A new study from the Pew Internet and American Life Project - a highly respected group with no self-interest in what it reports - gives us a breakdown of different generations and their Internet usage. All of the generations listed below are Internet users. The percentages are the total percentage of Internet users that are in that age group weighted for the percentage of the population they comprise.
Generation Y - The Millenials (18-32 year-olds) 30% use the Internet
Generation X - (33-44) - 23%
Young Boomers (45-54) - 22%
Older Boomers (55-63) - 13%
Silent Generation (64-72) - 7%
GI Generation (73 plus) - 4%
The study notes that the biggest increase in users comes from the 73 plus age group - as 45% of them are now online a big jump from the last study.
How the Internet is used doesn't hold many surprises for marketers but it is helpful.
Teens & Gen Y - Use the Internet primarily for entertainment (videos, music, blogs - theirs and friends, personal social networks, and keeping track of friends)
Older Generations - Use the Internet primarily for shopping, research and banking. An interesting stat - 80% of Gen X shops online.
Gen X and Young Boomers - The fastest growing group on Facebook is 40-plus - not in the study but very valuable information. My Facebook page lately is flooded with people I knew in high school and family members in that age bracket.
For more information on the study go to http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Generations_2009.pdf
Friday, January 30, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Marketing HOPE - Very Popular These Days
I quote Seth Godin who appears to be the Phil Kotler, or maybe he’s more like the Tom Peters, of his generation.
“What marketers sell is HOPE. The reason is simple: people need more. We run out. We need it replenished. HOPE is almost always in short supply.
The magical thing about selling HOPE is that it makes everything else work better, every day get better, every project work better, every relationship feel better. If you can actually deliver on the HOPE you sell, there will be a line out the door.”
I think this may have been said first by David Ogilvy or another one of the 1960s ad mavens. Yes they are the Mad Men people – I only met a couple of them, and it was when they were retiring, but they were incredibly smart.
The issue I have with Seth Godin is not that I’m sure he took this from somewhere else and took credit for it. More it’s that he’ll throw something like this out there and then expect me figure out what to do with it.
By the way HOPE is capitalized because it looks more powerful that way. That's marketing.
Here’s what I think when I hear the word HOPE.
Cosmetics used to be called HOPE in a bottle.
Bill Clinton came from HOPE, Arkansas.
Bob HOPE was a very famous comedian from my father's era.
I had a friend named HOPE in high school who was actually pretty hopeful.
When Pandora let all the bad stuff fly out of her box the only thing left was a tiny voice called HOPE.
The HOPE of falling in love again, of watching your children have children, of finding joy in your work, of the promise on a small child's face as they learn something out for the first time – HOPE springs eternal. That was Alexander Pope, I just looked it up – thank you Internet.
If we don’t HOPE we begin to slowly die. Did you ever spend time in the company of someone who had lost HOPE? If you did you probably didn’t go back.
HOPE is what won Barack Obama the presidency of the United States. HOPE is what keeps people religious. Is shopping a form of HOPE? Or is it just something we do when we want to psyche ourselves up to face the next round of hopelessness? OK that’s not a fair question.
Although I never would have defined it that way here’s how I’m helping clients and others sell HOPE.
Coalition on Public Understanding of Science (COPUS) is capitalizing on the HOPE of scientists, engineers, teachers and everyone involved in Science that it’s back on the national radar screen. President Obama mentioned Science in his inaugural speech. They’ve declared 2009 The Year of Science. For eight years science was kept under the radar screen as the evolution debate raged. Now there is HOPE.
AAAS is marketing the Science of Alcohol – here the HOPE is clearer. If we teach kids the science of what alcohol is and how it can hurt their bodies – rather than just tell them it’s bad for them – the HOPE is they will delay their first drink. We’ve tried everything else, now we’re hopeful about science.
Healthcarebluebook.com is selling the HOPE that if you get smarter about what your treatments and services should cost, you will ultimately get better care and pay less. Selling HOPE when it goes against what you’re accustomed too is complicated. It has to be built one step at a time. First, there’s the HOPE that you can figure out how to do this. Second, there’s the HOPE that the provider will negotiate. Third, there’s the HOPE you’ll actually save money.
