On the Record... Online: Podcast

White House Press Secretaries

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:45:30 GMT

The panelists, including a current White House Press Secretary and three former White House Press Secretaries discuss message development, learning to expect the unexpected and speaking truth to power. Moderator: Dan Schnur, Director of the Institute for Politics at USC Panelists (in order of introduction): * Camille Johnston, Director of Communications for First Lady Michelle Obama * Noelia Rodriguez, Press Secretary for First Lady Laura Bush * Shelia Tate, Press Secretary for First Lady Nancy Reagan * David Demarest, Press Secretary for President George H.W. Bush This panel was presented by PRSA LA and PRSA Western District. The Platinum sponsor was Golin Harris, the Gold sponsor was BusinessWire and the Silver Sponsor was VMS. Event sponsors were the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics and MWW Group. And special thanks went to Weber Shandwick and Korn/Ferry International. The panel was announced by PRSA LA Chapter president Eric Moses. The event, which occurred at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles on July 13, 2010, was produced by Denis Wolcott of The Wolcott Company. Technical Note: There is a low-level, audible hum in the background. Despite our best efforts, we were unable to eliminate the buzz which was coming through the media bus while the panel was recorded. SHOW NOTES: 02:30 -- Dan Schnur introduces the panelists, details their backgrounds and sets the stage for the panel discussion. 13:12 -- Proactive versus reactive communication in White House press affairs. Spontaneity is the enemy and the goal of staff is predictability. And what makes news. 17:48 -- How you respond when things don't go on plan as the true test of a White House communicator, says Bush White House Press Secretary David Demarest. A discussion of the military dictum, "No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy." The best laid plans get thrown astray when things happen. 19:02 -- The day president Reagan was shot and an exchange at the hospital afterwards between the president and members of his cabinet that taught Shelia Tate the importance of responding with grace under fire. 23:32 -- Communicating a leader's personality traits authentically under the news media's microscope and the importance of measuring your public relations activities with the true characteristics of the leader. 27:02 -- Helping First Lady Laura Bush build her skills as a public speaker through local market new media interviews. 28:01 -- Advertisement for the Social Media Boot Camp in Los Angeles on Aug. 18-19, 2010. Register at http://www.socialmediabootcamp.com. 30:59 -- Current White House Press Secretary Camille Johnston discusses First Lady Obama's speech to the NAACP, protecting the private lives of the president's daughters, the ground rules with the news media and how the press treated Sarah Palin's children. 36:00 -- Protecting a president Bush's teenage children from the scrutiny of the news media through surrogates and how that has changed in the age of social media. 38:25 -- Putting the president ideas into a proactive message that resonates with the American people. Demarest's Research --> Strategy --> Tactics --> Plan --> Budget methodology. 43:39 -- The benefit of working in The East Wing versus the working in The West Wing, First Lady Michelle Obama's garden at the White House, which serves as a symbol of developing healthy eating habits and the risk of starting garden on The South Lawn. What if it didn't grow? But today, the garden humanizes and symbolizes the values of the Obama administration. 47:28 -- Former White First Press Secretary Shelia Tate discusses First Lady Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" campaign against recreational drug use, which shined the media spotlight on drug prevention programs. 51:04 -- First Lady Laura Bush's ability to overcome comparison's with her mother-in-law. 54:24 -- The panelists share advice to private sector public relations professionals who are looking to segue over to a career in government communications. But government communications is the work of young, because the White House Press Secretary Salary is much lower than private sector salaries. 01:03:03 -- Questions and Answers 01:14:26 -- End ABOUT THE PODCASTER @EricSchwartzman provides online communication training, strategy and social media governance to public relations, public affairs, corporate communications and marketing specialists. He has extensive experience integrating emerging information technologies into organizational communications programs through public speaking, hands-on training seminars, consulting and the development of corporate policies on social media usage. His clients have included Boeing, BYU, City National Bank, Environmental Defense Fund, Government of Singapore, Johnson & Johnson, NORAD Northcomm, Southern California Edison, UCLA, US Dept. of State, United States Army, US Embassy of Athens, the United States Marine Corps and many small to medium-sized companies and agencies. Eric is the instructor behind PRSA’s top-rated social media and emerging treads training seminars, the Social Media Boot Camp and the Social Media Master Class, which are offered monthly in the US. His upcoming book "Social Marketing to the Business Customer" about B2B applications of social media communications will be published by Wiley & Sons in January 2011.

Social Media Boot Camp Drive

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 20:39:16 GMT

In this special episode two former Social Media Boot Camp attendees, Laura Meade Kirk of Amica Insurance and Angela Nebel of Summit PR Strategies, discuss where they were before they took the workshop, what they learned and where they are know. The next Social Media Boot Camp is Aug. 18-19, 2010 in Los Angeles. It is followed by the Social Media Master Class on Aug. 20, 2010 was is designed as a continuation of the Social Media Boot Camp. This is the longest-running, top-rated workshop of its kind, and the only recurring course that teaches practical, step-by-step guidance for integrating social media into business communications. Eric is currently completing a book on B2B applications of social media, so there are plenty of business-to-business uses presented as well. SHOW NOTES: 01:34 -- Laura Meade Kirk, a former Providence Journal reporter, discusses her transition from the newspaper business to the field of public relations at Amica Insurance. 04:24 -- How Amica Insurance is currently using social media for business communications, including the use of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. 05:21 -- What makes the Social Media Boot Camp different from other social media training courses, conferences and workshops. 07:37 -- Resources currently focused on social media communications at Amica and the biggest challenges she is currently experiencing with respect to leveraging social media at the company. 11:04 -- History of the Social Media Boot Camp, which was created five years ago for the Ministry of Information at the Government of Singapore, UCLA Extension and the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). It has also been presented privately for numerous organizations including Johnson & Johnson, Toyota, City National Bank, Environmental Defense Fund, United States Marine Corps, US Dept. of State, NORAD NorthCOMM, US Pacific Command and many, many others. Read past attendees testimonials. 12:26 -- Angela Nebel, principal at Summit PR Strategies in Michigan discusses her professional background and what lead her to attend the Social Media Boot Camp. 14:45 -- The group dynamics of the Social Media Boot Camp and the benefits of networking with other attendees. 15:47 -- Challenges of using social media for clients, demonstrating value and how she's keeping up-to-date. 16:49 -- Importance of establishing social media fluency and how that accelerates the learning curve. 17:30 -- Maintaining ongoing relationships after the boot camp and using one another as resources moving forward. 19:25 -- End ABOUT THE PODCASTER @EricSchwartzman provides online communication training, strategy and social media governance to public relations, public affairs, corporate communications and marketing specialists. He has extensive experience integrating emerging information technologies into organizational communications programs through public speaking, hands-on training seminars, consulting and the development of corporate policies on social media usage. His clients have included Boeing, BYU, City National Bank, Environmental Defense Fund, Government of Singapore, Johnson & Johnson, NORAD Northcomm, Southern California Edison, UCLA, US Dept. of State, United States Army, US Embassy of Athens, the United States Marine Corps and many small to medium-sized companies and agencies. Eric is the instructor behind PRSA’s top-rated social media and emerging treads training seminars, the Social Media Boot Camp and the Social Media Master Class, which are offered monthly in the US. His upcoming book "Social Marketing to the Business Customer" about B2B applications of social media communications will be published by Wiley & Sons in January 2011.

