HC+T Update: December 27, 2013

From: "HC+T Update" <shel@holtz.com>

Subject: HC+T Update: December 27, 2013

Date: December 27th 2013

December 27, 2013
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Why the Sacco saga will drive more people to ephemeral and private messaging services

The story of the week was a hitherto unknown corporate communicator whose tweet to her 200 followers created a firestorm -- including a reaction that was far out of proportion to the offense -- and led to her firing. Justine Sacco's experience has been dissected by scores of bloggers, journalists and commentators, but few pointed to the incident symbolizing the reason so many people are taking to private messaging tools instead of public social networks. The more we hear about public humiliation based on ill-advised public messags, the more we will be inclined to connect with our close circle of peers and family on tools like WhatsApp, WeChat, Snapchat and the new Leo, which keep conversations (in text, photos and video) private while making them easier than ever. Read more

This week on FIR

On The Hobson & Holtz Report, Neville and I talked about Leo, Prismatic and other social services that present challenges to brands seeking to engage, the Sacco tale, business cases for real-time marketing, and how a PR effort to destroy a reputation holds lessons for communicators. We also look at WhatsApp's milestone of 400 million monthly active users, The New York Times' announcement of its native advertising plans, Peugeot's purchase of 10,000 Blackberry handsets, and the #NotYourAsianSidekick hashtag and why it trended so high. We also have our usual reports from Asia with Michael Netzley and on technology with Dan York. Listen here
The second monthly episode of AllThingsIC with Rachel Miller features an interview with incoming CIPR President Stephen Waddington, along with Rachel's usual review of internal communications news. Listen here
The premiere episode of Higher Education with Kevin Anselmo should be welcome content for communication educators as well as anyone communicating on behalf of an academic institution. In the debut episode, Kevin chats with Bill Fischer, a professor at IMD business school in Switzerland, about how to successfully use social media to spur idea generation. Listen here

Here at Holtz Communication + Technology, we hope your holiay season has been everything you wished for and that 2014 brings you success and happiness. Even as things wound down for the year at HC+T headquarters, I still collected a treasure trove of great stories you may have missed. You can check out (and follow) the collection of stories from which I select items for the Wrap at LinksFromShel.tumblr.com.

Above the fold

Teens fleeing Facebook doesn't mean much

Facebook has acknowledged that teens are leaving the social network for other services where their parents can't keep track of them, and a recent UK study confirms the teen flight. The European Union funded a social media study that determined that, for 16-18 year olds in the UK, "facebook is not just on the slide, it is basically dead and buried," according to a Business Insider report. These teens, like those in North America, are opting instead to use Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and WhatsApp (which recently announced it has surpassed 400 million monthly active users). But does it matter? In the UK, AllTwitter notes, Facebook is used by 56% of consumers who use social networks, compared to 26% for Twitter. The highest use of Facebook is among the 18-24-year-old demographic, at 91%, followed by 25-34, at 84%, according to a study from Kantar and TNS Omnibus. The reason could be that once teens graduate from college and enter the real world, the more private networks they used for connecting with their closest friends are inadequate for keeping up with old friends and connecting with new ones, so they return to Facebook. Wired quotes anthropologist David Miller, who writes that "even high school teens embarrassed to use Facebook acknowledge its strengths. 'Most of the school children in our survey recognized that in many ways, facebook is technicall better than twitter or Instagram,' he writes. 'It is more integrated, better for photo albums, organizing parties and more effective for observing people's relationships.'" So don't go figuring the teen exodus spells a dire end for Facebook. More likely it's just a temporary teen phase.

