This is a guest post by Cathy Pittham, Managing Director, Racepoint Group Europe
A recent article, “PR Firms Make London World Capital of Reputation Laundering,” in the August 4th edition of The Guardian has been getting a lot of attention lately. The piece talks about the increasing amount of public affairs work being done by global PR firms in support of countries such as Russia, Sudan and Rwanda – the last being a Racepoint Group client.
This article challenges the reader to think about the kinds of countries that get reputation assistance in Western media and policy markets. If decisions were made strictly based on assessments by NGOs, special interest groups, Western governments and media pundits, many of these countries might not have agencies representing them. The reality is, however, that work done for these countries is often the subject of the same kind of practical assessments that Western governments have made in dealing with these countries for decades.
A good example would be prior to the Nixon administration, when no US government had engaged with China since the 1947 revolution. The widely held view was that it was not appropriate to deal with a Communist regime during the Cold War. Yet Nixon had a vision for a free China based on the notion that opening dialogue and promoting capitalism would generate Western style freedoms. This, in turn, led to an opening of business channels, locating dozens of Western PR firms in the country and a détente that has cemented partnerships between the East and West that, 40 years ago, were unimaginable.
While the jury is still out on whether the promotion of capitalism in China will yield a democracy, what is undeniable is that it has led to a vastly improved lifestyle for hundreds of millions of people.
The argument that countries that have policies we might not like are not entitled to communications representation is a flawed perspective. Opening channels of communication ensures that influence can occur in both directions and provide better balance. And often this communication is in support of agendas that are strongly in favour of the interests of the citizens of those countries. For example, enabling countries in Africa to promote their agendas in the West gives them access to new capital and investment to create jobs, drive technological innovation and ensure a better future for the wider population.
Our work in Rwanda focuses on positioning the country with potential investors around the world, with the international tourist industry and with the Diaspora in order to reconnect Rwandans everywhere. We also promote the extraordinary lessons that the Rwandans have learned in rebuilding their country following the tragic genocide of sixteen years ago – a lesson that can teach ‘The West’ (who largely turned their backs on Rwanda during the genocide) a thing or two.
We have focused in particular on the possibilities extended by digital communications. We have built and launched two online Rwandan communities (Rwanda Fact Check and Friends of Rwanda) that highlight key news and facts – serving to correct misinformation that emerges elsewhere. This is supported by engagement via Twitter, Facebook, FlickR and YouTube. These resources allow us to educate and inform people beyond Rwanda’s boundaries about the challenges and opportunities for rebuilding a country from democratic, judicial, cultural and economic standpoints.
Since September last year, we have increased discussions on Rwanda tourism by 183%, on the economy by 129%. Our two communities online receive approximately 2,000 visitors a month with traffic coming from 21 different countries. Our 1,000 Twitter followers include representatives from the media, World Bank, UN and International Finance Corporation among other key stakeholders.
I’m very proud of the work we do for Rwanda. It encapsulates all the values that differentiate Racepoint Group as an agency. At all times, we facilitate honest and open dialogue that seeks to balance historic perceptions with true representation of the country as it is today. The impact and devastation of the genocide Rwanda suffered is always acknowledged.
Applying oversimplified definitions of Western values is not helpful in a world that is much more nuanced and complex. So, while Mr. Booth’s article suggests one view, in my opinion it lacks the depth of understanding required in assessing such a complex situation.
This blog post was contributed by Alison O’Leary, who works in Racepoint’s UK office.
After a week working with Irdeto (a Racepoint client) out of their Beijing office, I’ve come back with a different view of the great Chinese firewall. True, my broadband speed was pretty slow, I couldn’t access Citrix from my hotel room at all and trying to get onto Twitter actually crashed my laptop, but it’s not the picture of doom and gloom painted by much of the Western media.
Yes, Western companies are having to abide by Chinese censorship requirements, with Google the most talked about case in point, and we all know the Chinese government operates the world’s most extensive system of Web monitoring and filtering, but social media is really making a difference to its overall impact.
China already counts the world’s biggest Internet population, at 470 million users – already more than double that of the USA – and consultants BDA China predict that Internet users will reach 800 million by 2014. And those users are making the most of it. According to a recent report, the Chinese are twice as likely to use chat and three times more likely to micro-blog, blog and use video conferencing than American users. The Netpop Research study shows that mainland Chinese citizens are “more likely to share information broadly and openly.” Something of a surprise given the country’s censorship has been such a topic of contention. Nevertheless, the study estimates that up to 92 percent of Chinese netizens use social media, meanwhile, only 76 percent of US netizens do the same.