International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) – is selling the HOPE that belonging to its group will improve your stature, get you a new job, keep you up-to-date and networked in. But their membership is declining and I think the HOPE message is diluted. People aren’t sure why they belong – and when they can’t identify the price/value relationship of membership HOPE goes right out the window.
American Society of Association Executives – markets HOPE in the form of professional development. It has so many products, services, conferences, networking events, meetings – many specialized for individual market segments – that I personally cannot figure them all out. How can you sell HOPE when it’s a giant bureaucratic hodgepodge? Their events are usually well attended so HOPE must be in there somewhere.
I could go on but you get it. HOPE does sell. Figure out what it is in the products or services you’re marketing – do research – learn and use HOPE to market it. In these tough economic times, it’s one of the most potent weapons we’ve got.
Here's Barack Obama selling HOPE.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjXyqcx-mYY
“What marketers sell is HOPE. The reason is simple: people need more. We run out. We need it replenished. HOPE is almost always in short supply.
The magical thing about selling HOPE is that it makes everything else work better, every day get better, every project work better, every relationship feel better. If you can actually deliver on the HOPE you sell, there will be a line out the door.”
I think this may have been said first by David Ogilvy or another one of the 1960s ad mavens. Yes they are the Mad Men people – I only met a couple of them, and it was when they were retiring, but they were incredibly smart.
The issue I have with Seth Godin is not that I’m sure he took this from somewhere else and took credit for it. More it’s that he’ll throw something like this out there and then expect me figure out what to do with it.
By the way HOPE is capitalized because it looks more powerful that way. That's marketing.
Here’s what I think when I hear the word HOPE.
Cosmetics used to be called HOPE in a bottle.
Bill Clinton came from HOPE, Arkansas.
Bob HOPE was a very famous comedian from my father's era.
I had a friend named HOPE in high school who was actually pretty hopeful.
When Pandora let all the bad stuff fly out of her box the only thing left was a tiny voice called HOPE.
The HOPE of falling in love again, of watching your children have children, of finding joy in your work, of the promise on a small child's face as they learn something out for the first time – HOPE springs eternal. That was Alexander Pope, I just looked it up – thank you Internet.
If we don’t HOPE we begin to slowly die. Did you ever spend time in the company of someone who had lost HOPE? If you did you probably didn’t go back.
HOPE is what won Barack Obama the presidency of the United States. HOPE is what keeps people religious. Is shopping a form of HOPE? Or is it just something we do when we want to psyche ourselves up to face the next round of hopelessness? OK that’s not a fair question.
Although I never would have defined it that way here’s how I’m helping clients and others sell HOPE.
Coalition on Public Understanding of Science (COPUS) is capitalizing on the HOPE of scientists, engineers, teachers and everyone involved in Science that it’s back on the national radar screen. President Obama mentioned Science in his inaugural speech. They’ve declared 2009 The Year of Science. For eight years science was kept under the radar screen as the evolution debate raged. Now there is HOPE.
AAAS is marketing the Science of Alcohol – here the HOPE is clearer. If we teach kids the science of what alcohol is and how it can hurt their bodies – rather than just tell them it’s bad for them – the HOPE is they will delay their first drink. We’ve tried everything else, now we’re hopeful about science.
Healthcarebluebook.com is selling the HOPE that if you get smarter about what your treatments and services should cost, you will ultimately get better care and pay less. Selling HOPE when it goes against what you’re accustomed too is complicated. It has to be built one step at a time. First, there’s the HOPE that you can figure out how to do this. Second, there’s the HOPE that the provider will negotiate. Third, there’s the HOPE you’ll actually save money.
International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) – is selling the HOPE that belonging to its group will improve your stature, get you a new job, keep you up-to-date and networked in. But their membership is declining and I think the HOPE message is diluted. People aren’t sure why they belong – and when they can’t identify the price/value relationship of membership HOPE goes right out the window.