PR Measurement Standards Declared

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:16:00 GMT

It's been a hotly debated topic in the PR industry for decades. How do you measure the effectiveness of a PR campaign? Do you look at outputs like press releases and media coverage or outcomes like buyer behavior and attitude? And if you do evaluate outputs, what are the best practices for determining the value of PR? Over the past five years, I've asked that question to Katie Paine, Mark Weiner, Larry Gerbrandt, Michael Lavery, Pete Blackshaw and Rick Klau and got many different answers. In June 2010, the PR industry got together to try and unify the standards by which the trade measures the value of a public relations initiative. As a result, the widespread practice of using advertising value equivalency to try and determine the value of PR was denounced, and the Barcelona Declaration of Measurement Principles, endorsed by public relations agencies from 33 countries, were released to offer PR practitioners more substantial reasoning for gauging value. "The value of PR is not equal to the cost of advertising" says David Rockland, partner at Ketchum, who also serves as chair of the Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC) and who is the featured guest in this episode of On the Record...Online. According to the Barcelona Declaration of Measurement Principles, if clients insist on incorporating advertising value into their measurement of public relations, that value should not be called the value of the public relations campaign and should be based on wholesale advertising rates and adjusted for quality. Finally, the principles recognize the use of multipliers as fundamentally flawed in determining the value of PR. Collectively, the public relations industry voted to discard the practice of multiplying a standard retail advertising rate by a multiplier of 2.5 (pass-along rate) as a way of measuring the value of public relations. Instead, the principles says public relations practitioners should analyze the connection between PR placements and business results by measuring audience outcomes like changes in purchase behavior, awareness and attitude. While the principles put the importance of social media firmly on the measurement landscape by suggesting some of the factors that should be evaluated, they are yet to recommend specifically how to measure for this developing category. The principles were voted on and declared at a conference organized by the (AMEC) and the Institute for Public Relations with the support of PRSA, The Global Alliance, IPR Measurement Commission and ICCO. SHOW NOTES: 01:05 --How The Barcelona Declaration of Measurement Principles were created, the first globally accepted and endorsed attempt to standardize the measures of effective public relations campaigns. 02:35 -- For the first time, the global public relation industry rejected using media coverage as a method of determining the value of a PR campaign. 04:17 -- A discussion of the seven measurement principles adopted in Barcelona. 1. Goal setting and measurement are fundamental aspects of any PR programmes. 2. Media measurement requires quantity and quality – cuttings in themselves are not enough. 3. Advertising Value Equivalents (AVEs) do not measure the value of PR and do not inform future activity. 4. Social media can and should be measured. 5. Measuring outcomes is preferred to measuring media results. 6. Business results can and should be measured where possible. 7. Transparency and Replicability are paramount to sound measurement. 07:34 -- We the delegates rejected AVEs, and how disposing of them as a measure of PR effectiveness is in the best interest of the public relations industry. 09:17 -- Recommended alternatives to advertising value equivalency for valuing public relations campaigns. 12:01 -- How the Barcelona Declaration of Measurement Principles address social media. 13:37 -- The principle that it should be transparent how measurement results are calculated. Currently, Rockland says, some PR service providers hide behind "black box calculation" and that needs to stop. Calculations should be logical and replicable. 15:26 -- Industry feedback to date has been supportive of the principles, and in some cases, criticizes them for not going far enough, but if you're objective is to declare globally acceptable principles, you've got to start somewhere. 16:01 -- Rather than risk the possibility of the principles not being adopted my majority of the delegates, Rockland chose not to abolish advertising value equivalencies altogether, but rather, establish caveats by which they can be more accurately recognized. 17:23 -- Next steps for adopting and applying these measurement principles. 19:35 -- Why PR practitioners can't afford not to adopt and apply these measurement principles to the public relations efforts. ABOUT THE PODCASTER @EricSchwartzman provides online communication training, strategy and social media governance to public relations, public affairs, corporate communications and marketing specialists. He has extensive experience integrating emerging information technologies into organizational communications programs through public speaking, hands-on training seminars, consulting and the development of corporate policies on social media usage. His clients have included Boeing, BYU, City National Bank, Environmental Defense Fund, Government of Singapore, Johnson & Johnson, NORAD Northcomm, Southern California Edison, UCLA, US Dept. of State, United States Army, US Embassy of Athens, the United States Marine Corps and many small to medium-sized companies and agencies. Eric is the instructor behind PRSA’s top-rated social media and emerging treads training seminars, the Social Media Boot Camp and the Social Media Master Class, which are offered monthly in the US. His upcoming book "Social Marketing to the Business Customer" about B2B applications of social media communications will be published by Wiley & Sons in January 2011.

Inside Entertainment PR with Stan Rosenfield

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 09:13:00 GMT

Entertainment public relations is a highly competitive industry. In this interview with entertainment PR powerhouse Stan Rosenfield who represents Robert De Niro, George Clooney, Danny DeVito and many others, you learn what it takes to make it as a personal publicist in the entertainment business and how to snag an entertainment PR internship. In addition to serving as president of Stan Rosenfield & Associates, a Los Angeles entertainment public relations firm, he teaches Strategies for Representing Talent in Agency Public Relations at UCLA Extension and is a frequent guest lecturer on Entertainment Public Relations at UCLA, USC and Loyola. 02:11 -- Entertainment public relations professionals who represent creative talent need to know these three things to be successful. 04:15 -- "A" list talent belongs on the cover of the magazine. "B" list talent gets featured in articles inside the magazine. If you're an "A" lister and you go inside the magazine, you've done damage to yourself. 04:52 -- How social media has changed the entertainment PR business. Some celebrities have over a million followers. 06:25 -- To keep up with where the entertainment PR Business is headed, you need to keep up with technology. 07:34 -- The importance of understanding mainstream news media and social media. 09:12 -- Entertainment PR Internships, and what it takes to snag one. 11:39 -- Paying your dues by serving as an assistant at an entertainment PR firm and tips for successful interviewing. 13:24 -- The famed Warren Cowan, and what made him such a great entertainment publicist. 17:04 -- Pitching the media for celebrity clients, issues oriented PR and introductions on talk shows. 18:58 -- Entertainment PR internships at Stan Rosenfield and how to be considered. 20:24 -- Where the entertainment PR business is headed. 21:44 -- End RECOMMENDED EPISODES * BP Oil Spill Crisis Communications * Corporate Social Media Policy Development * Selling Social Media into the Enterprise ABOUT THE PODCASTER Eric Schwartzman (http://www.ericschwartzman.com) is a strategic corporate communications, public affairs and public relations consultant who has advised AARP, Boeing, Cirque du Soleil, City National Bank, Edison International, Environmental Defense Fund, Johnson & Johnson, LA Opera, LucasFilm, MGM Grand Casinos & Resorts, NORAD, Pussycat Dolls, Salt Lake Olympics, Toyota, UCLA, US Dept. of State, US Northern Command, US Pacific Command, the United States Marine Corps and other businesses, government agencies and nonprofits. He has extensive experience helping organizations leverage online communication technologies and platforms through digital strategy, policy development, media audits, pilot programs and social media training. He is a frequenter speaker at professional conferences and the creator of the www.SocialMediaBootCamp.com, the longest running, top-rated social media training seminar. His book "Social Marketing to the Business Customer" with Paul Gillin will be published by Wiley & Sons January 2011.

