Social Media | Paul Werth

Not Your Mother’s News Media?

January 21st, 2010

Today’s news media are a far cry from what my mother experienced in the Walter Cronkite-era of my youth. Social media invigorate our communications, broaden our networks and make content-sharing much more immediate.

How will our communications possibilities be transformed by the mainstreaming of social media this year? Here are my thoughts:

People will continue to gravitate toward news that is shareable. We are social beings, and there’s power in using our social networks to share news in real time. On Sunday mornings, I curl up with my newsreader and share content with friends separated by time and space. Big news organizations realize this and have made the ShareIt icon ubiquitous, because news shared in context takes on greater meaning. There are more news stories out there and more in-depth discussion as a result of sharing content.
News publishing that encourages us to be the correspondent isn’t just more engaging – it has more impact for the news audience. This interactive map from The New York Times’ site is a good example. The before-after impacts of the Haiti earthquake are palpable. It’s clear that we like to share the news with our friends, and we like it even more when it’s combined with visuals that “take us to the news.”
Action-oriented news can make a difference. Recent fundraising for Haiti relief efforts and geo-targeting police abuses in Iran give us practical ways to use Twitter for human benefit. When news becomes meaningful information that people care enough to do something about, it makes a measurable difference.

Simply reading a two-dimensional paper at the kitchen table in the morning like my mother used to do is no longer enough. We must be able to experience the news through our senses, in multiple dimensions – along with friends on the other side of the world.

The kitchen table “newspaper” experience just got personal, global and substantive. And, because new media are breaking down communications barriers, even my mother is tapping into the possibilities. She recently joined Facebook.

If you are marveling at the new media mix and relishing the possibilities, drop me a line at kratcliff@paulwerth.com, or comment here. I look forward to reading your thoughts – and starting the dialogue.

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Balancing Legal and Communication Perspectives on Social Media

October 9th, 2009

On October 20, Paul Werth Associates is pleased to partner with the Columbus office of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey on a presentation discussing how social media impacts brand reputation and how important it is for the communications and legal teams to coordinate efforts. This pre-registration only event will take place 3-7 pm close to the OSU campus.

The presenters, including myself; Susan DiMickele, a partner at Squire Sanders; Traci Martinez, an associate at Squire Sanders; and Kim Ratcliff, a vice president at Werth, recently sat down to provide a sneak peak of the insights to be shared during this complimentary workshop.

If you’re interested in registering, click here or please contact Adla Blackwell at (614) 365.2319.

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Werth Employee Finds ‘Purrfect Fit’ In Social Media

July 20th, 2009

COLUMBUS, Ohio – As a new mom, Paul Werth Associates employee Caroline Cofer Golon searched for way to connect with likeminded peers online while caring for her infant daughter at home.

She found it in her cat.

“When people talk about ‘social media,’ sometimes they don’t fully understand its power,” said Golon, a senior account supervisor for the Columbus-based public relations, public affairs and marketing firm. “My experience is living proof that you can make an impact harnessing the popular community-building tools available online.”

Since February, Golon has raised more than $18,000 for animal rescues across the U.S. – and nearly $250,000 of earned media coverage – by posting online updates from her cat Romeo.

“It started as a challenge with a coworker: Could I get 1,000 Twitter users to follow my cat’s updates?” Golon said. “I decided to try offering a donation of 5 cents to The Humane Society for every follower. Not only did it work, it led to other creative ideas that are channeling donations to worthy animal cause organizations.”

Animal philanthropy is important to Golon because Romeo and her family’s other cat Pugsley were adopted from The Forgotten Persian cat rescue organization in Marysville. Romeo has become a symbol for pet advocates within the online community, attracting nearly 6,000 Twitter followers to date and fans who follow him on Facebook and via his blog, www.romeothecat.com.

Leading pet businesses recognize the power of social media icons like Romeo and sponsor Golon’s efforts through cash and product donations. Feline Pine All-Natural Cat Litter, FURminator deShedding Tools, Wellness Pet Food, Clean+Green Pet Cleaners, Iams and Petco have all joined in helping raise awareness of Romeo’s rescue causes.

“It has been exciting and extremely rewarding to not only build Romeo into his own social media brand to help support worthy causes, but also to learn effective strategies and tactics in online networking that I can use on the job,” Golon said.

“Social media is not ‘free’ – I spend several hours a week regularly updating Romeo’s posts and interacting with his community – but it is another communications platform we have in our arsenal,” she said. “I have been able to apply what I have learned on behalf of our clients, and the support of Romeo by my Werth colleagues has helped spark many ideas that have enhanced and expanded the capabilities of our social media service as a firm.”

About Paul Werth Associates
Founded in 1963, Paul Werth Associates is a full-service public relations, marketing and public affairs firm counseling clients throughout the United States. The firm has offices in Columbus, Ohio and Washington, D.C.

Paul Werth Associates has previously received nine Silver Anvils, which is the highest level of recognition in the public relations industry. The Silver Anvil Award recognizes complete programs incorporating sound research, planning, execution and evaluation. They must meet the highest standards of performance in the profession.

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