GOOOOAAAALLLLLLLs in Communications

During my trip to Chile & Argentina I had the good fortune to see a Boca Juniors soccer match. Boca are one of Argentina’s premier sides and draw their fans mainly from the working class of Buenos Aires. It was a very entertaining match (final score: Boca Juniors 3 – Quilmes 1), but what struck me most was the passion and immense scale of their fan support. The constant singing, chanting, unfurling of flags and banners, yelling at the refs, yelling at the opposition (and their fans), yelling at their own team, jumping, dancing and even respectful applause for a fine bit of skill are an integral part of the game.

I’ve seen plenty of European and South American soccer matches on TV – riotous fans, flares going off in the stands – but you cannot appreciate how engulfing an experience it is until you have been a part of it. This got me thinking about the concept of “immersion”.

Advertisers, marketers and PR folk talk a lot about engagement (a concept I take to mean the ability to capture an audience’s attention and create the opportunity & motivation for action). This is a useful lens to view communications activity, but it will not necessarily create a sustained, resonant and durable experience or interaction. One can easily be engaged in a very transitory way (admittedly, this may even be a desirable outcome). But to really drive action, enact change, forge a bond with a consumer (audience, stakeholder, etc…) it seems that you have to engineer an experience (content, product, etc…) that offers the opportunity for them to internalize it (its meaning, intent, function and so on) in a way that creates a substantive change.

I found a good example of this through Brendan Hodgson’s blog and there has been an exchange of thoughts on the subject that I found useful. My feeling is that there’s currency in this concept of “immersion” and how it can support and further our understanding of how we should communicate to engage. Viva la Boca!

(Disclaimer: The notion of ‘immersion’ is new to me. I’m not aware of other thoughts on the subject. If there are, I’d love to know about them.)

Tags: Communications, Public Relations, Immersion, Argentina, Football

On Vacation

I’ll be on vacation for the next two weeks. I’m going to Chile & Argentina.

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The 10 C’s of Social Media

Yesterday, Marketing magazine held its Interactive to the Max Big Day at the Paramount Theatre in downtown Toronto (disclosure: I work for Marketing). The Big Day is the culmination of a month-long, cross-Canada, roadshow that explores emerging topics and trends within interactive marketing.

One of the speakers at the Big Day was Steve Rubel. Steve was speaking about the impact Web 2.0 will have on the Canadian marketing landscape. Steve introduced a trinity of concepts that business (and their agencies) should reference when considering how to involve themselves in social media.

Essentially, it boiled down to three “C”‘s:

• The Client: What do they need? What are they looking to get out of the Web 2.0?
• Content: What does the client have/want to say?
• Channel: How are they going to disseminate that message? What are the most appropriate tools (blogging, podcasts, etc…)?

Steve suggested that too often companies jump straight to ‘channel’ without first considering the content and can lead to problems.

I’m certainly not in a position to disagree with Steve. In fact, I think he’s offered a useful and straightforward framework for considering social media in a corporate context.

I’d like to add a few more “C”‘s that either came up as part of Steve’s remarks or that I’ve considered in my own musings on the subject:

• Community – What social media builds. Generally a community of interest, but can be philosophic or other demographic/psychographic communities.
• Connected – Social media creates networks. Agents within the network have influence over their peers. That influence has no geographic boundaries.
• Conduct – Social media participants take the process seriously and a breach of the communal code of conduct is viewed as sacrilege.
• Conversation – What social media is all about – a dialogue, not a monologue.
• Concentration – In the sense of mass – how many like-minded people are part of the network.
• Commoditize – The big question for marketers – what is the value of a blog? A big question is how traditional media is going to handle the rise of social media. Brendan Hodgson of Hill & Knowlton has some interesting thoughts on this.
• Cost (of entry) – not just a financial cost, but a reputation cost, a time cost and so on

The other salient point that came up was that measuring the effectiveness of social media endeavours is not about ‘how many’, but rather how many of the right people were reached and how many times were they engaged.

I hope to return to these concepts in future postings and would welcome any thoughts on the subject.

Tags: Marketing, Social Media

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The ‘New’ Newspapers

An article from The Globe and Mail today reports on a discussion that took place at the Associated Press Managing Editors annual conference. The article reviews a panel discussion where online journalists offered a warning to their print counterparts that they must embrace the digital age or be left behind.

This goes well beyond just transferring their print editions online, as many newspapers currently do, but recognizing that

from video and photo galleries to podcasts and blogs, the Web is opening new doors to entice in readers and otherwise build community.

“People are desperate for community,” Jon Fortt, senior editor of Business2.0 magazine, said during a panel discussion on attracting young readers.

We have seen some examples of this already. The Toronto Star now offers a mid-day, online only, edition of its paper. Many papers allow readers to comment on stories and many journalists are writing blogs that are hosted by their employers (even more write blogs that aren’t). Most majors also utilize RSS technology to allow readers to pull content to them.

But as the article points out, newspapers are also competing with other online sources for readership – Google, CNN.com and the blogosphere to name just a few. Many of these kinds of sites incorporate video and create forums where communities of interest can grow and flourish.