Social-Media-USMC-public-affairs

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 08:44:00 GMT

Social media at the US Dept. of Defense with Gregory Reeder, Director, Marine Corps Internal Communications at Defense Media Activity and Editor-in-Chief at Marines Magazine, United States Marine Corps. * SHOW NOTES: 02:52 - Impact of Linkedin on the executive recruiting industry. 05:07 - How social networks solved the single, biggest challenge of recruiting, the hard lesson Korn Ferry learned with Future Step and Linkedin's ability to give recruiters and hirers access to passive candidates who are not actively searching for a job. 01:48 - How the USMC is coping with the shift from official to unofficial communications channels. 04:27 - Gregory Reeder clarifies the USMC's decision to block access to social media from the U.S. Department of Defense's non classified computer network. 06:14 - Gregory Reeder discusses how compromising Information for Official Use only could impact operational effectiveness, even thought he information is non classified. 07:41 - How the Defense Information School is preparing service members to use social media through regimented training. 10:02 - Selling social media to the command at the top of the Pentagon. 14:43 - The DoD's new social media policy. 15:58 - The www.marines.mil website and how the USMC is doing their best to develop a common online c9ommuity for Marines to network online. 17:26 - The recently established DoD new media cell and opening access. 18:51 - Arming Marines with weapons and cameras. 21:17 - Practicing maximum disclosure with minimum delay on internet time. 23:15 - Leveraging social media without jeopardizing operational security. 24:55 - End RECOMMENDED EPISODES * BP Oil Spill Crisis Communications * Mashable CEO Pete Cashmore at SXSW * Why Doublespeak is Dangerous ABOUT THE PODCASTER @EricSchwartzman provides online communication training, strategy and social media governance to public relations, public affairs, corporate communications and marketing specialists. He has extensive experience integrating emerging information technologies into organizational communications programs through public speaking, hands-on training seminars, consulting and the development of corporate policies on social media usage. His clients have included Boeing, BYU, City National Bank, Environmental Defense Fund, Government of Singapore, Johnson & Johnson, NORAD Northcomm, Southern California Edison, UCLA, US Dept. of State, United States Army, US Embassy of Athens, the United States Marine Corps and many small to medium-sized companies and agencies. Eric is the instructor behind PRSA’s top-rated social media and emerging treads training seminars, the Social Media Boot Camp and the Social Media Master Class, which are offered monthly in the US.

Social Media Kills the Cold Call

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:43:00 GMT

Korn/Ferry International Executive Vice-President of Corporate Affairs Don Spetner talks about the impact of Linkedin on the executive recruiting industry, nurturing contacts using social media and the death of the cold call. This is Spetner's second appearance on this podcast. Last time, he discussed the public relations and corporate communications job market, the social media communication skills candidates need to compete, and strategies for job hunting in our current economy. SHOW NOTES: 02:52 - Impact of Linkedin on the executive recruiting industry. 05:07 - How social networks solved the single, biggest challenge of recruiting, the hard lesson Korn Ferry learned with Future Step and Linkedin's ability to give recruiters and hirers access to passive candidates who are not actively searching for a job. 07:35 - Impact of Linkedin on Korn Ferry's business. 12:45 - “We think the finding of candidates is becoming commoditized,” says Don. “The real value comes in helping clients assess the fit of a candidate and follow in services to help them retain and maximize the performance of the candidate.” Korn Ferry is the only search firm with an online assessment tool designed to analyze how candidates think, and their emotional make-up. 18:27 - The art of nurturing and maintaining contacts using social media. 21:04 - How Linkedin has replaced the cold call in the recruiting business. 24:20 - Where Korn Ferry is headed. 25:30 - Advice to those seeking high-profile jobs. 26:50 - Can job seekers use social media too aggressively? 31:19 - End RECOMMENDED EPISODES * BP Oil Spill Crisis Communications * Building a B2B Niche Social Network * Selling Social Media into the Enterprise ABOUT THE PODCASTER @EricSchwartzman provides online communication training, strategy and social media governance to public relations, public affairs, corporate communications and marketing specialists. He has extensive experience integrating emerging information technologies into organizational communications programs through public speaking, hands-on training seminars, consulting and the development of corporate policies on social media usage. His clients have included Boeing, BYU, City National Bank, Environmental Defense Fund, Government of Singapore, Johnson & Johnson, NORAD Northcomm, Southern California Edison, UCLA, US Dept. of State, United States Army, US Embassy of Athens, the United States Marine Corps and many small to medium-sized companies and agencies. Eric is the instructor behind PRSA’s top-rated social media and emerging treads training seminars, the Social Media Boot Camp and the Social Media Master Class, which are offered monthly in the US.

BP Oil Spill Crisis Communications

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 22:32:07 GMT

BP Oil Spill Crisis Communications Special. On April 20, 2010, an explosion on an oil rig licensed to BP in the Gulf of Mexico triggered an oil spill that has resulted in an ecological and financial disaster of global proportions. United States Navy Public Affairs Officer Jim Hoeft who is coordinating communications at the Official Site of the Deepwater Horizon Unified Command for the Joint Command Center in Louisiana briefs on the process communicating the worst oil spill in history via social media. Show Notes: 0:55 The state of affairs at the Joint Command Center in Louisiana, and what’s being done to communicate the scale of the disaster. 2:30 The approval process for communicating what is happening operationally. 3:15 The National Response Framework chain of command and participating agencies. 4:15 The Official Site of the Deepwater Horizon Unified Command is being managed on the PIER Response System with outposts on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and other social media sites. 5:37 How they are responding to feedback on Facebook and Twitter. 8:21 ”This is the first time that the Federal Government has tried to implement social media tools in a National Crisis,” says LTC Heoft. “We didn’t have this during Kartina. We didn’t have this during 9/11. We’re learning where online communications falls in the national response framework,” he continues, suggested that trending question occurring via social media can be used to help the Unified Command respond to issues that are most important to the public. 9:35 The challenge of monitoring social media manually, since no good measurement or sentiment analysis tools exist. 11:20 Using social media trend reports to provide feedback to command about the issues people are talking about most. 13:25 Resources required to staff the social media monitoring effort and the use of Cover it Live to live blog developments. 15:23 Prioritizing social media communications channels. 19:21 Which social media channels have been most popular for disaster response? 22:14 The shortcomings of Facebook as a Government crowd sourcing tool. 24:05 The LMRP cap containment strategy, the latest effort to contain the leak. 25:31 Online communications will definitely be part of the national communications framework moving forward. 26:47 Using www.youropenbook.org to monitor public Facebook status updates. 28:45 End RECOMMENDED EPISODES • Social Media Crisis Comms Deep Dive with FEMA PIO John Shea • Social Media Usage During the Virginia Tech Massacre • Activity Streams Will Change Your Business ABOUT THE PODCASTER @EricSchwartzman provides online communication training, strategy and social media governance to public relations, public affairs, corporate communications and marketing specialists. He has extensive experience integrating emerging information technologies into organizational communications programs through public speaking, hands-on training seminars, consulting and the development of corporate policies on social media usage. His clients have included Boeing, BYU, City National Bank, Environmental Defense Fund, Government of Singapore, Johnson & Johnson, NORAD Northcomm, Southern California Edison, UCLA, US Dept. of State, United States Army, US Embassy of Athens, the United States Marine Corps and many small to medium-sized companies and agencies. Eric is the instructor behind PRSA’s top-rated social media and emerging treads training seminars, the Social Media Boot Camp and the Social Media Master Class, which are offered monthly in the US.

