “part of a misguided attempt to comment on the lowered standards of accuracy for information shared on social media,” according to Andy Alexander from the Washington Post.

One lesson is evident from Wise’s post: he wasn’t thinking about the full ramifications of his message, particularly given the context of his fairly prominent role as a member of the news media.

According to the Society of Professional Journalists, journalists should “test the accuracy of information from all sources and exercise care to avoid inadvertent error; deliberate distortion is never permissible.”

The duty of the journalist and any public relations practitioner is to “seek the truth and report it providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues.” Wise now may have followers and the public questioning if his reporting is credible.

To prevent similar situations, companies should consider outlining guidelines for posting to social media websites and via online communications in general. Compiling such a list of standards would help employees know what is acceptable and unacceptable content to post that is associated with their organizations. It could also lead to messages that are more strategic and effective for their audiences. The end result could lead to fewer problems associated with the use of social media.

It’s time to fully embrace social media, but it’s also time to set forth some rules and always be considering the ethical and moral implications of our actions. What we tweet, blog or post could be the catalyst that brings a great deal of attention to ourselves and our organizations.

by Tyra Haag

Each weekday, PRSA Issues and Trends, an online publication of the Public Relations Society of America, reports top industry news related to the field of PR along with current events, professional development opportunities and job resources — just to name a few. 

Since subscribing to this national e-newsletter listserv, I’ve noticed a clear trend—it seems more than 50 percent of the top industry news stories revolve around social media, its impact on the field, controversies surrounding it and best practices.

One such news story led me to Willis Wee’s recent blog post on 30 Social Media Business Case Studies. He compiled 30 business case studies (good and bad) during the past year and how each utilized social media platforms to achieve their goals.

For non-profits, social media platforms have the potential to increase not only brand awareness but also the bottom line if utilized strategically.

How Non-Profits are Using Social Media for Real Results details how non-profit leaders from around the country are using social media to achieve business objectives.

And who would’ve thought the folks at Harvard and Northeastern University would team up and research mood trends experienced throughout the day via Twitter? Researchers from these institutions recently published Pulse of the Nation: U.S. Mood Throughout the Day Inferred from Twitter. Within their site, you’ll find a time lapse video of actual Twitter mood variations, with the happiest tweets occurring during the early morning, late afternoon and weekend hours.

Although several businesses have jumped on the social media bandwagon, it’s important to keep in mind that there’s no such thing as an “easy” button when implementing these platforms. To achieve the most effective social media campaign goals, it takes a clear plan and supporting strategy, so that effort put into utilizing these tools is time well spent—not wasted.

If you have questions related to navigating the waters of online communications, I encourage you to visit Interactive Springboard.

By Mary Beth West, APR

It recent years, it’s not been uncommon for our clients in the governmental space to push back on the idea of using social media and interactive tools as part of recommended communications programs.

The “uncontrolled” aspect or potential of social media is an intimidating prospect for any organization – but much more so for governmental entities that largely exist by highly controlled regulations, processes and procedures.

More and more, though, it seems that managers working in the public sector are utilizing online communications to meet their objectives, particularly when engaging external audiences with very defined information needs.

For the past year, we’ve worked with a government-affiliated sciences program, and have navigated through the parameters of what their organization can and cannot do per federal guidelines.  It has been an interesting learning process for our team.  We’ve also been encouraged and impressed by the level of openness that this client has shown toward exploring interactive options.

Recently, I came across the website of the Federal Web Managers Council, “an interagency group of senior federal government web managers who collaborate to share common challenges, ideas, and best practices, and improve the online delivery of U.S. Government information and services.”

If you work in a government agency, you might want to check it out for ideas and guidance – particularly if your agency is just starting out with a program of using more interactive / two-way communications tools. 

We also welcome your questions if you need more specialized assistance.  Our collaboration as part of Interactive Springboard currently helps diverse clients in the public and private sectors with creating and managing effective online communications.

Coming off the long Independence Day weekend, it’s appropriate that the Freedom Forum launched its “1 for All” campaign this month to spotlight our First Amendment freedoms. 