American Society of Association Executives – markets HOPE in the form of professional development. It has so many products, services, conferences, networking events, meetings – many specialized for individual market segments – that I personally cannot figure them all out. How can you sell HOPE when it’s a giant bureaucratic hodgepodge? Their events are usually well attended so HOPE must be in there somewhere.
I could go on but you get it. HOPE does sell. Figure out what it is in the products or services you’re marketing – do research – learn and use HOPE to market it. In these tough economic times, it’s one of the most potent weapons we’ve got.
Here's Barack Obama selling HOPE.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjXyqcx-mYY
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Communicating 2.0 in the Social Media Space
Here are two video presentations that I found which show why it's so critical for marketers and communications professionals to keep on top of social networking. Link is at the bottom. Let me know what you think.
#1. Health 2.0
Shows the possibility of using Twitter and tweets for constant communication between doctor and patient.
Also Twitter can be used as a customer feedback loop.
#2. Reputation Management
This reads like a giant flow chart and shows how branding and reputation work across social media platforms.
Discusses how dissatisfied customers can go after you and if it goes viral the trouble you can get into.
Touches on consistency of branding across social media platforms - vital for communicators and marketers.
Talks about monitoring what's being said about you through blogs, social networking sites, etc.
Go look and learn - www.vizedu.com
#1. Health 2.0
Shows the possibility of using Twitter and tweets for constant communication between doctor and patient.
Also Twitter can be used as a customer feedback loop.
#2. Reputation Management
This reads like a giant flow chart and shows how branding and reputation work across social media platforms.
Discusses how dissatisfied customers can go after you and if it goes viral the trouble you can get into.
Touches on consistency of branding across social media platforms - vital for communicators and marketers.
Talks about monitoring what's being said about you through blogs, social networking sites, etc.
Go look and learn - www.vizedu.com
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Marketers Tell Us What's Hot and What's Not in 2009
The Marketing Executives Networking Group (MENG) and Anderson Analytics issued the results of its second annual survey of Top Marketing Trends for 2009. More than 630 senior marketers from a wide variety of industries across the nation (MENG members must make $160,000 plus per year) responded to the email poll.
Here’s what they said about budgets:
34% said they expect their budgets will remain flat
25% say they will not fill open positions
19% say their budgets will be reduced
11% said their budgets would go up
Which are the most important target markets?
78% said baby boomers – up from 6%
64% said women – up 9%
53% said generation X – up 13%
52% said Gen Y – up 11%
What’s Hot in Marketing
Marketers were asked which strategies they would concentrate on for 2009. Here are some highlights:
79% said customer satisfaction
76% said customer retention
65% said marketing ROI
61% said market segmentation
51% said innovation and R&D with 51% believing their budgets will stay the same and 21% saying it will increase.
#1 New Business Opportunity - China with India a distant second
What to Read?
The winner is still Good to Great but up and comers include: Groundswell, Hot Flat and Crowded, The Black Swan, Predictably Irrational and Mavericks at Work.
Hot Marketers (We mean popular not that kind of hot) – Seth Godin, Malcolm Gladwell, Warren Buffet
What’s Not So Hot
In these tough economic times marketers’ priorities are changing.
Global warming shrank in importance dropped 14 spots on the list
Green marketing moved down 5
And dead last: Game theory, anti-Americanism and immigration.
Who’s Not So Hot – Al Ries, Jack Welch, Jim Stengel
Large numbers of marketers said they are sick of hearing about new media. What areas did they say enough already about? Web 2.0 19.4% Social Networking 12.2% Social Media 11.3% Blogging 7.9% Viral Marketing 6.2% Synergy 5.8%.
BUT in a recent survey by the same research firm, 67% of senior marketers admitted they didn’t know much about social media. So go figure.
I talked to Tom Anderson,author of the survey, and he gave us some insight into what all of this means. He told me:
MENG are experienced marketers who have been through other recessions. They know cutting back isn’t going to help long-term.