B2B Niche Social Networks

Paul Gillin — Fri, 28 May 2010 16:25:00 GMT

FohBoh is a community for restaurant owners and their suppliers. Launched in late 2007 by veteran restaurateur and entrepreneur Michael Atkinson, it has built a base of 14,000 members, most of them restaurant owners. FohBoh’s core purpose is to help restaurant owners make more money during an economic period that has been dismal for their industry. That entails a core focus on operational excellence, but also on the art of social media promotion and online visibility. In fact, FohBoh’s novel monetization strategy is to sell conversation monitoring and consulting services, with advertising making up only a minority of the revenue. It’s been a struggle in this business environment, but FohBoh is growing and appears to have running room. “Some people say the best time to start a company is in the middle of an economic downturn,” Atkinson says. “We are a survivor. We grow our revenues every day and we're way past the point of validating our model.” Atkinson has learned a lot about business-to-business social communities from the experience. “Context and relevance sustains a community,” he says. “You have to understand the community before you figure out how to monetize. If you don’t have domain expertise, the membership will find out immediately.” This interview is guest hosted by Paul Gillin of Paul Giilin Communications and was conducted in association with research for an upcoming book on B2B applications of social media, to be published later thia year or early next year. 0:15 Where the idea for FohBoh came from. 2:20 The market for FohBoh. Restaurants are a highly fragmented and distributed business. Operators have few chances to connect with each other. The environment is ripe for a community. 3:15 “No vertical can be a pure advertising business and build a business that can scale.” 5:30 70% of the members are operators/owners and the rest are product/service providers. FohBoh doesn’t rigorously quality its members. Those who are interested will stay. 7:15 “A very interesting business model.” FohBoh has visitors from more than 100 countries and accumulates a wide range of content. It uses that knowledge about the audience to create products to sell to restaurant owners. The financial strategy is to help restaurants become more successful using social media tools. The company sells software for social media marketing and social marketing strategies for the business. Premier memberships are on tap. 13:00 Operating a bootstrapped b-to-b community in a market that isn’t conducive to advertising. “You can’t charge for content, so unless you can find another alternative, then you’re going to fail.” FohBoh is sustainable and “a good candidate for investment.” 18:00 Why the company started on the Ning platform and the challenges of scaling the business there. Drupal has been brought in to add utility and bridges built between the platforms. 20:30 How to drive engagement. “Social media isn’t a new thing; it’s what restaurant owners have been doing offline for years.” The challenge is attracting attention. “Old media is feeling very threatened and they’re not going to expose a direct competitor. We’ve had to resort to word of mouth.” 22:00 “We’re not building the community for today’s 15-year-old executive; we’re building it for tomorrow’s 35-year-old executive.” 24:00 “There is no rulebook on how to build a b-to-b community.” 25:00 Atkinson’s conversations with executives at Facebook and LinkedIn: “We have a lot of the same challenges. No one has cracked the code yet on how to manage a group and get beyond the 1:9:90 rule of engagement.” 26:00 “We’re very focused on quality content because it wins every time.” 27:00 Plans for a new service that invites contributions from professional journalists and rewards them for contributions. 30:00 What motivates the audience: It’s been a tough time for the food service industry. Understanding what the diner wants is critical. 33:15 The importance of social media and customer conversations to restaurant owners; value of understanding website activity 37:30 FohBoh’s membership statistics: About 14,000 members, average members visits twice monthly; about 70% are owner/operators 38:20 Advice for prospective b-to-b community organizers. “If you don’t have domain expertise, the membership will find out immediately.” 40:00 Importance of taking a disciplined approach to managing the community 43:30 How to monetize b-to-b sites: “You can’t monetize b-to-b from advertising.” 45:30 How a community is different from a publication 46:50 About Social Shock, Michael’s forthcoming book RECOMMENDED EPISODES • B2B Social Networks: Driving Commerce with Imperfection and Surrender • Social Media Investor Relations Special with Former SEC Attorneys • Mosaic of Trust with Richard Edelman About the Guest Host This episode was guest hosted by Paul Gillin (@pgillin) of Paul Gillin Communications. Paul was founding editor-in-chief of TechTarget, one of the most successful technology media entities to emerge on the Internet. Before that, he was editor-in-chief and executive editor of the technology weekly Computerworld for 15 years. He wrote The New Influencers, Secrets of Social Media Marketing and the Joy of Geocaching and is currently co-writing a book with Eric Schwartzman about business-to-business applications of social media. Paul writes a regular column for BtoB magazine and contributes to various blogs and online publications. He’s also a Research Fellow and a member of the advisory board of the Society for New Communications Research.

