Last week, the evolution of CEB technology enabled me to remotely view our debut meeting of 2010 on Influencing Stakeholders in a Networked Environment.  This seemed like a great time to take a page from the online game commentary of ESPN’s Bill Simmons with a Retro Diary of last week’s CEC meeting… Read More »

We’d all love to get more advocates for our company. But we might be trying to cultivate them in the wrong way:

• Inform: create relevant campaigns and collateral with all the facts—assuming that “to know me is to support me.”
• Invite: provide open-ended opportunities to get involved—assuming that “if I open the door, people will come to me.”
• Offer incentives: appeal to their rational self-interest—assuming that “money talks—and so will they.”

These approaches are completely logical, and sometimes get short-term results—but so often they end up just looking a little too corporate.

A smarter approach to building advocacy is to think a lot less about what WE want people to do, and focus almost exclusively on what makes people want to do things on their own. Read More »

Whenever I need inspiration, I visit Big Think, a global forum that “put[s] you in contact with the ideas of very smart people.” There, I’ve watched short videos and read articles that prompt me to question my life assumptions; some of my favorites include Learning from Failure, Why You Can’t Work at Work, and Why You Can’t Get a Date. Apparently, there is a mathematical theorem that proves that dating in large cities is difficult and frustrating. Amen. It’s not just me .

One of the more interesting videos I’ve watched on Big Think is about “Unleashing the Creative Economic Revolution”. It’s an interview with Richard Florida, an academic and author of the book The Rise of the Creative Class: And How It’s Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life. Florida theorizes that the “creative class”—basically knowledge workers with an added dash of pizazz, flexibility, and creativity—is vital to the growth of society. He sees a lot of this “creative class” participating in science, technology, arts and entertainment, and film making design.

Now, most of you reading this post aren’t scientists, techies, or rock stars. You’re communicators. But, guess what? YOU, communicator, are part not merely part of this exciting “creative class,” but the potential leaders of it.  Hear me out. We need not all be Lady Gaga to be considered “creative.”  Simply approach your daily work with a fresh, open perspective, and  you’ll capitalize on opportunities to discover new talents, devise better solutions to tired problems, and help your business in the process.

Sound like a bunch of idealistic Millennial hogwash? Leading the “creative class” is a lot easier than you think; in fact, you’re already active in the “creative class” business. Here’s what you do EVERY SINGLE DAY to stamp your creativity all over your organization:

• You invent.
  You don’t employ traditional tactics to build your reputation and differentiate your brand. You think about your audience, goals, and available tools to create customized communication plans. For a cool innovation that we like, check out TheFordStory.com to see how they’ve invited customers to tell the company’s story.
• You consult.
  You solve strategic problems with creative communications solutions. We’re seeing more executive communicators report directly to the CEO, highlighting the importance of communication in achieving company goals. Moreover, CEOs are looking to you to determine fresh ways for them to engage with stakeholders. Check out the CEC Employee Communications Forum for creative ideas for executive virtual engagement.
• You enable. You help others express their creativity. I’ve been impressed by your efforts to help employees start blogging, Tweeting, and creating content. Inside the organization, you’ve been working hard to implement the internal collaboration tools necessary for employees to connect and engage with one another. If you haven’t yet seen the inner workings of Sabre’s internal platform, SabreTown, check it out on video today.

See? You’re creative! And cool. And a communicator. Rise up and take your place among the artists and filmmakers, the professionals who leave their personal mark on everything they produce! Rise up and take your rightful place as leaders of the “creative class.”

Done something especially creative in your work recently? We’d love to hear stories!

By Rebecca Canan

“Even though I have a social media monitoring agency, I do most of my listening through free, channel-specific tools anyway.  My agency just doesn’t have the capabilities I didn’t know I needed.”

“I signed up with Radian6 when it was the popular thing to do, but now I’m frustrated by all the spam that gets through. ”

“We’re looking at signing on with Alterian SM2, but I have no idea if it’s the right choice or if I’m missing another vendor that would be better???”

These quotes from your peers provide a glimpse into the confusion and frustration that a lot of communicators experience when it comes to social media monitoring firms.  As I’ve mentioned in earlier blog posts, I’ve been trying my best to understand how you can listen to stakeholder conversations in a meaningful way.  Based on my interim thinking, I’m dedicating this post to helping you navigate through your social media vendor options.  Read More »

Read PR Week lately?  I don’t mean the online edition—I’m talking about the old-fashioned print version, which now comes out … monthly.    I still read printed material when I can, because it helps me spot things I typically miss on a computer screen.

For example, I caught their piece on corporate press sites in the March 2010 issue (my apologies for not enclosing a link—you need a subscription to read it).  They hold up media sites from Microsoft and GM as examples of a trend: redesigned news rooms aimed not only at professional journalists but also at the general public. Read More »

By Lisa Schievelbein

Tuesday, April 27, 2010: 11:57 p.m.