While this presents a whole host of challenges to the newspaper industry, it also opens up many opportunities for the PR community. There’s already a thriving interest in social media among the PR set but, as the media embraces technology and advances accordingly, the opportunity for public relations practitioners and agencies to offer increased value to their clients and the media is enormous.

Among the things I hope to see more of in public relations:

• Streaming video releases (news releases, product launches)
• Increased credibility, transparency and accountability in corporate blogs
• Virtual Events (SecondLife anyone?)
• Using RSS for real-time (or much closer to it) news updates
• Virtual Tours (of places and products)
• More online communities – Xbox has created a community where gamers can interact with each other (and Xbox’s marketers can take on their own identities to solicit feedback and seed new product news, tips, etc..)

PR is already embracing tactics that bypass the media to create meaningful connections between companies (organizations, individuals, etc…) and their stakeholders. By continuing to drive this change, PR can be in a powerful position to shape the future of the news media (look at how many bloggers are already being pulled in as commentators on TV news).

Tags: News, Media, Public Relations, Social Media

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Now With 50% More Cynicism

In my previous post, I wrote about a contest U2 was holding where participants had to search for highlighted letters in banner ads placed on various websites. The letters would form an answer to a question that then qualifies entrants for the grand prize.

I speculated that some of the participating websites would be organizations that represented causes near and dear to U2’s hearts. I felt that, given U2’s(or at least Bono’s) penchant for advocacy, this would be a great awareness-building opportunity.

How wrong I was.

The final list of participating sites has been revealed. It includes Canada’s youth-friendly pseudo-news site Dose, but not a single website to any of U2’s pet causes. In fact, most are news and music site popular among youth and other savvy surfers & music aficionados. I.E. the people who buy U2’s music.

I should have expected this. I gave U2 too much credit and allowed for too much independence. The contest is clearly being driven by the music label and other companies with a stake in the U2 money-making empire.

Despite visiting all the participating sites and refreshing the pages to cycle through the ad inventory, I was unable to find a single example of the banner ads. This disappoints me as I was very interested to know where the banners link to. Guess it’s up to my imagination.

From now on, I promise to not give anyone credit until they’ve earned it. To quote a U2 lyric (only seems appropriate):

It’s no secret that a conscience can sometimes be a pest. It’s no secret that ambition bites the nails of success. Every artist is a cannibal. Every poet is a thief. All kill for inspiration then sing about their grief.

(from The Fly).

Tags: Music, Media, Public Relations

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U2 Scavenges the Internet

U2, the legendary Irish rockers, are holding a contest where the winners will receive an all expense paid trip to Hawaii for the final show of their Vertigo tour.

The contest will require participants to find:

Banners featuring short lyrical excerpts from U2’s songs (that) will be posted on websites around the world. To enter the competition you must locate these hidden lyrics, aided by different clues which we’ll be posting here on U2.com

The banners will have one letter from each excerpt highlighted and contestants will have to collect the letters which will then be used to answer a question. The list of participating sites will be revealed in a few days.

U2 are exceptional marketers with Bono in particular being a fantastic (self?) promoter (and to some a pompous git – Q: What’s the difference between God and Bono? A: God doesn’t walk around the streets of Dublin telling everyone he’s Bono.).

In fairness to U2 & Mr. Vox (Bono’s full stage name is Bono Vox – Latin for ‘good voice’), they have done a lot to raise awareness for a whole host of very serious global issues.

I would anticipate that the participating website will include some of Bono’s pet projects and frankly (if this turns out to be the case) I think it is a brilliant PR move (for both U2 and the organizations). For all his self-righteousness, you have to applaud Bono for using his profile to draw attention to some of the world’s most troubling crises. U2 has legions of fans and his passion is a powerful tool in mobilizing support.

I just hope this isn’t a kiss of death…remember when Bono spoke so passionately in favour of Paul Martin at the last Liberal leadership convention (sadly, I can’t find a link to Bono’s speech)?

PS. I realize it is a stretch to associate Bono’s speech/support with Paul Martin’s ineptitude while holding the country’s highest office…but it just fits so nicely with this post.

Tags: PR, Music, Advocacy

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An Experiment in Interpretation – Words Matter

I love my ipod. Rarely go anywhere without it. On the subway to work. At the gym. And so on…I guess in that respect I’m similar to anyone else who has one.

I was thinking about how some much of communication is non-verbal (most studies I’ve seen say somewhere in the neighbourhood of 90%) and started to pay attention to people I passed while I had my ipod on. Could I pick up what they were saying? How they were feeling? Could I have a coherent interaction with someone while still keeping my music going?

What prompted this was the observation that many teenagers seem to constantly have earphones on and seem to be able to interact with their peers without any trouble (I am assuming the were listening to something at the time and this isn’t a trend I’ve missed out on).

I tried this first with simple encounters: paying for something at a store; pleasantries with passers by…Not surprisingly, this was relatively easy. I suspect this is largely to do with familiarity. I know what to expect from these situations. I know the cashier at the LCBO will ask me if I have AirMiles. I know when someone approaches me at the subway and asks me question its usually to do with the direction of the train. I know what to say when ordering my morning coffee at Tim Horton’s.