Generation Y is gaining in importance because they are the customers of tomorrow and they are influencing purchasing by their parents
Marketing research focus didn’t change as much as he thought – they’re still focused on it just trying to do what’s most important
Green is expensive and so is global warning – and in these economic times people are more worried about survival.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Media Outreach in A Press Apocalypse
I've been pitching a great story for the past couple of weeks and struggling like hell to get coverage. It’s a brand new company that provides pricing info (you type your zip code and surgery, treatment, etc. into a web site and it pulls up the average price PPOs pay their doctors). Thought it was a no brainer for major coverage. Check out Healthcarebluebook.com.
Welcome to the new media reality. Getting press is absolute hell these days. Here are just a few issues I’ve run into:
Lists are Out of Date Immediately - The lists, no matter how fresh are no good because everyone is getting laid off. Entire departments are going – an editor for The Washington Post recently discussed how he had one writer left in science, CNN has laid off entire segments of its newsroom, and the list goes on.
Spam is Hell - You have no clue if your email pitch/press advisory gets to where it’s going requiring endless follow-up. And media people get really pissed off if you ask if they got your release because they really don’t care. If the computer decided it was spam – then you have 15 seconds to convince them it’s worth listening to you and all they will do is ask you to send it again. Then you have to make it stick.
Are there Any Real People Writing this Stuff? - It is virtually impossible to get to a real person at any major publication, news room, etc. Web is the worst - unless you have their direct dial in which case they'll either ignore you or tell you that if they're interested they'll call. Rage not withstanding. And so many places use virtual freelancers now that when you do finally get a name (a lot of site digging and reading) no one knows how to find them – or cares. Remember when you used to make nice with the editorial assistants? They are gone. Or they are hiding behind a computer screen and talking to their friends on Twitter.
Story Approval Layers are Endless – You used to be able to pitch a story and if someone liked it they pitched it to an editor or producer and you moved forward. Now there are layers upon layers of approvals (too many lawyers got involved I guess) and by the time you finally get an answer – if you get one – the story could be dead.
Bloggers Don’t Like Anything that Sounds Client-Written – The bureaucracy of getting a client to approve a news release, saying things the way they want them said, trying to keep it short, delivering an engaging headline – is a nightmare. We used to get around it by sending out the release and pitching a paragraph by email that told the real story and then following up. But bloggers hate releases or anything that sounds client written. If they get the release they often won’t cover the story. Or they write a sentence and the prospect of an interview is gone.
I am lucky because I’m outspoken and the people that end up hiring me are smart and they listen. But that’s not the norm.
A Few Tips for PR Now
So what is a PR person supposed to do? My background is journalism – I know editors, writers, etc. and how they think. Of course you go to the people you know, that’s a no brainer if they still have jobs. And the big agencies can use armies of kids to hit social media, traditional media, etc. and eventually something sticks.
These tips come from a very long talk with a PR Newswire veteran (she wants to be anonymous but was so helpful) and here’s some of what I’ve learned.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is everything. The search firms act like what they do is rocket science but it’s really not. You use the words that you know people search a lot in your news release but not so much that it ends up in the SPAM folder.
If you want to Google higher get a Wiki, Facebook page (Google has downgraded LinkedIn a lot), ask or answer a question on Yahoo. That will help enormously.
Use The Right Words and the Assessment Tools – PR Newswire, for instance, has an assessment tool for clients to see if you've used words too many or too few times. There are probably freebies out there too. And by the way, no one has any clue or studies how journalists search – including those news companies you are paying a lot of money too.
Think to yourself – if reporters in my industry have Google Alerts (and most of us do these days) what are the key words that they will search? Then come up with a list of industry and general public buzzwords and run them by your clients. Use them throughout the release – it’s no longer just the headline and first paragraph – it’s the whole thing.
Write a Press Release Like a News Story – Journalists who still have jobs don’t have time to search out sources, spend days on stories, check quotes, find data, etc. I’ve had a lot of success with getting my releases picked up verbatim if they are short and well written. One client quote to amplify a point – two or three data points that make the story timely and valuable. Find a news peg – these days it can be almost anything – but it’s better if it’s a big one. And don’t go over one page – it makes a huge difference.
There’s a lot more to be said on all of this. Check back in a couple of days.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Blending Professional and Personal on Facebook
This is a big question for business people and few have managed to answer it completely, although there seems to be a consensus that the two should not mix.