The cursor blinks on a blank Word doc. I’m in my pajamas (note: *not* a onesie) on the couch, zonked from 14 high-adrenaline hours in the office, and trying to think of something good to blog about. And just like that, I have what any reasonable person might consider an epiphany.  In this moment, the only words that will do are these:

“Hi, my name is Lisa, and I’m a communicator.”
[Anyone who feels comfortable is welcome to respond with a little “Hi, Lisa.”]

At the risk of being too revelatory (but we’re in a safe space, yes?), I’ll just say it. I love to write. I need to write. In fact, I tend to forget to eat when I’m in a really good writing groove. And as a CEC researcher, I make much of my living by writing about…well…writing. (This is not unlike a diabetic owning a candy shop.)

So, here’s my conflict. Right now, I could make extremely quick work of this blog post. I could share some verbatim comments from a member conversation thread on CEC Discussions.  I could link to a Wide Angle post about a very cool social media webinar that MLC is hosting next week. (By the way, CEC members, you’re invited.) Hell, I could shoot fish in a barrel blindfolded by inviting PowerPoint haters to comment on this interesting NYT piece.

But I don’t want to. I want to write something new, fresh, clever, and ALL BY ME. There, I said it.

I trust this strikes a chord with many of you, my fellow night-owl writers. But there’s a reason why this post has a confessional tone. Writing too much (especially nocturnally) is a bad habit that we both have to break. Read More »

True to my CEC Insider bio, I enjoy Saturday Soul Searching Strolls. Last weekend, I went on a particularly long walk to clear my mind of all things related to Influencing Stakeholders in a Networked Environment (the major CEC study that’s frying my brain). Oh-ho-ho, what a naïve analyst I am!  Two experiences along the way ignited thoughts about my piece of the study puzzle: animating stakeholder networks to speak on the company’s behalf. In marketing terms, word of mouth.

First, I stopped at Good Stuff Eatery, a burger place owned by former Top Chef contestant Chef Spike Mendelsohn. Despite his fame, Chef Spike was sweating at the register coordinating never-ending orders of Spike’s 5 Napkin burgers and Sunny’s hand cut fries. As he personally handed me my order, I smiled, said “Thanks, Spike.” He grinned back from underneath his geeky fedora, “You’re welcome.” That momentary interaction, that personal connection, sparked a desire within me to spread the Good News of Good Stuff.

Later that night I attended a new neighborhood bar, Star and Shamrock. Inside I asked my bartender, “So, Irish bar, Jewish deli. How’d that happen?” He promptly pulled over the owner who shared, “I’m a Brooklyn Jew who married an Irish girl. Just had to bring the best of both worlds together!”  The bar packed, the owner took the time to engage in a dialogue with me. The next day I thanked Jason for his hospitality…with a shout out on Twitter. Again, I felt connected to him, to his restaurant. I will tell others about it, unprompted.

So, this is the type of word of mouth that you want for your company, right? Of course! Read More »

By Rebecca Canan

As part of our 2010 research initiative, Influencing Stakeholders in a Networked Environment, I’ve been thinking a lot about media monitoring.  After all, it brings a science to communicators’ efforts to develop messages that resonate with audiences—not to mention flow through their social networks.

In my recent chats with (smarty) CEC members, I’ve heard the name Katie Paine crop up quite a few times.  In case you don’t know her, she’s the CEO of KDPaine & Partners LLC and a PR measurement expert.  So, I thought I’d get Katie’s direct perspective on some of the questions that members—and we at CEC—are asking.

Rebecca, CEC: Communicators are often overwhelmed by the number of monitoring vendors out there, all lauding their services.  Then, when they finally select a service, it’s hard to make sense of all the data.  Is there an easy answer?  What’s been your experience in working with vendors?

Katie, KD Paine: My experience has been that many vendors “sell the dream”; that is, you think you’re going to sign-up and instantly receive all the data and intelligence that you need.  The reality is that it’s hard work. Read More »

Dear CEC Members,

I’ve learned a lot about you all recently. In the past six weeks I have visited every single one of your company newsrooms. (This task falls into the “you never know where life will take you” category—but still a very educational experience.) And let me tell you, you’ve got some work to do. No worries though—we’re going to do it together. First, I’ve got 10 “yes or no” questions for you: Read More »

Chances are good that a lot of bad things are being said about your company right this second on the web. Don’t believe me? Search for your company on Twitter. Fair warning—it may be ugly. Angry rants are one thing, but what about when people spread reputation-crushing lies and misinformation about your company? How can you share your company’s side of the story in an authentic way? Here’s a hint: traditional tactics and campaigns will do little to counteract viral venom spewed at your company on the web.

One antidote that companies embroiled in controversy are turning to is issues-focused blogs. These blogs are designed to shed light on the company’s position and shape public conversation on key issues. To get the CEC Insider scoop on how to create and manage an issues-focused blog, I turned to one of the leaders in this space, Justin Higgs. Justin is the New Media Advisor at Chevron and primary editor of its blog The Amazon Post, a forum for communicating through an ongoing multi-billion-dollar lawsuit against the energy company in Ecuador. Read More »