Selling Social Media to Big Clients

Eric Schwartzman — Wed, 12 May 2010 16:49:41 GMT

Are you ready to learn the logic behind the argument that convinces companies to invest as much as six-figures into social media initiatives? If so, this episode featuring Nielsen Online Digital Strategic Services EVP Pete Blackshaw (@pblackshaw) is for you. You’ll learn: * How to position social media as an extension of existing corporate activities. * Which departments in the organization are spending the most on social media? * Selling social media in an apathetic environment. * Common red flags likely to sand bag the sales effort, and how to overcome them. * Shuffling the org chart for more effective social media engagement. * Analysis paralysis, word-of-mouth, Apple Computer’s marketing strategy and more. Pete is also cofounder of the Word-of-Mouth Markting Association and author of the book “Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3,000” is about running a business in today’s consumer driven world. This interview was conducted as research for my upcoming book with Paul Gillin titled “Social Marketing to the Business Customer,” to be published by Wiley early next year. SHOW NOTES 01:35 – If you want to win buy-in for social media initiatives, don’t present it as something news. Instead, present it as a logical extension of what the organizations is doing already. Companies are already invested in public relations, customer service and investor relations. Show them how social media can help them conduct these processes more effectively and efficiently. 02:37 – Over 200 reporters at The New York Times have Twitter accounts. So if you’re already invested in resources in managing relationships with the mainstream media, then deepening those relationships via social media is a natural extension of what a company is doing already. Convincing a PR executive that they need apparatus to listen to what reporters are saying on Twitter, or a customer service executive that they need to be listening to what customers are saying is going to be the path of least resistance, since social media allows them to extend the reach of what they’re doing already. To appeal to a brand manager, you’d focus on how listening to social media can help preempt the brand from negative consumer generated content that could go viral. 06:58 – Originally, social media initiatives were driven by progressive public relations business units, but market research has become an advocate as well. In an effort to marry social media with customer relationship management, call centers have also become interested in listening platforms. 09:22 – Marketing is a key stakeholder for winning buy-in, because marketing is where the lion’s share of the budget lies, but marketing serves different masters in different organizations. One the places social media monitoring delivers the most value is during new product launches, and again because companies are so heavily invest in launching new products, this is also a great area to implement a social media initiative, because there’s so much money riding on product launches already, it’s going to easier to find budget. 12:10 – Apathy is one of the biggest challenges when it comes to implementing a social media initiative. When things are going well, people are less inclined to allocate budget. But the brand gets slapped around publicly, or there’s a recall or a crisis on some kind, that’s an opportunity for winning buy-in and resources. Negative conversations that go viral are a wakeup call to management. 14:22 – In regulated industries, winning buy-in and resources for social media can be particularly tough, because listening is a liability. 16:29 – It’s one thing to wax poetic about conversations and dialogue, but practicing what you preach involves collapsing the wall between public relations and customer relations, because the skills required to deal with volatile, emotional customers are, with training, transferrable to the company Twitter page. If you buy-in to the notion that customer conversations are influencing the purchase funnel, you need an organizational model that centralizes customer feedback so that all business units can benefit from it. The opportunity for public relations is enormous, because listening platforms provide early warnings that can be used to circumvent a potential catastrophe. If you have the tools to figure out who the real influencers are, you can use that information to develop customer advocacy programs. But the end of the day, you’ve got be able to package that data so it’s relevant to the different business units. 23:35 – Pete doesn’t see any real distinction between monitoring social media for B2C vs. B2B companies. He says the same rules apply. In his case, given the number of self professed “social media experts,” that’s become the B2B social media channel for a service like Nielsen BrandPulse. 24:29 – The internal use social media is promoting greater free flow of information inside the organization, fulfilling what we hoped to gain from intranets in the early days of web communications. 29:23 – CRM is the most important thing for companies to be able to do. It’s more important than blogging or tweeting, because it’s the key to maintain intimacy with customers. In the case of social media, you’re dealing with customers who bring a different value to the table, like influence with other customers via social media. 31:30 – There is also the danger of being overly analytical. Analysis can lead to paralysis, and brands can forfeit opportunities if they over analyze the data. 33:02 – Apple Computer understands how winning products and great experiences drive conversation. You can preach social media or pimp for followers until the cows come home, but if your product is lacking, or service under delivers. Apple uses their website to build anticipation and they create brilliant videos that people like to share. They understand how to create content that people want to share, so they get phenomenal pass-along. But they have the core product down. They’re great products that provide great user experiences. 35:04 – “Although we romanticize everything being open and free, the reality is a lot of word-of-mouth is also driven by mystique,” says Pete Blackshaw. We want what we can’t have, and exclusivity can be leveraged in social media to create demand as well. A new website called Secret Cincinnati amassed a huge amount of traffic in a short period of time by promising to tell you something you don’t know already. 36:54 – You can also use those conventional processes that the organization is involved in already which are inefficient as opportunities to secure budget for social media initiatives. For example, running focus groups is a very expensive undertaking. For the price of a focus group you could listen to the web for an entire year, and get a real time focus group that’s always there for you for the same investment. 38:27 – For Pete, in some cases, he may be selling social media listening platforms by undermining the value of conventional platforms. But Nielsen is more sophisticated than that, he says, and certainly weren’t willing to forgo modernization to protect their existing products. 40:31 – End RECOMMENDED EPISODES * Corporate Social Media Policy Development * Mashable CEO Pete Cashmore at SXSW * What Makes Cool with Nightclub Impresario Ivan Kane ABOUT THE PODCASTER @EricSchwartzman provides online communication training, strategy and governance to public relations, public affairs, corporate communications and marketing specialists. He has extensive experience integrating emerging information technologies into organizational communications programs through public speaking, hands-on training seminars, consulting and the development of corporate policies on social media usage. His clients have included Boeing, BYU, City National Bank, Environmental Defense Fund, Government of Singapore, Johnson & Johnson, Southern California Edison, UCLA, US Dept. of State, United States Army, US Embassy of Athens, the United States Marine Corps and many small to medium-sized companies and agencies. Eric is the instructor behind PRSA’s top-rated social media and emerging treads training seminars, the Social Media Boot Camp and the Social Media Master Class, which are offered monthly in the US through PRSA.