Truth - I am not a huge Facebook user (I have probably a dozen friends, most of whom have found me, a mix of professional and personal) but I am an Admin on two professional sites and then my own.
As an independent, if I hide my page then people won’t be able to find me – and some of my company information is on there. So it’s available.
Remember Bristol Palin’s boyfriend whose MySpace page, until Jon Stewart found it, trumpeted how he wanted to party all day and night and never get married. We’ve also heard the stories about kids who applied to college and didn’t get in because some admissions officer decided to check out their MySpace or Facebook page. We all have to remember these are public spaces.
My “Facebook Friends” so far haven’t written anything that I wouldn’t want anyone else to see. We save that for emails – which we shouldn’t do either.
We are all experimenting with social networking and I’m not sure that anyone knows the right answer. For me - what am I supposed to tell clients or prospective ones if they want to Friend Me? Thanks but no thanks?
I did get an email from an association president in Chicago via Facebook who represents a group I do not think of as eco-friendly. He was trying to reach out to science teachers and asked if he could Friend Me.
I politely declined but sent him to the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) page and the Coalition on Public Understanding of Science (COPUS) page. I also sent him a bio and my web address which he dutifully said he passed on to his PR director. One hand washes the other.
A recent discussion on the ASAE listserv and some polling of friends, colleagues and clients showed that we are all struggling with how to manage personal and professional. There does not seem to be a simple solution. I’ve left out names from the listserv since it’s for ASAE members only. Here is what I learned:
You Can Separate the Two In Some Form - A number of people I talked to use LinkedIn for business and keep Facebook for personal use. It does have controls so that people can’t see your page if you don’t Friend Them. You can also set it up so your Real Friends can see some information and your Professional Friends can see others. I have no idea how to do this but one of my clients who is getting an MBA told me he does it.
Independents Seem To Use Their Page for A Mix of Both - A small business owner echoed my issue. She said “I often receive requests from business contacts to connect as Friends. I'd prefer to keep them separated, but it looks like many others use Facebook for all purposes.”
Some Have a Personal and a Professional Page – The simplest way to do it is to have two pages – one for business and one for professional. Since so many organizations now have Facebook pages, it makes more sense to do it this way, to allay confusion.
This raises other issues too – Do you want to have your professional affiliation on your personal page (after all it is another form of contact. What if your company name is the same as your real name – will that confuse everyone?)
One big discussion among associations is that members started Facebook pages and they weren’t part of the “Brand” so they wanted to know whether others had asked them to stop. Most seemed reluctant to ask their members to stop – after all it was a form of member outreach and kind of flattering. The consensus was they had to learn to live with a lack of control – and might learn something from the chatter.
And then of course the biggest issue to me is What Really Is the Point of Facebook?
And that’s the question I cannot answer except for the data that I keep collecting.
It’s the most popular social networking tool
It helps you bond with clients/members, etc. in new ways
It gets you in front of people you would not reach any other way
It is a way to keep in touch with a broad network of people – who may be friends/potential clients/real clients – in a cool, fun, way
You’ve got to be on it to figure it out
The fastest growing group on Facebook is 40-plus
My 13 year-old son is less adamant about having a Facebook page because his mother is on it – and as more parents go on I’m sure the kids will leave and found something else.
And that’s my post for this holiday week. Happy Holidays to All.
Truth - I am not a huge Facebook user (I have probably a dozen friends, most of whom have found me, a mix of professional and personal) but I am an Admin on two professional sites and then my own.
As an independent, if I hide my page then people won’t be able to find me – and some of my company information is on there. So it’s available.
Remember Bristol Palin’s boyfriend whose MySpace page, until Jon Stewart found it, trumpeted how he wanted to party all day and night and never get married. We’ve also heard the stories about kids who applied to college and didn’t get in because some admissions officer decided to check out their MySpace or Facebook page. We all have to remember these are public spaces.
My “Facebook Friends” so far haven’t written anything that I wouldn’t want anyone else to see. We save that for emails – which we shouldn’t do either.