As cited in Editor & Publisher in referencing the need for the campaign, “Only 4% of Americans can name all the ‘five freedoms’ guaranteed in the Amendment, and the other 96% don’t appear embarrassed by their ignorance.” 

Even if they aren’t up on their civic lessons about the First Amendment’s direct role to ensure our freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly and petition, everyone participating in the U.S.-based blogosphere and social media realm should count those blessings with tremendous gratitude and pride.

This month, “In the Profession” will focus on social media, with some observations on how the light-speed evolution of online communications tools, tactics and strategies are advancing public relations programs – all the while wreaking more than their fair share of havoc.

It’s that dichotomy of outcomes that makes social media such a parallel representation of the First Amendment itself.

Like social media, the doors that these freedoms open can let wondrous light shine in, but they can also unleash many ideas, opinions, sentiments and messages that are troubling, controversial, offensive, inaccurate, and, for lack of more to-the-point phrasing, can make for a big damn mess that people like me working in the public relations profession must ride herd on daily to clear up and clean up.  Such is our lot in life, but truthfully, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

As an American, I learned long ago that the exercise of First Amendment freedoms doesn’t come wrapped in some neat little contained package or encased within a D.C. museum under Plexiglas in a climate-controlled environment. 

To the contrary, our First Amendment freedoms’ strength, power and beauty are typified by the fact that they run amok all over the landscape, oftentimes making colossal, inconvenient spectacles that require us to have to stop, listen, consider, reconsider, and discuss with one another – even to the point of passionate wars of words – points of view that are not our own. 

Sometimes, the net result of those freedoms even goes so far as to change how we do things, both as individuals and as a society.  And we can argue yet some more as to whether those changes are good or bad.  The circle of First Amendment freedom therein continues.

Quite similarly, social media operates and produces outcomes in much the same way, only in faster and more dramatic fashion . . . a veritable freedom-of-speech on acid.  However unbridled, chaotic and maddening it can be, social media extends powers to the people that the Founding Fathers undoubtedly would have reveled in and embraced as a legacy to the Constitution’s spirit and intent. 

To that point, I think those visionary forbearers would have insisted that social media and online communications exist as an unregulated, unfettered platform for our society’s advancement – both domestically and globally.  And they would have credited us with enough intelligence to utilize it in such a way that the First Amendment would not only continue to survive, but thrive. 

So to that end, let’s exercise those freedoms, and that intelligence, in such a way that would make them proud.

By Gary McCormick, APR, Fellow PRSA; Director, Partnership Development, HGTV; 2010 PRSA Chair/CEO

I recently had the opportunity to ring the opening bell for the NASDAQ – a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I clearly had never placed on my bucket list. Even more curious, it was done for an organization that is not a listed or public company. I was there representing a professional association of public relations professionals, which represents a multibillion-dollar global industry.

So how did this happen? It was the result of an advocacy program for public relations launched by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) to outline the value and impact that public relations has on an organization’s success – The Business Case for Public Relations^TM.

Many don’t understand the essence of our business. Stylized notions of celebrity publicists and Beltway spokespeople pervade the news and popular culture, and the term “PR” itself has become common shorthand for the impression – good or bad – that organizations create.

That’s why PRSA developed The Business Case for Public Relations^TM. The program showcases the role of public relations and the professional value it delivers to essential business outcomes:

• Distinct skills provide services like crisis mitigation, reputation and brand building, wealth creation and consumer engagement.
• More than other communications and marketing disciplines, public relations engages all stakeholders of an organization, identifying and delivering impacts that are strategically aligned with concerns of the boardroom, employees, customers and investors.
• Public relations skills are critical to restoring waning public confidence in government and financial institutions as well as being essential to define, develop and maintain the transparency that consumers expect from the companies with whom they choose to do business.

Today more than ever before, companies and organizations need the value that public relations can deliver. As consumer engagement grows through social media, companies will need to outline an increased ability to manage the relationship and conversation that impacts their success in the marketplace. But companies need to engage a public relations professional that understands how to research, plan, execute and evaluate based upon the organization’s defined objectives in order to achieve value.