What really came across when talking to Chinese colleagues and ex-pats during my time in Beijing though was the huge popularity of bulletin boards. There are 117 million of them in China and it is here that many of the population express themselves, sharing often contentious news and views. Some deliberately translate everything in English so that stories can disseminate at a quicker rate before being found and censored. Check out www.chinasmack.com as an example. When you add the 221 million blogs and 176 million social network users who also use these platforms to spearhead criticisms of many companies and spread ideas and news, it’s clear to see the game changing impact social media is already having.
As time moves on it will be interesting to see how things develop but one thing’s for sure, with the world’s largest Internet population grabbing the social media gauntlet, the great firewall of China has the hardest job on earth trying to keep control of it.
This is a guest post contributed by Micah Azzano from Racepoint Group’s Washington, DC office
As communicators, we continue to hear about the new communications landscape, where two-way communication is necessary for success. Nowhere is this more apparent than in than public affairs industry, where traditional tactics for influencing legislators — lobbying, advertising, writing op-eds and forming physical grassroots communities — can be expensive, limited and ineffective.
This week I was able to attend a panel in DC moderated by Marijean Lauzier, President & CEO of Racepoint Group on this very topic. The panel asked public affairs experts in DC to explore this new landscape and how public affairs teams can use social media to promote issues, reach influencers and engage grassroots and community organizations. Panelists included: Erik Hower of AT&T, Bill Knapp of SKD Knickerbocker and Allison Giles of Cook Medical.
Below are highlights from the panel:
Bill acknowledged that in the past DC and the government has lagged behind the rest of the world in social networking, but that’s changing at a rapid pace. He notes that social media provides a useful avenue for public affairs specialist to push out necessary communications and nullify incorrect or adverse information. The two examples he discussed are his work with Toyota during their recalls and ABC when considering pulling broadcasting in New York. View Bill’s complete response
Marijean followed up by asking Allison about what concerns she has about leveraging social media over time in a heavily regulated environment such as medical supplies. Allison’s response noted their public affairs team is starting out by slowly dipping their toes into the social media world and using it primarily for monitoring and staying updated with key members of the federal government, media and hill staffers. View Allison’s complete response
The conversation moved into the challenges in communications structure moving forward and whether big brands like AT&T view social media as an opportunity or a risk. Erik said that while AT&T has some of the best PR on the traditional side, there’s a lot more they can do in the online social media world. The challenge they’re facing is how to do social media strategically where it will have the most impact, and not just put up a Facebook or Twitter page just to have one.
Themes throughout the morning addressed the way campaigns have transformed and influenced social media uses inside and outside the beltway including the mobilization of the youth community by the Obama campaign. Because of that, it highlighted and illustrated the advantages of using social media not only for messaging but also for fund raising.
The panel also addressed the difference between traditional and social media messaging. The social media messaging is more segmented to smaller niches than traditional media does. Overall, the event takeaways included that while public affairs has a unique opportunity to reach and interact with key influencers and their audiences via social media, just building a community, social experience on a central hub or even simply opening a Facebook or Twitter account is not enough. The experience must be coupled with the ability to reach and engage key audiences on a constant and ongoing basis for the success of future campaigns.
Additionally, as digital and social media continue to expand as integral parts of media planning, it will continue to grow as the central influencer and information source for many. However, this means public affairs professionals must be prepared to further pare down and segment their messaging to address the needs of extremely targeted audiences.
This is a guest post contributed by Racepoint Group intern Allie Palmer
Dan Neely
Racepoint Group Chairman Larry Weber recently interviewed Dan Neely, the founder and CEO of Networked Insights – a Wisconsin-based company developed to analyze the data drawn from social media sources.
In this episode of Market Edge, Neely discusses customer and social intelligence, a relevant and pressing topic given the increasing access to current public opinion through social channels.
Neely points out the fact that businesses are currently spending about 80% of their time gathering data and just 20% of their time drawing conclusions from that data. Neely, however believes that the process should be just the opposite for effective business operations, product development and marketing.
Weber and Neely go on to discuss the application of social data analysis, including both the benefits and challenges Facebook presents, the future of Google, and the future of digital couponing. Neely highlights the efforts of businesses such as Research in Motion and Whirlpool, and uses their models (and success) as an introduction to the tools necessary for PR and marketing teams to start acting strategically, not reactively.