We are all experimenting with social networking and I’m not sure that anyone knows the right answer. For me - what am I supposed to tell clients or prospective ones if they want to Friend Me? Thanks but no thanks?
I did get an email from an association president in Chicago via Facebook who represents a group I do not think of as eco-friendly. He was trying to reach out to science teachers and asked if he could Friend Me.
I politely declined but sent him to the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) page and the Coalition on Public Understanding of Science (COPUS) page. I also sent him a bio and my web address which he dutifully said he passed on to his PR director. One hand washes the other.
A recent discussion on the ASAE listserv and some polling of friends, colleagues and clients showed that we are all struggling with how to manage personal and professional. There does not seem to be a simple solution. I’ve left out names from the listserv since it’s for ASAE members only. Here is what I learned:
You Can Separate the Two In Some Form - A number of people I talked to use LinkedIn for business and keep Facebook for personal use. It does have controls so that people can’t see your page if you don’t Friend Them. You can also set it up so your Real Friends can see some information and your Professional Friends can see others. I have no idea how to do this but one of my clients who is getting an MBA told me he does it.
Independents Seem To Use Their Page for A Mix of Both - A small business owner echoed my issue. She said “I often receive requests from business contacts to connect as Friends. I'd prefer to keep them separated, but it looks like many others use Facebook for all purposes.”
Some Have a Personal and a Professional Page – The simplest way to do it is to have two pages – one for business and one for professional. Since so many organizations now have Facebook pages, it makes more sense to do it this way, to allay confusion.
This raises other issues too – Do you want to have your professional affiliation on your personal page (after all it is another form of contact. What if your company name is the same as your real name – will that confuse everyone?)
One big discussion among associations is that members started Facebook pages and they weren’t part of the “Brand” so they wanted to know whether others had asked them to stop. Most seemed reluctant to ask their members to stop – after all it was a form of member outreach and kind of flattering. The consensus was they had to learn to live with a lack of control – and might learn something from the chatter.
And then of course the biggest issue to me is What Really Is the Point of Facebook?
And that’s the question I cannot answer except for the data that I keep collecting.
It’s the most popular social networking tool
It helps you bond with clients/members, etc. in new ways
It gets you in front of people you would not reach any other way
It is a way to keep in touch with a broad network of people – who may be friends/potential clients/real clients – in a cool, fun, way
You’ve got to be on it to figure it out
The fastest growing group on Facebook is 40-plus
My 13 year-old son is less adamant about having a Facebook page because his mother is on it – and as more parents go on I’m sure the kids will leave and found something else.
And that’s my post for this holiday week. Happy Holidays to All.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Placing Science and Health Stories: What Works Now
Last Friday I attended a meeting for public information officers held by AAAS’ EurekAlert! news service. The room was packed with university, corporate, and other science communications leaders. It was one of the most informative presentations I’ve been too in a long time. Here are some highlights and lessons learned.
Panel members: Karl Bates, Director of Research Communications, Duke University; Nils Burzelius, Deputy National Editor/Science and Tom Kennedy Managing Editor for Multimedia, The Washington Post; Art Chimes, Host of Our Word science program, Voice of America; Jorge Ribas, Video Producer, Discovery News; Rea Blakey, Host of Discovery Health: CME (moderator).
Realities of this new media world:
Most people will be reading your information on 3” screens
Your readers/viewers can talk back to you and tell you that you are an idiot
You are just one click away from a referral to someone’s entire network
70% of the people who come to your site are there for two seconds
The main message of the panel was that video helps sell your story. You can buy a good hand-held video camera for around $100, and you should. Video makes press releases more compelling. Some ideas:
No more talking heads – They’re boring and people don’t listen. If you must do a talking head - dress him up. For a presentation on stem cells Duke ran footage of them as a backdrop. Stem cells have beautiful colors and are constantly changing.