If your public relations activities are focused on business output and media clips instead of business outcomes, then you are coming up short in a return on your investment. On the other hand, your investment in public relations will garner attention when you can show how that investment delivers value in financial performance by generating sales, revenue and profit; improves your brand equity and reputation; allows for stronger and more efficient employee recruitment and retention; and increases the support you seek for policy decisions or achieving market position.

I hope that you will take time to find out more about the value of public relations on an organization’s performance by visiting www.prsa.org/intelligence/businesscase/.  Moreover, I hope that you find and define the value that public relations is currently delivering or can definitely deliver in your organization.

The current issue of Harvard Business Review features as its cover article, “The Big Idea: Leadership in the Age of Transparency.”  In it, Christopher Meyer and Julia Kirby delve into the issues of managing “externalities,” defined by economists as “the side effects – or, in the positive case, the spillover effects – of a business’s operations.”  

An example of an externality as cited in the article: “A smokestack in Akron may send particulates into the air that descend on farmlands downwind, but in the absence of any measurement of those, the factory isn’t charged for ensuing crop damage.”

Of course, we all know that the company may not be charged a monetary fine by a government agency (yet), but if the matter is brought to public attention, there can be an even higher price to pay.

In public relations, we are confronted every day with managing the reputation and relationship impacts of our employers’ and clients’ externalities.  In more cases than not, we are called upon to mitigate negative outcomes.  And as the Harvard Business Review article title suggests, we operate in an age of transparency wherein every negative externality is in full public view and subject to vast scrutiny – even activism – via social as well as traditional media.

As “In the Profession” focuses on sustainability this month, the issue of externalities in the realm of environmental impact is timely.  My firm advocates for the role of public relations to help guide management leaders in not only identifying and managing the outcomes of externalities – but perhaps more importantly, to be proactive by avoiding practices and decision-making that give rise to negative externalities in the first place. 

That company with the Akron smokestack, for example, might be counseled to seek out cleaner production processes to cut particulate emissions and then communicate with stakeholders about its efforts.  Of course, most decisions are not so clear-cut.  Many costs and complications can make the “right” decision difficult, if not nearly impossible, for a company to make and still be profitable – or even be able to exist as an entity. 

Managing these complicating factors effectively makes the case that public relations professionals should be at the table, influencing decisions and policy.  Our profession seeks out and understands the attitudes, opinions and behaviors of all stakeholders to an organization – particularly relative to externality impacts in the court of public opinion.  As such, we’re best prepared to represent those views in the context of decision-making. 

Whether an externality is environmental or not, the voice of public relations can enable organizations to balance their business objectives with serving the public good.  And this approach can help companies consciously strive for externalities that are positive rather than negative.

I’m counting my blessings this week that I’m not in the shoes of Nestle’s MarCom Department.  With that said, however, I’m in the public relations business.  And if you’re not an avid student of real-world case studies for guidance on how to handle your own next “really bad week” at the office, then you don’t belong in this profession.  So I’m paying attention here, because this one’s a doozy.

As you can read from The Wall Street Journal piece, Nestle is getting swarmed on the social media front by Greenpeace and Greenpeace wannabes over the candy company’s selection of palm oil vendors (of which the greens are no fans, quite apparently – read for yourself the details). 

With Nestle now counting 95,000 fans on its Facebook fan page – “now mostly protesters,” as the WSJ reports – the question has to be asked:  With “friends” like these, who needs enemies?

Note to self: add to client crisis management plans without fail a Plan B, C and D for when activist groups hijack your client’s fan page.

The WSJ article closes by saying “Marketing experts are split as to whether the company should simply shut down its Facebook page,” citing a few sources on either side of the argument, with one saying that doing so would “cut off all lines of communication” (to which I disagree, since Facebook is a great tool, but come on – it’s not the alpha and the omega of all public contact as we know it); another source saying “The damage has been so done, it might not be a bad idea to shut down the page and start over” (to which I ask the obvious follow-up question – what’s going to keep activists from simply doing the same thing all over again on the new fan page or wherever else?). 