Social media’s rising influence on how journalists and bloggers collect and report news has been in the spotlight lately; last week, PR Week released a study showing that 70 percent of journalists use social media to assist in reporting, compared to only 41 percent last year. Clearly, journalists are increasingly viewing social media as a reliable, effective source to aid their professional commitment to delivering accurate news.
But what about how journalists use social media in their personal lives? Careers aside, journalists certainly can’t have been immune to the popularity of Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and other social networks primarily used for personal communication. Journalists have an obligation to objectively report the news, so what does that mean for their participation in these interactive, highly visible social networks? Should journalists maintain completely neutral social media profiles to avoid associating their personal views with their professional reporting?
The Washington Post thinks so. After editor Raju Narisetti posted a few tweets hinting at his political opinions, The Post took a public stance on journalists’ use of social media, forcing Narisetti to close his Twitter account and distributing an internal memo not-so-subtly referencing his actions. (See the full leaked memo on PaidContent.)
The Post’s guidelines make some valid points. Journalists do renege some rights they’d have as a private citizen by choosing to represent an objective news organization. And as I mentioned in my post on journalism’s financial history, publications have a democratic obligation to report unbiased news. But when does the quest for objectivity become censorship? As more and more traditional newspapers give way to digital formats, will limiting journalists’ activity in the social media space ultimately stifle that publication’s creativity, growth and evolution?
I’ll leave you with some provocative comments made by Paul Bradshaw at Online Journalism Blog:
“This week a new nail was driven into the coffin of the notion of journalistic objectivity. The culprit? The Washington Post’s leaked social media policy. The policy is aimed at preserving the appearance of objectivity rather than its actual existence. It focuses on what journalists are perceived to be, rather than what they actually do.”
As the founder of Newswise, a company that provides social media monitoring and reporting services for communications professionals, Roger S. Johnson knows his primary market, and he brings that market expertise to his Twitter handle. Roger provides insight on trends in PR and marketing and often passes along compelling studies on the uptake and importance of social media. His profile page reads like a overview of the past week’s most noteworthy traditional and social media news. For anyone looking for updates on interesting, relevant news from the media and PR realms, Roger (@PRwise) is an excellent follow.
In promoting his new film, “Capitalism: A Love Story,” controversy-prone filmmaker Michael Moore made some interesting statements about the future of newspapers as a profitable business model. Moore claims they “slit their own throats” and attributes the struggles of the medium to corporate greed and stupidity.
Moore blames newspapers’ dependence on advertising sales as a main contributor to the greedy media culture, and he goes on to cite circulation-sponsored models like those in Europe and Japan as more democratic alternatives. He says because these models look to readers as their primary sources of revenue, the newspapers are forced to be more committed to producing high-quality, relevant content for readers.
From a historical perspective, the ad-sponsored model for newspapers stemmed from a democratic mindset. When small newsletters first began springing up around the colonies in the early 1700s, they were funded, of course, through reader purchases. Coming from fifteenth-century Britain, where newspapers were government sponsored and notoriously biased, America’s first journalists passionately held that a for-profit model would ensure a democratic, free press. But as these papers began to grow and evolve, they realized sales alone wouldn’t be able to support much expansion. Not wanting to turn newspapers over to government funding, the advertising-sponsored media model evolved as a revenue stream based on the desire to maintain an independent press.
So advertising was invoked with good intentions, but where does that leave us today? As Moore suggests, are newspapers a failed business experiment merely reaping what they sowed?
With media mogul Rupert Murdoch, chairman and CEO of NewsCorp, recently putting his foot down on charging for newspapers’ online content, the industry may be at a crossroads. But for the now, the future of this storied, historic medium remains uncertain.
Today we’re happy to be announcing a new Friday, guest post feature. Our inaugural guest post was contributed by RaceTalk-reader Tara Miller, who writes about online management degree‘s. She welcomes your feedback here and at TaraMillerr00 at yahoo.com. If you’re interested in writing a guest post for RaceTalk please contact us at racetalk at racepointgroup.com.
Even if you do most of your business in the office, having a way to get connected with important information and better monitor your success is extremely useful. These mobile applications can help marketers of all kinds keep in touch, survey consumers, remember important tasks and much more.
Urbanspoon: If you need great place to take out potential clients, buyers or investors, then use this handy app to find something that suits the needs of all the suits in the room.
Salesforce Mobile: This CRM tool allows users to keep client and prospect information on hand. Update your records while you’re stuck in another endless wait on the tarmac at La Guardia.
iTalk: Make taking notes easy with this app that will also help you avoid carpal tunnel. Simply say it aloud and save it to your phone.