PR still has the opportunity to turn native advertising into something special

At IABC's 2013 World Conference this past June, Edelman CEO Richard Edelman said the window is small for PR to take control of the content published through publishers' native advertising schemes. After all, PR knows how to tell a story that resonates with audiences. So far, advertising still rules the roost, and the results of their efforts haven't amounted to much, according to a Sharethrough ranking of the biggest brand-produced sponsored content from 2013. Reported in Adweek. "What perhaps sticks out the most is that none of these stories seems to have taken off on the social Web -- which is the promise of the entire native ads movement," Adweek's Mike Shields writes. The top sponsored story in Sharethrough's ranking was a Buzzfeed items paid for by Harper Collins. "17 Problems Only Book Lovers Will Understand" produced 715,267 social actions. Not bad, you may say, but it points out that not a single brand was able to 'crack a million s hares or likes." Despite the fact that most publishers, hungry for new revenue streams, are establishing native advertising programs, brands may sour on the idea if their content can't produce results that justify the costs. Undoubtedly, better content will produce better results. It's up to communicators to wrest the development of content from the advertising department if the promise of engaging consumers (ethically, of course) as they read their favorite publications is to gain traction.

Consideration of social issues precedes a purchase for most consumers

What is it that makes the content from sites like Upworthy so appealing while the content you slave over produces a paltry number of views? These sites focus on social issues, which numerous studies tell us is increasingly important to younger consumers. That trend was reinforced by a new study from KPMG which found nearly 70% of consumers under 30 years old consider social issues -- including sustainability, human rights and fair trade -- before making a purchase. "This outpaces the less than 50% of consuejmrs overall who feel the same way," reports Bulldog Reporter's Daily 'Dog. The examination of a company's social responsibility practices is particularly strong for big-ticket purchases "such as automobiles, computers, consumer electronics and jewelry versus everyday items such as gasoline, toys and food. 34% of consumers under 30 always or frequently consider social issues when buying everyday goods versus 41% when buying big-ticket ite ms." For companies that make or sell these kinds of products, more CSR-focused content could have a bigger impact on purchases than more stories about the products themselves. The article also notes that the Dodd Frank Act, aimed at curbing "the funding of militias in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and adjacent countries that commit human rights violations and often benefit financially" from mines producing "conflict minerals," must now report the status of their products. Awareness of the rule will increase in 2014, and it wouldn't hurt to get ahead of that in the content you produce for customers and prospects.

Below the fold

Does doctor use of social media lead to better patient care?

An article in Medical Practice Insider points to an eMarketer study that reveals more than 60% of doctors use social media every week, most of whom believe that it can improve patient care. By way of example, editor Frank Irving points to QuantiaMD, "a social learning and collaboration platform" that attracted 30,000 doctor visits in November alone. Using a Facebook-like platform, the network allows doctors to ask questions of presenters from The Mayo Clinic and to participate in peer-to-peer dialogue. Thirty percent of U.S. physicians use the network.

Recruiters back away from social media background checks

Potential employers are scaling back their use of social media as part of the background check process, according to Main Street. A combination of state laws restricting the practice and increasingly savvy applicants taking more care to protect their privacy has contributed to the decline in social media screening. "To boot, employers are concerned that plundering material online could elicit lawsuits for discrimination if the search reveals age, ethnicity, medical conditions, religious affiliation or similar personal information too early in the hiring process."

Newspapers may be dying, but their front pages are popular

Newspapers are struggling for revenue (explaining the rise of sponsored content, aka native advertising), but people seem to love to share their front pages. Poynter reports that "newspaper covers are increasingly being shared digitally -- helped by the ease of posting on twitter, Facebook and other social platforms." These front pages are viewed as "an encapsulation of a historical event, to be seen and filed away for a distant time when we want to remember how much something mattered in its day," Poynter's Jeremy Barr writes. "Sharing a front on twitter...is the modern-day equivalent of cutting out and saving a page from a significant edition, or just a funny New York tabloid front." Newseum digitizes and shares hundreds of front pages daily, simplifying the ability to share. Marketers might consider a faux front page as a digital asset when announcing news as a way to boost awareness.

Astronaut maintained Pinterest account while living in space

NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg had been using Pinterest for a while before she blasted off for a stint on the International Space Station (ISS), making it a natural venue for sharing a view of the world from orbit. "When I was in space I was mostly pinning my own pictures," Nyberg told The Daily Dot; "it was neat to see the comments and see that people were noticing them and interested in them." In addition to chronicling her experience, she also continued pinning about crafting, sharing a photo of herself sewing inside the ISS. The lesson for communicators: If employees are doing something interesting (even visiting an exotic location), a visual collection of images about the experience could be a useful way to attract attention, humanize the organization, and stand out from the crowd.