So this is our world, and very few folks in even the highest levels of corporate marketing are used to it yet. 

In this world, the corporation has limited control of messages pertaining to their own entities in the good times and, seemingly, very little to no control in the bad times.  Social media platforms are a shared stage with the rest of the world, and everybody gets a backstage pass, regardless of whether they’re groupies or stalkers.  But you know what?  It ain’t going away. 

To Nestle’s credit, I truly think they are fighting the good fight here, trying to use some restraint and navigate this highly public, ugly situation with some class.  As their spokeswoman was quoted, the company wants to show “we are listening, which we obviously are, while not getting involved in a shouting match.”  Amen to that.  It’s a slippery slope between a level-headed, well-balanced response to criticism and suddenly realizing you’re in a place you don’t want to be – particularly when you’re operating from a supposition of corporate niceness and you’re dealing with a freewheeling, black-ops type of communications insurgency that delights in shock-value.

My final take-away from the temporary sanctuary of the sidelines is that these horror stories don’t give any of us a pass from deepening our engagement in social media – using the judgment of true professionals in how to take the high road, particularly in the face of fringe elements and tactical offensives.  After all, if there’s a battle being fought out there – and there always is – you can’t win it if you don’t show up.

As always, consistency works best when managing your brand, especially with regard to new social media tools.

These new channels of communications do present some interesting challenges to brand stewards, because more departments are in the business of touching a company’s clients ranging from sales, marketing, communications, R&D, customer-care and more.

It is essential for the long-term well-being of the brand that people connecting with a company’s clients have an understanding and appreciation for the brand’s essence, its key messaging and the tone and manner in which these messages are to be consistently delivered.

More and more brands are looking to establish a set of social media policies that are readily available to all employees who come in contact with a company’s customers.

A popular management model being instituted is the formation of a social media stakeholder committee that consists of representatives from the various departments that use social media to manage various aspects of customer relationships. They are charged with working out how to position the brand effectively with their constituencies and making sure the brand voice is consistent across all platforms of communication.

Other brands are looking to a more centralized model with either a single person responsible or a decentralized approach making all employees responsible for communicating the brand message.

Whichever model your company chooses, it is critical that it be consistently employed and all the team members are fully aware of the roles they are expected to play.

Knoxville and Maryville, Tenn. — Blue Media Boutique, a web development and interactive agency, and Mary Beth West Consulting, a public relations and reputation management consulting firm, announced today the launch of Interactive Springboard, a joint venture that provides an integrated, research-based approach to social media that supports client marketing communications.

The firms, led by Tori Rose of Blue Media Boutique and Mary Beth West, have partnered successfully on several diverse client projects since 2008 involving web strategy and social media and are now formalizing their collaboration under the Interactive Springboard name.

“Our work model is unique to this market in both its collaborative approach between two highly specialized firms and its focus on utilizing market research,” West said.  “Many current social media programs suffer two missing links: the effective use of audience research and a content-development process that drives dynamic relationship-building.  Our team is prepared to meet those client needs for better online engagement.”

According to West and Rose, the best web development and social media strategies demand client-specific audience research as the foundation.  Without that research, companies risk taking a “shotgun” approach and failing to realize the benefits of social and online community-building to their true potential. 

In some cases, companies get in over their heads and launch social media applications that they are unable to support with consistent and relevant content for their online audiences, resulting in a loss of credibility with customers and the public alike, Rose said.

“Great social media execution is the ultimate moving target today,” Rose said.  “With the constant changes taking place in social media technology development and use by consumers and businesses worldwide, it’s critical for clients to know their own customer base first-hand and how their media-use behaviors are trending.” 

Both firms comprising Interactive Springboard offer diverse team backgrounds and have their own histories of extensive work partnering with other third-party agencies and teams, both in the Knoxville market and beyond.

