Digital Communications | 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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Paul Werth Associates Presents Nov. 17 Webinar on Managing a Health Care Digital Crisis

November 13th, 2009

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Health care organizations need to understand how the instant online spread of information factors into a developing crisis. To help, Paul Werth Associates is presenting an hour-long Webinar at 2 p.m. Nov. 17: “Health Care Rx: A Social Media Prescription to Prevent and Treat Crises.”

“Getting out the right message can literally make the difference between life and death,” said Sandra Harbrecht, Werth president and CEO. “While an organizational health care crisis can take many forms, getting the right message heard at the right time is most critical during a public health threat. We want to help health care communicators understand the social media culture and tools available to do the best job possible during a crisis.”

Werth Webinar instructors Kristin Mack Deuber and Kim Ratcliff, both vice presidents with the firm, will be joined by the internal communications and marketing director at the one of nation’s largest medical complexes, Julie Scott with The Ohio State University Medical Center.

The panel will discuss effective ways to integrate social media strategy into existing crisis plans. Webinar topics will also include tools available to detect crisis situations and what to do when one hits.

Werth’s Webinar will be hosted by online meeting service InstantPresenter. You can test your system for compatibility by clicking here. For more information about the presentation, e-mail contact@paulwerth.com.

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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PR and Legal Counsel Work Together to Prevent and Manage Digital Crises

October 21st, 2009

Thanks to those who attended the “Balancing Legal and Communication Perspectives on Social Media” workshop from Squire, Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P. and Paul Werth Associates on October 20, 2009.

We hope you enjoyed hearing perspectives from both fronts on how social media impacts our workplace and our brands.

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, sat down to provide an overview of the insights shared during this complimentary workshop.

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‘Crisis Communications in the Age of the Internet’ Webinar Stimulates Lively Discussion of Social Media Strategy

August 28th, 2009

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Paul Werth Associates’ August Webinar on social media strategy attracted public relations and marketing professionals from across the country to learn about managing a crisis in the digital era.

Werth crisis communications experts guided an hour-long discussion on social media strategy illustrated by real-world corporate examples of effective – and less-than-effective – crisis management in the digital space.

“Our participants share with us they ‘get it’ after sitting down with Werth to learn what’s happening with social media strategy and digital crisis management,” said Sandra Harbrecht, Werth president and CEO. “Keeping up with social media strategy can be overwhelming. By presenting it in the framework of time-tested crisis communications practices everyone can understand, Werth has been able to engage our clients and other professionals in recognizing the importance of social media as another component of the communications toolkit.”

Webinar participants said they walked away with a greater understanding of the next steps necessary to improve digital crisis preparedness within their organizations.

“Werth’s Webinar provided good, solid advice for any communicator, and a good reminder that we need to be updating our crisis plans on a regular basis,” said Susan Shafer, director of Standard and Poor’s School Evaluation Services.

“Participating in this Webinar provided an important insight into the rapid changes in the world and the need to update our plans accordingly to incorporate the latest in social media,” said Sharron Kornegay, public affairs manager of Abbott Nutrition.

Stay tuned for more Werth Webinar presentations - Werth in November will present a health care crisis communications Webinar and is developing presentations for additional industries to share in the months to come.

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.

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Research: Recession and the Internet Drive Permanent Changes in Customer Behavior

July 24th, 2009

Increasingly skeptical about brands and resistant to marketing, many consumers are using the Web to research products and brands – turning to blogs, review sites and social networks for advice on how to find the best values as they seek to stretch their budgets.

Smart marketers are engaging their customers online, but it’s important to do some testing before you dive in to the digital ocean. Research provides the crucial difference between an online campaign that merely agitates the water and one that creates an ongoing current of measurable results. And the same technology that enables customer-to-customer conversations also makes it easier to conduct research in real time.

Here are some tools the Werth research team uses to help clients get to know their customers:

Search engine and keyword research – Because the majority of consumers start any quest for information with Google or another search engine, it’s important to know what keywords your customers are most likely to use.

Online reputation audit – A 360-degree view of your online presence uncovers who is talking about your company, your products and your competitors, where and when these conversations are taking place, what is the tone and content of these conversations and how conversations begin and unfold. Werth has developed an online reputation audit that is helping clients determine which online platforms and strategies are worthy of investment and sets a benchmark prior to campaign launch.

Social media monitoring – Ongoing monitoring of blogs, Web sites and social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Digg, etc. provides real-time insight into how your campaigns are working, highlights new opportunities and signals early warning of any negative trends.

Other digital research methods include e-mail and online surveys, online focus groups and proprietary online panels. I’ll explore the uses and benefits of these in an upcoming post. Whatever the method, market research remains the best way to understand consumer behavior and to make smart investments during a time of economic challenge.

Interested in learning more about consumer trends? Research presented in the July 2009 issue of Harvard Business Review shows that the recession is having a far greater impact on consumer spending habits than previous downturns, and that some behavior patterns, as well as brand perceptions, may be dramatically altered. Paul Flatters and Michael Willmott of Trajectory, a consumer trends forecasting consultancy, document massive shifts in consumers’ purchasing behavior and attitudes toward brands.

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