by Daria Steigman on January 18, 2010
What happens when you put smart people on a dais together and ask them about trends in their profession? If they are Shashi Bellamconda, Torod Neptune, Paul Sherman, and John Taylor, then we’re in for some great insights.
I had the pleasure of moderating last Thursday’s IABC/Washington panel discussion. Between asking questions and keeping the conversation on track, I also took a few notes. So if you missed the conversation, here are a few highlights:
- The most dramatic change in the communications landscape in the last decade? Torod Neptune said it was “commoditization” (with fewer people seeing communications as a specialty). Paul Sherman pointed to user-generated content, the elimination of gatekeepers, and the power of a person’s network. John Taylor said the implications of social media mean that he increasingly sees himself “as a business person who does communications.” Shashi Bellamkonda said that people were no longer anonymous online; rather, it is now the norm to establish a virtual presence and to promote your personal brand by helping someone else.
- How do communicators stay relevant in 2010? While PR hasn’t changed, Neptune noted that “the nature of influence has.” [See also Guy Kawasaki’s comment about “build[ing] a critical mass of nobodies.”] Taylor talked about reaching out quickly to correct mistakes and address problems, and stressed that face-to-face meetings are still important. Bellamkonda said that the new landscape has leveled the playing field, pointing out that small companies today are just as likely to be in the news as bigger ones.
- How should companies manage their reputations? Companies need to be “comfortable being naked,” said Neptune in response to a question about the blurring lines between our professional and personal lives. Taylor pointed to one of the simplest corporate social media policies; what he termed Hair Cuttery’s “don’t mess up our brand” policy.
- What’s the impact of mobile (particularly in the context of the first large-scale use of text messaging for micro-philanthropy)? Taylor cited some revealing statistics about the growth of mobile: a 37% increase in wireless data use and 730 billion text messages among U.S. wireless subscribers in the first half of 2009; and over $5 million for Haiti earthquake relief via text in just two days (including $3 million to the Red Cross in $10 donations). [The Washington Post has a great article and more stats here.]
- What skills do today’s communicators need? Sherman said the biggest skill is the ability to identify the real influencers. Neptune stressed that good writing skills are still important. Bellamkonda said that the most important qualification is “someone who can tell a story.”
The last insight goes to Taylor, in response to a question about community—and how the concept is changing. Taylor suggested that values remain constant, because people have always valued transparency and authenticity. What has changed, he said, is how these values are expressed and rewarded.
What would you add to this conversation?
Photo by Shashi Bellamkonda/Network Solutions.
Tagged as:
Communications,
IABC/Washington,
John Taylor,
Paul Sherman,
PR,
Shashi Bellamkonda,
Social Media,
Torod Neptune
by Daria Steigman on January 15, 2009
Companies make mistakes. After all, they’re run by people–and we’re not perfect. But those that “get” customer service understand that it’s how you respond after the fact that truly leaves an impact. Good or bad. Yesterday, Comcast responded in a way that says: We’re not that cable guy company anymore.
Here’s what happened. I had a service appointment set up for yesterday between 11 a.m.-2 p.m. As anyone who has waited for a technician can tell you, it never turns out to be a great time to be tied to your home. For me, I had to reschedule one appointment and push back a conference call. So when 1:30 p.m. rolled around, I figured I should call and check when the technician might be there. That’s when I learned that Comcast had me down for service the following Wednesday.
The customer service representative was very nice, but there was nothing she could do to help me except give me another 3-hour window on another day. I set up the appointment, hung up, and was feeling pretty frustrated. That’s when I sent a DM (Twitterspeak for a private message) to Frank Eliason, the public face of Comcast’s customer service operation, asking if he had two minutes to talk. I didn’t expect him to be able to do anything for me; I just wanted someone to feel my pain.
I got a phone call almost immediately from @ComcastBill, who’s a member of Frank’s team. He took the details, asked how long I would be home, and said he’d try to get a technician over there before I had to leave two hours later. I then received four calls from Pat Carroll, a manager in the local office (one to tell me he was sending one of his best tech guys to my home, the second to verify that his technician had arrived, and two voicemail messages to make sure the problem had been resolved). Bill also followed up to close the loop.
This is my Comcast story. Others have their own, and I’m sure not all have such happy endings. But I think it’s important to acknowledge when people go above and beyond to be helpful. We scream a lot when we’re things go wrong; it’s only fair we share the love when things go right.
What’s your customer service story?
Tagged as:
Comcast,
Customer Service,
PR
by Daria Steigman on December 29, 2008
When I wrote my post about the value of LinkedIn, I called it a “must have” element of every professional’s online presence. I still believe that. So why are so many people devaluing their profiles with endless drivel?
I belong to several LinkedIn Groups, and they are helpful in identifying like-minded professionals and in broadening my network. What they are not, it seems, is a forum for robust discussion.
For an overview of what’s gone awry with LinkedIn discussions, read Craig Peters’ terrific post. In it, he outlines many of the things people are doing wrong, including looking for free advice, traffic whoring, and blatant self-promotion.
I’m personally not so concerned with the free advice component, as we’re all learning every day. Plus providing value to someone else can be a good way to demonstrate expertise without giving everything away. But, like Peters, I’m tired of being bombared with constant come-ons and pleas to “please, please click on my link before answering.”
From a business perspective, I’m not sure why anyone would want their business persona to scream ”bad marketer and I contribute nothing.” From a social media perspective, they’re failing miserably on the engagement piece.
As to LinkedIn Groups, they are not now a go-to place for discussion. I think the smart conversation online has largely migrated to Twitter.
Tagged as:
Business,
engagement,
LinkedIn,
marketing,
PR,
Social Media
by Daria Steigman on December 28, 2008
Have you seen the ad for the new Visa Black Card? The spot aired at least twice during the Celtics-Lakers game on Christmas Day. It caught my attention because 1) I actually need a Visa card, and 2) after all the silver, gold, and platinum out there, a carbon graphite black credit card sounds very cool.
But then I looked at the fine print. Who’s going to spend $495/year for a credit card? That’s when I realized that this card must be targeted to the wannabe rich. Because the truly rich didn’t get that way by spending foolishly for exclusivity. Just ask Warren Buffett.
Which brings me to the business question: why is Barclays Bank introducing a high-end credit card during the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression? I’m not sure who their target customer is. More than that, however, it seems a little unseemly to be plugging exclusivity when most people are struggling to keep afloat.
So what is Barclays trying to say? And what do you think? Is this smart niche marketing or an over-the-top conspicuous assumption?
Tagged as:
Business,
economics,
marketing,
PR
Want to know how communicators are using social media? You could pose a question on Twitter or you could do a deep dive. MarketingProfs did the latter, surveying 4,763 marketers and others managing communications for their organizations. That included 3,285 who specifically said they are responsible for social media.