Blue Media Boutique’s design, programming and animation professionals are based across the continent and include a collective 50-plus years of interactive and web development experience.   

Rose’s background is extensive and diverse, spanning several marketing disciplines over a period of 16 years at companies in the United States and Canada. Most recently, as vice president, creative director of RIVR Media Interactive (RMI), Rose was responsible for RMI’s creative vision, design, and interactive projects for a wide variety of clients, including PricewaterhouseCoopers, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Shell, Gibbes Museum of Art, and Duke University. In addition to launching RMI’s first property, Needled.com, Rose developed three award-winning pieces for the Duke University Talent Identification Program (TIP) and won a PRSA and IABC award for two Morrison Management Specialists projects.

Prior to RIVR, Rose served as creative director of Edison Schools in New York, Chris Whittle’s entrepreneurial initiative to change public education in America. Rose was a key player in the design and development of Edison’s distance learning initiative—using live video, animation and Internet resources to deliver a K-12 curriculum program and professional development training to the classroom. She holds a master’s degree in media from The New School University and a bachelor of arts degree from Wake Forest University.

The team at Mary Beth West Consulting includes a collective 75-plus years of marketing communications and public relations experience working in-house with such companies as General Motors, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Blue Cross/Blue Shield Association, Eastman Kodak, Corrections Corporation of America and Champion Products.

Accredited in public relations, Mary Beth West’s own 16-year career has included award-winning work producing national media relations campaigns, employee communications programs and crisis preparedness systems in the energy, financial services and corporate sectors.

West has served two appointments on the national board of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the world’s largest organization of public relations professionals, and is a past president of the Knoxville-based PRSA Volunteer Chapter.  She serves on the UT College of Communication and Information Board of Visitors.

Interactive Springboard can be found on Facebook and Twitter.

About Blue Media Boutique
Based in Knoxville, Tenn., Blue Media Boutique provides creative, technology and marketing services, including design, development, animation, video, illustration, branding, print, e-commerce, database, CMS, search optimization, copywriting, promotions, events and campaigns.

About Mary Beth West Consulting, LLC
Based in Maryville, Tenn., Mary Beth West Consulting advances clients’ communications, relationships and reputations to meet business and organizational objectives.  The firm’s services include research strategy, integrated marketing communications campaigns; media, community and employee relations programs; interactive media strategy and program management; crisis preparedness; and special events.

Social media is the predominate buzz phrase today, but what benefit can it really provide?  First of all, social media is a tactic – not a strategy.  Social media is the place where corporate messaging, transparency and genuine engagement converge . . . and why the public relations professional should be driving the bus.

PR professionals often face the challenge of how to get the word out when the story is not really that newsy – especially related to corporate social responsibility.  Social media offers a platform that will not only help distribute your message but initiate a two way conversation.  It simply is not enough to send information out.  You have to engage, and you have to join in the conversation. 

This ‘joining in’ concept does make some communicators nervous because of the lack of control.  However, this is where the real opportunity comes to demonstrate your company’s commitment to transparency and being a socially responsible community partner.  You have to be open to different perspectives, criticism and the possibility of new ideas.  You can develop trust through quick responses, accurate information and honesty.  Work to distinguish between those who are talking to be talking, and those who have real interest in engaging with you.

Are there really enough people involved in social media to make it worth my while?

• Ashton Kutcher and Ellen DeGeneres have more Twitter followers than the entire populations of Ireland, Norway and Panama combined.   
• If Facebook were a country it would be the fifth largest in the world. 
• One message that is linked to, forwarded and condensed can be distributed to billions in less than hour through just Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. 

Messages must be compelling and relevant.  Arianna Huffington of the Huffington Post recently stated that drama makes news and touching people’s heart is what is important.  This is just as true for social media as it is for traditional outlets.

Corporate social responsibility should begin and end with transparency.  Today’s consumer becomes more savvy by the minute.  Social media can shed light on issues that help grow the business, demonstrate transparency and a genuine interest in the consumer. 

Please visit Curved Edge Consulting for more information.