PR crises often start online

Managing Web2.0 or digital media issues is critical if you want to avoid a heritage media disaster.

Using social media to attack reputation

And digital media influences old mediaOriella PR Network Survey May/June 2010 - How Digital Media Has Changed News Gathering

770 journalists (2010) - 361 journalists (2009)

15 countries - US, West/East Europe, Russia, Brazil

Trends - audiences; ad revenues; content are all moving online

Journalists and the online trendsOver 50% believe their (trad) channel will fold

In Sweden, 1 in 6 has switched completely to online

44% agree number of print media will shrink dramatically

40% - new formats (blogs etc) creating new landscape

40% media now offer Twitter feeds

(How many corporates do the same?)

They need to produce digital content46% forced to produce ‘digital format’ content

30% are working longer hours

28% have less time to research stories

35.45% say new media has improved journalism

What exactly do they want from us?Video content - down from 35% to 27.5%

Audio podcasts - down from 19% to 15%

Social Media Newsrooms - near doubled to 17.45%

52% find stills photography useful

What this means for PR people…Overall hunger for content increasing; media is exploding, fragmenting

PRs/marketers have to work quicker

Traditional PR output is still essential

Provide ready-format materials to make journalist’s job easier

PRs must create content in multi-format modes

Go out of your way to help journalists AND

Go around ‘old media’ and deal direct with stakeholders (via social media)

Social media influences ‘old’ media88% (US) journos spend 20hrs/week online - +28%95%; search Google (and other search engines)89% look for story ideasSocMed journos; 85% on Linkedin; 55% Facebook77% rely on online newswires75% read blogs - +3%(Arketi Group 2009)

Managing issues, avoids crisesOver 80% of all PR disasters could have been avoided

Why weren’t they?

Lack of quality intelligence.

AND CORPORATE ALOOFNESS.

Manage reputation vigilantly & carefully

Scientology and reputation mgmtEach member is a PR fanatic - they zealously monitor and present the message

Meticulous notekeepers - debriefs, dossiers and profiles of every media contact

Media micro-management - they ‘assign’ PRs to pesky critics/publishers

Proof points - ‘evidence’, info, research, studies that over-inform the journalist

Detachment - skilled at distancing themselves from accusations/allegations

Discredit – any material that besmirches, taints any criticism of the group

Seige mentality - reputation is a war; no pacifists ever won a battle

Online Reputation Tip 1 – Get a policy

Tip 2 – Start to monitor effectively

Tip 3 - Don’t go public too early

Tip 4 - Populate Google ‘organic’

Understand the rules of engagement

Further help or information…