Surveyor: If you need to get in touch with and survey your target market, this portable application can make the whole process a little less painful.
Stay in Touch: Easily manage all of your business information with this helpful CRM tool.
Analytics Pro: With this app you can keep tabs on the performance of your websites or blog no matter where you are. Its functionality links you up with your Google Analytics account.
Keynote Remote: Mac users can take advantage of this budget app that turns your iPhone into a remote control, which can be used to go through a Keynote presentation – while taking advantage of the local wi-fi connection.
Remember the Milk: If you need a little help remembering the stuff you need to get done outside of work then try out the mobile version of this app. You’ll be able to keep track of mundane tasks like picking up the milk, as well as personal emails that need responses.
Scribble: Here you’ll find an app that will let you jot down ideas and share your designs with others, whether in person or through an email. Simply draw on the screen of your iPhone, which becomes a bit like a whiteboard. If you want to erase – give it a little shake.
Creative Whack Pack: If you’re experiencing a creative block, break out this application filled with exercises designed to stimulate the right side of your brain.
The Meltwater Social Web Analytics team came round today to tell me about their plans for their service. They are starting out with the confidence and aggression that typified Meltwater’s entry into the ‘traditional’ media monitoring six years back… and they’ve done pretty darn well in that regard.
For speed to market, they are currently white labelling Techrigy‘s rather nifty SM2 service (shout out to @aaronnewman), and I understand this will form a ‘base’ or a foundation for their endeavours going forward.
I enjoyed our conversation. In the short hour we had together we covered approaches to quantifying influence, assessing Twitter, semantic analysis approaches to gauging sentiment (aka tone), the growth in the number of Social Web Analytics vendors, the importance of the UI and ‘prettiness’ of charts, and pricing.
We debated my assertion that no one service serves all needs right now, and that a stable of differently capable services (often at different price points) is required. We even had time to chew over how Racepoint Group has achieved such distinct leadership in this field and the prospects for data visualisation.
Data visualisation
Which is a super segue to another couple of interesting videos on my continuing obsession with and search for data visualisation technology and approaches to assist PR consultants in influencing and be influenced more effectively and efficiently.
The AlloSphere space consists of a 3-story cube that is treated with extensive sound absorption material making it one of the largest anechoic chambers in the world. Standing inside this chamber are two 5-meter-radius hemispheres constructed of perforated aluminum that are designed to be optically opaque and acoustically transparent.
There are currently two projectors, soon to be multiple high-resolution video projectors, mounted around the seam between the two hemispheres, approaching eye-limited resolution on the inner surface. The loudspeaker real-time sound synthesis cluster (around 500 individual speaker elements plus sub-woofers) is/will be suspended behind the aluminum screen resulting in 3-D audio. Other clusters include simulation, sensor-array processing, effector-array processing, real-time video processing for motion-capture and visual computing, render-farm/real-time ray-tracing and radiosity cluster, and content and prototyping environments.
Anyway, probably best understood in the video. If anyone has two large hemispheres they no longer want, please let me know @sheldrake.
On a more immediately applicable scale, check out SweetNTweet below. It shows a lovely little application (built with the open source Processing 1.0) in which search keywords are entered and to which Tweets from Twitter gravitate in the form of candy-coloured petals. On reaching their destination they reveal their 140 characters of wisdom and beauty.
Does it really show any promise of helping PR consultants visualise their landscape. Nope, but it’s really quite pretty and might spark something more relevant in your mind!
“You think using Twitter is a social-media strategy. It’s a tactic, a tool, not a strategy.”
Now my post elicited some responses via Twitter (@sheldrake) questioning my definition of the word “strategy”. So for clarity… your social Web strategy is the long-term “how” that follows the “what” of your social Web objectives.
I also agree with number 2 on the Ad Age post… if “every tweet has to be approved by legal” then your organisation is not ready for the social Web let alone little old Twitter. (I’d also argue that you’re most likely not ready to do business in 2009!)
And at number 3, Ochman’s post picks up on the second issue teased out in my post, that of setting clear expectations for your corporate Twitter profile. To paraphrase, herein lies the danger that Twitter is adopted for monologue rather than dialogue. But employed wisely as per my last post, with real people on hand to pick up on the conversation, the corporate Twitter profile can be an appropriate flag waver and conversation starter.
Of course, the social Web is about people, and not information technology. So it would be good to see Ad Age adopting so-called pretty URLs that people can understand than the incomprehensible ones they have today.
The 
and the prospects for data visualisation.