Going viral – Just because you post video doesn’t mean it will be watched but if it’s creative and different you have a much better chance. Here are two examples:
Dancing Shrimp went up on YouTube to demonstrate an experiment scientists were doing. People started setting it to music and it ended up on the Today Show.
http://revver.com/video/655318/dancing-shrimp/
Particle Physics rap song – Student Kate McAlpine was trying to explain complex science with rap and it was picked up everywhere.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j50ZssEojtM&eurl=http://www.katemcalpine.com/webout.html
Raw footage is best – Say goodbye to expensively produced video and b-roll. The media prefers 90 seconds of raw footage that it can use in a longer piece. BTW the most popular videos on YouTube are 7-9 minutes.
Losing control of your footage – This is a fear from lawyers and many executives. While you can’t control every use you can watermark it so they know it’s yours and it will always have your brand on it.
Your expert on video – Think of it as an audition tape. The media wants to show viewers what scientists are working on – not just read about it.
Some other thoughts for communicating science and health:
Get your field researchers to set up an FTP site – Footage can be used to report as they go. Also get them to blog about what they’re doing so people can follow them.
Strong characters are a big plus – The media wants people who allow us to go inside of a situation and observe it. Also offer a pre-interview if you can’t get the real thing – it allows them to get a sense of what’s possible.
Get rid of the corporate blah, blah, blah press release – It’s better to write releases in a journalistic way – use multiple sources and data (make sure it’s sourced). This way it may get picked up as is.
The role of PIOs is changing – With all the lay-offs, PIOs have to help journalists and take on more responsibility. The media wants partnerships, strong credentials, expertise, knowledge and often help with fact checking.
For more information http://www.eurekalert.org/seminar/2008/video.php
Panel members: Karl Bates, Director of Research Communications, Duke University; Nils Burzelius, Deputy National Editor/Science and Tom Kennedy Managing Editor for Multimedia, The Washington Post; Art Chimes, Host of Our Word science program, Voice of America; Jorge Ribas, Video Producer, Discovery News; Rea Blakey, Host of Discovery Health: CME (moderator).
Realities of this new media world:
Most people will be reading your information on 3” screens
Your readers/viewers can talk back to you and tell you that you are an idiot
You are just one click away from a referral to someone’s entire network
70% of the people who come to your site are there for two seconds
The main message of the panel was that video helps sell your story. You can buy a good hand-held video camera for around $100, and you should. Video makes press releases more compelling. Some ideas:
No more talking heads – They’re boring and people don’t listen. If you must do a talking head - dress him up. For a presentation on stem cells Duke ran footage of them as a backdrop. Stem cells have beautiful colors and are constantly changing.
Going viral – Just because you post video doesn’t mean it will be watched but if it’s creative and different you have a much better chance. Here are two examples:
Dancing Shrimp went up on YouTube to demonstrate an experiment scientists were doing. People started setting it to music and it ended up on the Today Show.
http://revver.com/video/655318/dancing-shrimp/
Particle Physics rap song – Student Kate McAlpine was trying to explain complex science with rap and it was picked up everywhere.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j50ZssEojtM&eurl=http://www.katemcalpine.com/webout.html
Raw footage is best – Say goodbye to expensively produced video and b-roll. The media prefers 90 seconds of raw footage that it can use in a longer piece. BTW the most popular videos on YouTube are 7-9 minutes.
Losing control of your footage – This is a fear from lawyers and many executives. While you can’t control every use you can watermark it so they know it’s yours and it will always have your brand on it.
Your expert on video – Think of it as an audition tape. The media wants to show viewers what scientists are working on – not just read about it.
Some other thoughts for communicating science and health:
Get your field researchers to set up an FTP site – Footage can be used to report as they go. Also get them to blog about what they’re doing so people can follow them.
Strong characters are a big plus – The media wants people who allow us to go inside of a situation and observe it. Also offer a pre-interview if you can’t get the real thing – it allows them to get a sense of what’s possible.
Get rid of the corporate blah, blah, blah press release – It’s better to write releases in a journalistic way – use multiple sources and data (make sure it’s sourced). This way it may get picked up as is.
The role of PIOs is changing – With all the lay-offs, PIOs have to help journalists and take on more responsibility. The media wants partnerships, strong credentials, expertise, knowledge and often help with fact checking.
For more information http://www.eurekalert.org/seminar/2008/video.php
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