Activity Streams Will Change Your Business

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 03 May 2010 09:04:00 GMT

Activity streams and data visualizations let us consume vast amounts of data in short periods of time. Together, they may just be the magic bullet for business to realize the true value of the social web. Welcome to the future of work and collaboration with Google open web advocate Chris Messina (@chrismessina), who explains how activity streams and infographics will revolutionize the way organizations perform and evolve, as well as how employees and project teams prioritize and manage work flow processes. Today, we think of a Facebook news feed as an activity stream. But we've only just scratched the surface of how activity streams integrated into work flow processes can fundamentally change the way we organize and collaborate. Using the open source community and Facebook's product development process as models, Chris makes it easy to understand how and why activity streams are central to online interactions, how they sharpen an organization's competitive edge and how they will yield better companies, products and services. Given the sheer volume of data that's out there now, information parsed in smaller, bite-size chunks is more valuable than gigs and gigs, because it's easier to digest in a shorter period of time. Like status updates, activity streams make data easier to appreciate. We have learned to attenuate ourselves to dropping in and pulling out of streams to prolonged state of "ambient intimacy." But currently, most organizations are not making their data available. They're hoarding their data, depriving employees and customers from using it to better understand how they can improve their business processes. This is a missed opportunity because data affords company's retrospective insight, intelligence about the nature of the way it's employee's collaborate, and the ability to maintain a faster, more responsive, healthier organization. If organizations do get over the hoarding hurdle, they're still going to need to find a way to make their data useful, and that's where data visualization comes in handy. Pictures are worth a thousand words, and realizing actionable business intelligence from raw data is significantly enhanced through infographics that make it easy to understand the meaning of the data. Yet even Facebook, with all the data it has about it's users, gives users very little in the way of visualization to better understand their online behavior. They hoard this data as well. Facebook could provide so much valuable intelligence about what motivates us online, but currently, they even struggle to present us with ads that are relevant to our interests. In all fairness, the same is true of Google. In fact, as popular as Google Analytics is, it really tells us very little about human behavior because it doesn't allow us to consider social signifiers against how people are spending their time online. Search is growing up. It's becoming about much more than just finding webpages. It's becoming about finding social interactions as well. Google is well aware of this and it appears as though this is one of the reasons they hired Chris Messina, who also believes that the businesses who will do well in this environment will be the one's who figure out how social interactions apply to the value proposition they deliver to their customers. In the 5 years I've been producing this podcast, this exclusive interview with Google Open Web Advocate Chris Messina, recorded at South by Southwest (SXSW) 2010 directly following his presentation on activity streams, is one of the most compelling interviews I've ever recorded. I expect to include many of the concepts in this interview in my upcoming book "Social Marketing to the Business Customer" to be published by Wiley early next year. SHOW NOTES 02:08 -- Research conducted by Leysia Palen at the University of Colorado at Boulder about how people exchanged information via social media on the day of the Virginia Tech massacre, where people predicted with 100% accuracy the names of 21 of the 22 fatally shot students. 03:53 -- Within organizations, there is a need for information to flow more freely. But often there are peculiar, archetypal boundaries inside organizations that restrict those flows. On the flip-side, in open source communities information flows much more transparently, making it easier for people to get their work done with fewer interruptions. 05:o1 -- There is a distinction between newsfeeds and activity streams. It is important to realize that channels such as Facebook messages, twitter direct messages and SMS, while part of the fabric of the social web, are point to point communications, like email, so they are invisible to most of us. E-mail was specifically designed as a point-to-point communication channel. You can add other people, but there's no way to send messages to everybody. That's is the problem that the social Web solves. Rather than force a message into everyones inbox, social media makes it possible for information to be discoverable, either through search or through modeling activity streams. Social media reduces the loss of fidelity and the friction associated with replicating information within organizations. 06:57 -- What's been most interesting to Chris about working on Google Buzz is how the social networking service is being used within the enterprise to keep people on the same page. Unlike e-mail, which requires significant effort for newcomers to speed on what transpired before they were roped in, Google Buzz makes it easier to bring people into a conversation stream that's been going on for some time with a format that is more intuitive and chronological than an email grist. 07:52 -- Activity streams are a better method of representing conversations because unlike with search, where the information you are get is based on a keyword you come up with, activity streams give you the opportunity to experience information serendipitously. And activity streams also give us the ability to monitor popular behavior and make decisions based on trends. So the notions of discoverability and trend watching are made possible by the activity stream format. In a B2B context, employees might use their activity stream to keep abreast of deadlines and stay on top of priorities by monitoring the actions of their colleagues. 09:06 -- Sourceforge, a website where open source developers collaborate to share and improve code, sets a good example of how organizations might use the social Web to improve their processes. Github.com is a newer alternative to Sourceforge that revolves around an activity stream. "So you can go in and follow different people's activities. Watch a repository of projects. For example, if Audacity was on Github, I could go in and I could watch it. If things were added to that repository, they would show up in my stream," says Chris Messina. "Watching is a way of tuning in or listening to updates that happen in that context." On the flip-side, if you subscribe to the edit history of Wikipedia page you can keep abreast of the changes, but there's no way to participate in an RSS feed. 10:35 -- In a B2B context, organizations could use activity streams to improve workflows. For example, if you were working on a project with others, project dependencies and milestones could trigger status updates to inform you that the project is ready for your contribution. You might have software agents looking for certain types of activities or patterns that trigger responses or alerts and make workflow processes more efficient. Or even on a much more basic level, if someone is out sick, rather than send an e-mail to their manager, they could post a status update to the company's activity feed and notify the enterprise instead of the old chain of command, the archetypal model, which is not necessarily the most efficient. 11:10 -- "The Starfish and The Spider" by Ori Brafman and Rod Beckman, which compares top-down, militaristic organizational hierarchies which define the industrial age to decentralized systems, which have the capacity to reproduce and self heal. The metaphor is that if you crush the head of a spider, its legs are useless. But if you cut off the leg of a starfish, it will regenerate into a new starfish. "So from an organizational perspective, if you can design your team's to be regenerative in that way, then your organization, as things change -- as people move jobs, as they quit -- will be able to respond much more quickly, and that much less cost," says Chris. "What that requires is for you to punish much more responsibility and control down to the edges of the network as opposed to centralizing power at the top. And that's how you wind up with the much faster moving organization." 13:05 -- "For example, at Facebook -- and I know this because I have friends there -- everyone has access to live running code. They all build stuff off of the live database. There is no secondary, replicated database that they work off, because there's so much data, it just wouldn't make sense. It would take two weeks just copy it. So instead, they build apps, and they have certain ways of testing it so it's not going to break stuff, but they are working with live data. That means that every single engineer and developer has equal access and can build really compelling, interesting things and can then push it back up the stack to become part of the Facebook product within a week. And, in fact, they do weekly pushes. And what that means is that, let's say last week I worked on a new feature that does something fairly simple. I don't have to wait six months to see that feature go into production," says Chris. "Instead, it's more organic. It's like growing a new layer of skin every year. It takes a long time to do that, but it's done, cell by cell. So from an organizational architecture standpoint I think that activity streams are somewhat the gel that binds all these different things together." 14:47 -- "Given how much data is being produced, there's also a need to chunk the data in much smaller, bite-sized pieces so that you're organizing your day around the ability to consume information whenever you have a moment. If I tried to go back and read last week's tweets over the weekend, like you used to do with last week's addition of the Sunday New York Times, it would probably take me a year because I'm following 1,500 people and they're producing things every second of the day. So there's no way that I can keep up. So instead, you learn to sort of attenuate yourself to dropping into the stream and then pulling out," says Chris. "It's what we call ambient intimacy." 17:24 -- Activity streams and social objects are actually quite different if you think about how we relate to them. In the case of an activity stream, I might be following an individual or group chronologically. On the other hand, social objects like photographs, video or PowerPoint presentation, while they may appear chronologically in an activity stream, also have archival value through search as a research reference, and this lifespan is more asynchronous than that of an activity stream. In order to make activity streams useful inside organizations, it's important to make it easy for employees to tune in and out of different streams easily so they can manage their attention, rather than like a curated stream from the New York Times, where editors decide what's most important. 19:19 -- Organizations hoard data. Rather than make information available to everyone inside the organization so they can learn from it, company's see their data as proprietary and confidential. The opportunities data presents includes retrospective analysis, collaborative analysis and, if the data is streamed is it's collected, the ability to help the organization respond to quicker to change. 20:59 -- With more and more information out there for us to keep up with, it is become more and more challenging for us to allocate our attention efficiently. Because of this, shorter, easier to digest chunks of information are more valuable, then a comprehensive brain dump reports, for the same reason short emails tend to get a quicker response than longer, drawn out ones. A picture is worth 1000 words, and similarly, infographics are worth 1000 status updates. "I can sit there and read the Twitter newsfeed all day long, and I might get some kind of gestalt of what's going on. But information graphics that are able to synthesize information over a much longer period of time than I could get over one sitting or viewing, I think is where this goes. So, the fact that you can actually see significant changes in this guy's behavior over a year's period of time is what's interesting about those reports. The fact that I can't go to Facebook, and get a similar kind of report about my relationships with people, or about the things that I've interacted with, the types of information that's relevant to me. Why are the Facebook ads still so bad? They have so much information about me. I even give them information about my preferences. There are great opportunities to improve business processes by providing these kinds of self reflexive experiences and visualizations so that people can actually consume vast amounts of information in a short amount of time," says Chris. 23:05 -- While the ability to crunch numbers remains significantly important in the development of technology, Chris says the hot job of tomorrow may not be statistician or rather behavioral psychologist or social interaction designer because we're using data deficient resources to try and understand human behavior. Right now, Web statistics use IP addresses and paths in session time to infer the ROI of human behavior. But imagine if that data were replaced by activity streams, where a visitor to your website could subscribe to your feed and you had data of how they use that information, how their friends use that information and what actions resulted. If you think about activity stream analysis, or you could look at how people use your information instead of just how they consume it passively, imagine how much better your understanding of the value of your online communications efforts would be. What we need to be looking at is what's motivating people, and what behaviors are engaging in, not what page they go to on your website and how long they stay there.For example, if you're using a spike in traffic to your website as an indicator of what type of content you're audience or customers want, it could actually be because they disliked that content, so straight consumption is not always an effective indicator of what works or doesn't work. Correlating comments through activity strain gives you a much better gauge of how people reacted to the content. 24:39 -- "Even Google Analytics doesn't provide you with a great way of correlating social signifiers and signals with where people are spending their time and what they're doing," says Chris. "If you're not thinking about this holistically from a behavioral perspective, and you're not thinking about things like I presented with the activity theory, then you're missing the big picture, and you're also missing the nuance of what could drive people to do things more intelligent way in the future." 26:04 -- The reason Facebook is killing everyone online is that most websites today still look like they did when Netscape was invented. These websites are simply not interactive, offers zero opportunity for engagement, and are simply less interesting and compelling than a website where you can interact with others. Even the New York Times website fails to structure the news in a way that's relevant to me based on my interests and my social networks. From the same perspective, businesses should be thinking about how social interaction applies to the value proposition they deliver to their customers. It could be to determine the strengths and weaknesses of their product and services or to make it easier for people to learn about them through their online social networks. The company's who do well in this type of environment are the ones who will succeed. "Put the user first, and everything else will follow," says Chris. "Facebook, by its design and nature has done something very similar and they've seen the same sort of thing in terms of viral growth and improvement of the service over time." 29:00 -- "There will be a lot more competition for the smartest and brightest people in the future, and those companies that treat their employees with respect and give them a fairly well articulated space in which to operate with a good feeling of self-direction -- with enough structure so that someone can succeed -- will be a much more successful company overall, and will be a much better place to work for everybody, as opposed to one that tries to really regiment their work force and, for example, shuts down Facebook and things like that. There's a balance to the mix for sure. But finding the right way to let people do what they do well, and to socialize in a way that supports their work, I think is going to critically important," says Chris, who added that the future of search is being able to find not just webpages, but interactions as well. 30:15 -- Leysia Palen's research on the VT shootings is a perfect example of how social networks augment our ability to collaborate. The command and control collaboration style of management practiced by the university communications department was unable to move as quickly as the online community when it came to determining and reporting the names of the slain students. 31:34 -- End RECOMMENDED EPISODES * Integrating Social Into Destination Websites * Corporate Social Media Policy Development * Mashable CEO Pete Cashmore at SXSW ABOUT THE PODCASTER @EricSchwartzman provides online communication training, strategy and social media governance to public relations, public affairs, corporate communications and marketing specialists. He has extensive experience integrating emerging information technologies into organizational communications programs through public speaking, hands-on training seminars, consulting and the development of corporate policies on social media usage. His clients have included Boeing, BYU, City National Bank, Environmental Defense Fund, Government of Singapore, Johnson & Johnson, NORAD Northcomm, Southern California Edison, UCLA, US Dept. of State, United States Army, US Embassy of Athens, the United States Marine Corps and many small to medium-sized companies and agencies. Eric is the instructor behind PRSA’s top-rated social media and emerging treads training seminars, the Social Media Boot Camp and the Social Media Master Class, which are offered monthly in the US.