Social traffic doubles as search traffic slides

Search traffic is declining while traffic to social sites is surging. That's the conclusion of a report from Shareaholic, reported by The Next Web. Search is a mature tool and social media still relatively young, accounting for search representing 42% of traffic and social referrals 11%. But "organic search's share of visits to publishers actually dropped 6%" while "referrals from the top five social media platforms more than doubled (growing 111% year-over-year."

Mobile readiness lags behind the opportunity to engage customers

Among planned or in-process technology initiatives, mobile efforts to enhance client engagement is near the bottom, according to executives surveyed at Oracle OpenWorld 2013; only 13% said their companies had launched such an initiative, while only 7% were developing social networking technology and 1% were focused on "bring your own software" programs. This, according to KPMG's Richard Hanley (as reported in Bulldog Reporter's Daily 'Dog), "may indicate organizations are missing opportunities to leveage mobile workforce and social collaboration tools that can improve critical business functions." A mere 5% of executives said their business strategy and technology are 100% aligned.

Google unveils checklist for building mobile sites

Google's developer programs tech lead, Maile Ohye, offered steps for success in developing mobile sites on the company's Developers Blog. According to eWeek, the key steps include making sure "the mobile pages don't frustrate a company's customers when they access the pages using their mobile devices." Ending such frustration means getting rid of "cumbersome extra windows," including JavaScript popups and overlays. Other items on the list include ensuring "device-appropriate functionality' in website code, which means dropping any features that rely on plug-ins. You also need to make sure video playback will work on a phone or tablet, be sure the code faciliates task completion for mobile users, and be sure the Website code for mobile devices "turns customers into fans."

But wait! There's more!

Everybody's talking about...

The tumult over Sacco may have obscured the coverage of McDonald's yanking its McResource website, a tool aimed at McDonald's employees that has been the subject of criticism over articles offering advice to minimum wage workers about tipping dog walkers, pool cleaners, au pairs and massage therapists, among other tone-deaf recommendations. The last straw was an article advising employees at the burger chain to stay away from burgers and fries, according to RT USA. The site was maintained by a vendor -- without much oversight by the company, apparently. Business Insider quotes the company explaining its decision, based on the "unwarranted scrutiny and inappropriate commentary" the site has attracted. (Unwarranted and inappropriate? Why not just admit, "We screwed up"?) BI points to earlier advice about getting out of holiday debt by returning unopened purchases, and a budget guide that included no money for heat and spending $20 a month for health care. CNN points to a study revealing 52% of families of fast food workers get assistance from public programs. While media coverage focuses on the insultingly absurd nature of the advice for workers, communicators should concentrate on the fact that the site was maintained by an external vendor. The hazards of just handing the reins over to someone insensitive to the audience it's targeting should be clear.

I speak to a group of communicators from Toyota North America at company headquarters in Torrance, California, on January 23.
I'm conducting a webinar on January 28 for PeopleFluent. Details to come.
Next February 6, I'll speak at an industry conference for manufacturers of Omega 3 products on crisis communications. The session is in Salt Lake City.
I'll be speaking at the global intranet conference from IntraTeam in Denmark on February 26-28.
I'm speaking at a meeting of communicators from The Walt Disney Company in California on March 5.
On April 2 next year, I'll do two sessions at the Ragan Communications conference at Walt Disney World.

Join Joe Thornley and me for our 8-week interactive online social media strategy course

Thornley Fallis Public Relations CEO Joe Thornley and I are bringing our strategic social media course to IABC for the third time. We're completely revamping the interactive, online course using a new learning software tool that makes the presentations even more compelling. We're also adding interviews with industry thought leaders to the mix. There's nothing else like this course, which includes the interactive training modules, a closed Facebook group for discussions, and a weekly live conference call for real-time engagement and more information on the week's topic. Learn more and register here.

Since 1996, HC+T has helped organizations communicate effectively in the emerging online space using intranets to reach employees and various dimensions of the Internet to communicate with other stakeholder audiences.

HC+T provides a full range of services for large organizations, from speaking and training to communication audits and strategic plan development.

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