I then found this article talking about how facial expression may be genetic & hereditary (see the great image of blind family members with similar facial expressions to their relatives). An evolutionary biologist quoted in the article has this to say:

As a social species, it makes sense for us to be able to read each others’ emotions to predict how they are going to behave and how they are going to respond.

It is all part of being social and living in groups. Being able to read people’s faces is very important and it makes sense that there is a hereditary component.

But there is clearly more to comprehension than just facial expression. Today, I came across this post from H&K’s Brendan Hodgson. While on a different subject, he makes a point about

the importance of reading between the lines, considering the motives and intentions that lie behind the spoken or written word, and realizing that communication is very much about examining issues from perspectives that we might not understand or even be comfortable with.

In essence, context is critical for understanding. Words have meaning based on how they are used (see the thought of Ludwig Wittgenstein for tremendous insight on this subject). Coincidentally, I’m also reading Bill Bryson’s great book The Mother Tongue – English and how it got that way, where he uses the example of ‘Ok’ and the huge variety of ways that we use this word (as a noun, verb, adverb, interjection, lukewarm endorsement, generally useless filler of space…). It’s the same word but how it is used determines its meaning and interpretation.

Back to my experiment. While I could manage basic & familiar communication, I stumbled when something more complex arose – someone asking for specific directions, trash talk at the poker table, my parents asking me how my day was and so on. Based on the context, I could hazard a good guess as to what was being asked of me. But I couldn’t understand the finer points nor could I be sure of any sort of coherent and relevant response.

And my conclusion? I now take off my headphones if I want to understand or be understood. The words matter (there just happens to be a lot operating behind them).

Tags: Language, Communication

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Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder

Its been so long since I last posted I started to question my interest in the whole endeavour.

Thankfully, there were a range of outside factors that facilitated my absence and they’ve all been put to rest. Moreover, I’ve been invigorated by some recent developments that I hope to comment on in due course.

• Google swallowing up YouTube
• The rise of marketing/advertising through Second Life and other metaverses
• The return of the NBA – truly the gold standard in sports marketing.
• Thanksgiving and the fact that people seem to actually care about each other
• A renewed interest in making a difference, dammit.

More to come….

Tags: Soapbox

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Social Media and Daddy Warbucks

I’ve noticed a rather disturbing, if not unexpected, trend in the wide world of Web 2.0. What has largely been the domain of user-generated content and a democratization of the internet, is slipping into old media habits. It has been widely reported that the US Marines have created a Myspace page to boost their recruitment efforts. According to most reports, they already have thousands of ‘friends’.

I can hardly blame the Marines for trying this. After all, if they want to reach teenagers, go where the teenagers are. I only hope they aren’t scouring other user pages for teens who might be disaffected, depressed, disadvantaged or easily molded into a favourable mindset.As crude and tasteless though the thought may be, both Myspace and certain ill-intentioned users have gotten in a lot of trouble for just that kind of behaviour.

I also read in Saturday’s Globe & Mail how Wikipedia has a page featuring the current crop of Liberal leadership candidates and all the other politicians and king makers who have endorsed them. While all the candidates’ PR folks deny that they contribute to this, it does smell a little funny (especially when they take the time to point out that the info’s a little out of date – okay, so maybe they aren’t doing it, but they sure are monitoring it. And if they aren’t doing it, why not?)

Finally, we see many corporations engaged in blogging with varying degrees of success (as measuring by their credibility and embrace of the spirit of blogging). I won’t say too much about this, though David Jones (another Toronto PR blogger) has some interesting examples and analysis. I guess my point in all of this is just how easy it is for new media channels to be exploited. The internet was a way for scientists to exchange ideas until smut-peddlers, spammers and hackers figured out they could make a quick buck. How long after the advent of television did it take for commercials to make an appearance? (I appreciate this is simplistic analysis, but hopefully the point is taken.)

Those at the leading edge of social media (and even part-timers like myself) need to ensure that user-generated content retains its integrity. I don’t feel I’m in a position to offer a prescription, but then again it’s not sick yet…just feeling a little woozy

Tags: social media, politics, PR, Marketing, Big Business.

Consistency Please!

The front page of today’s Globe and Mail features an article on the current Israeli preparations for an incursion into Lebanon. The article speaks of Condolezza Rice’s impending visit to the region in an attempt to broker a ceasefire. Conversely, the same article also mentions how the US government has also approved the sale of up to 4000 precision-guided missiles to Israel. While American support of Israel is nothing new, I find the tension between the attempted peace-making and the fueling of Israel’s military capabilities to be disturbing.

I have always been taught that any successful PR campaign is rooted in consistency – consistency in behaviour; consistency of message; consistency between the two. I find it hard to believe that Rice’s attempts have any chance of success when it is so obvious on which side of the line in the sand they stand. How can she possibly gain acceptance from Lebanon/Hezbollah while publicly supporting the Israeli position? Coercion is hardly going to bring about changes of attitude and behaviour in this context. The US actions surely will be viewed as totally self-interested.

Tags: US Politics