Web Strategy Jeremiah Owyang

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 17:58:00 GMT

How social media has caused the scope of marketing to expand inside organizations, why customer service needs to pay attention to customer influence, the concept of relinquishing oversight as a way of regaining control, aligning social media policy with business strategy and integrating social media into destination websites featuring Jeremiah Owyang (@jowyang), who blogs at Web Strategy, is a partner at the Altimeter Group and is set to deliver the opening keynote at the third annual Digital Impact Conference May 6-7, 2010 in NYC. SHOW NOTES 01:03 -- A discussion of the different speakers lined up to present at the Digital impact conference in New York City May 6-7, 2010, now in its third year. * Shashi Bellamkonda, social media swami — aka director of social media, Network Solutions * Stacie Bright, senior communications marketing manager, Unilever * LaSandra Brill, manager, Service Provider Web and Social Media Marketing group, Cisco Systems * Scott DeYager, social media supervisor, Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. * Jason Forget, communications manager, GE Energy * Doug Frisbie, national social media and marketing integration manager, Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. * Andrew Lark, vice president, Dell * Jennifer Preston, social media editor, New York Times * Jeremy Rawitch, manager, corporate communications, Southern California Edison * Kevin Roderick, director of the UCLA Newsroom, University of California, Los Angeles * Colonel Bryan Salas, director of public affairs, U.S. Marine Corps Public Affairs * Katie Dowd, director of new media, Department of State, Bureau of Public Affairs * Gabriel Stricker, director, Global Communications & Public Affairs, Google, Inc. REGISTER 06:27 -- An overview of the broader trends in social media based on Jeremiah Owyang's research at the Altimeter Group. 07:41 -- Heather Armstrong's experience trying to fix a broken Maytag washing machine, and how she finally managed to get results by warning her twitter followers "so that you may never have to suffer like we have: do not ever buy a Maytag. I repeat: our Maytag experience has been a nightmare." Interestingly enough, Forbes.com story about the incident quoting Pete Blackshaw, the previous guest on this podcast, "The problem with call centers and consumer relations departments is that they tend to look at consumers in a vacuum, independent of influence," which suggests that organizations need to look beyond individual customer interactions to try evaluate the customer's social media influence, which is one of things that social CRM attempts to accomplish. The take away, according to Jeremiah, is that what happens in support can quickly become a marketing or public relations incident. 08:27 -- "Customers don't care which department you are in. They just want their problem fixed. The scope of marketing has grown significantly... Companies are siloed and it's very difficult [for them] to think holistically about their overall customer experience," says Jeremiah who will address this theme in his keynote at the 2010 Digital Impact Conference. 09:25 -- A discussion of analysts Charlene Li's upcoming book "Open Leadership," which explores the theme of how leaders can let go of control in order to gain more power back, because the power has shifted to those who are using social computing platforms and organizations need to acknowledge this. 10:24 -- Glassdoor.com, a new website where employees can rate their employers and Unvarnished, which allow you to rate your colleagues and the quality of their work, both reinforce the notion that there are no more secrets. 11:00 -- According to Jeremiah, social media policy is a key component of effective online organizational communications, and he says there are actually three different policies that organizations need to consider developing. The first is a corporate policy, which would address how to deal with the social Web, and in particular, during a crisis. The second is an employee disclosure policy, which would tell employees what they can say and what they can say in public spaces online. And the third one, which he says most companies don't have in place and which might have kept Nestle out of trouble, is a community policy, which would dictate how community members should behave and describe to dos and don'ts. 11:56 -- An example of a community policy Jeremiah's seen that he thinks is well done is Dogster's Community Guidelines. He also says early adopters like Intel, Microsoft and Sun have had community policies in place for some time now. 12:51 -- Best Buy's is good example of an organization that has an effective social media policy designed to work for employees who may not have advanced degrees. 13:20 -- Inside the enterprise, legal is a common pocket of resistance. Smart strategists should engage them early on. And their are often turf wars between corporate marketing and the social media team because they usually have different ideas about how to achieve their objectives. Also, product managers are typically inclined to approach situations differently from strategists, because they want to build online communities around products, and the strategists want to build community around a lifestyle or a brand. 14:01 -- When it comes to policing social media policies, Jeremiah suggests turning that over to the employees themselves and crowd sourcing those capabilities. Use an internal online community to allow people to call out when people are doing things wrong and doing things right. 15:27 -- There's nothing wrong with a measured, step-by-step approach to social media policy development. 16:10 -- Not all organizations should be rushing into social media. In Jeremiah's opinion, to mitigate risk organizations should approach social media when they have the right research and plans in place. Companies need to think through what it means to be social, and Jeremiah encourages a pragmatic approach. 17:01 -- Using mainstream media advertising to send people to their Facebook page without considering where the transaction occurs. "If you're making money through ecommerce on your corporate site, why would you be so quick to send traffic, whether it be from a chicklet or a Facebook advertisement, away from your site? Most companies say because I want to have trust or word of mouth, but they haven't thought it through carefully about the ramifications and what that actually means," says Jeremiah. 18:06 -- Customers visiting your corporate website may be further down the sales funnel, so you may not want to be so quick to send them away. The future of social engagement, as Jeremiah sees it, is integrating the social experience into your own destination website, and he's going to show a framework for achieving that at the Digital Impact Conference May 6-7, 2010 in NYC. 19:14 -- In terms of who Jeremiah Owyang looks to as thought leaders in the social media space, he mentions Steve Rubel, Charlene Li, David Armano, Jen McClure, Marshall Kirkpatrick, Ben Parr and Louis Gray because he sees them putting out new thoughts instead of just rehashing what's out there already. 21:30 -- End RECOMMENDED EPISODES * Twitter CEO Evan Williams Unveils @Anywhere at SXSW * Corporate Social Media Policy Development * Mashable CEO Pete Cashmore at SXSW * Mosaic of Trust with Richard Edelman ABOUT THE PODCASTERS @EricSchwartzman provides online communication training, strategy and governance to public relations, public affairs, corporate communications and marketing specialists. He has extensive experience integrating emerging information technologies into organizational communications programs through public speaking, hands-on training seminars, consulting and the development of corporate policies on social media usage. His clients have included Boeing, BYU, City National Bank, Environmental Defense Fund, Government of Singapore, Johnson & Johnson, Southern California Edison, UCLA, US Dept. of State, United States Army, US Embassy of Athens, the United States Marine Corps and many small to medium-sized companies and agencies. Eric is the instructor behind PRSA’s top-rated social media and emerging treads training seminars, the Social Media Boot Camp and the Social Media Master Class, which are offered monthly in the US through PRSA.

Corporate Social Media Policy

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 17:53:57 GMT

Corporate social media policy development has become increasingly important as organizations realize that social networking is more powerful in the hands of many than the hands of a few. In many cases, employees not serving in official spokesperson roles may, in fact, have more weight influencing corporate reputation than more conventional channels like public relations and marketing. Rather than ask, "Should companies use social media?" organizations are asking "What is the most responsible, effective way for us to use social media and should we house a set of social media corporate guidelines so that everyone understands what the boundaries are for social media usage as employees?" In this episode, we discuss many aspects of corporate social media policy, social networking policy, social media guidelines and best practices for social media policy development initiatives inside organizations. Our guest is Chris Boudreaux created socialmediagovernance.com to provide tools and resources to leaders and managers who want to get the most from their social media and social application investments. Chris is a consultant who works with business and technology professionals to improve their marketing, sales and customer service capabilities through social media governance. He is a former product development and business transformation specialists, and a former United States Navy officer. This is a joint interview by Paul Gillin and Eric Schwartzman, who are collaborating on a book about B2B applications of social media communications titled "Social Marketing to the Business Customer" to be published by Wiley in early 2011. SHOW NOTES 01:58 -- The business case for empowering employees to make smart decisions through social media policy. 03:34 -- How specific social media policies need to be. 05:06 -- Strategic approach to social media policy development. 07:13 -- Just because a company is blocking access to social media sites from its network does not necessarily mean that that company is going to take longer to develop a social media policy. If you are developing a social media policy for an organization, your first order of business is to understand why the company is blocking access, because it may be they are doing so because social media tools do not allow them to comply with laws or regulations. In the insurance industry, for example, many companies are simply on the lock down because the penalties for making mistakes are severe. 08:40 -- Organizations can and do turn on and off access to social media sites quickly, so don't assume that because a company may be blocking access to social media sites that they are in some way going to take a longer to educate and bring up to speed over the course of a social media policy development initiative. 09:27 -- Organizational complexity, rather than an organization's size, has a bigger impact on how long it takes to develop a social media policy for organization.The more business units there are, the variety of subcultures that exists, have the potential to exacerbate the development of a social media policy. 10:45 -- The concept of having more than one social media policy, the first being a broad policy that covers all employees in the latter being a more specific policy for employees focused on social media communications. 13:22 -- Just as no one department within the organization owns and polices all corporate policies, all managers responsible for a group within the organization that is using social media for unique purposes should also be responsible for providing guidance and oversight of how a corporate social media policy applies to those efforts. 17:44 -- It is leadership's responsibility to think ahead of its employees and to try and anticipate what kind of trouble they could get into so they can establish policy to protect them. Those protections are even more important if the employee is using social media as part of their primary job function. So leadership needs to establish clear-cut boundaries for employees and then make sure everyone knows about them. It's irresponsible for leadership to steer clear of providing guidelines because they don't know what they should be yet. At the same time, Chris Boudreaux does not advocate that all organizations should empower their employees to use social media, particularly financial services organizations and other regulated entities, because social media tools may not allow them to comply with the current regulations. 20:49 -- The biggest challenge that organizations face with respect to social media engagement is that many of the technologies simply do not comply with current regulatory requirements. So either the regulations need to be changed, the various social media channels need to be improved to support audit trails or regulated companies in particular need to be careful when they use social media for medications. 22:50 -- Like American linguist William Lutz, featured on an earlier episode of this podcast about the dangers of doublespeak, Chris Boudreaux agrees there's not much sense in a policy if the people it's designed to guide can understand, So policies should be written so that they can be understood without the aid of legal counsel. and since many companies make fair social media policies public it may also be a good idea for those charged with writing the policy to collaborate with the marketing or public relations departments to ensure its accurately reflects the characteristics of the brand. 25:03 -- Regardless of the nature or legalities of any social networking group or service in which a company employee they participate, such as racially insensitive or hate speech sites, employers do not necessarily have the right to dismiss employees for participating in these types of distasteful conversations, unless they are occurring in full public view. However, if the site in question was password-protected, invite only and employer obtained access through coercion and then discovered its employees were involved and fired them as a result, they could be guilty of wiretapping charges. So the method by which an employer discovers private information on the Internet plays a big role in to the legalities of the situation. 28:55 -- There's a big difference between laws that are permissible in a state and terms and conditions an individual migrate or bye-bye to do business with the company. Nondisclosure agreements provide a functional means for individuals to forfeit certain rights in exchange for the right to gain employment with the company and subject to the terms and conditions of what is and is not permissible in any of the 50 United States, is not necessarily unlawful for an organization to ask an employee to forgo certain rights to free speech exchange for a job. 33:31 -- Social media policy needs to support the leadership style of the organization. For example, if the organization is inclusive and collaborative in its management style, that will lead to one type of social media policy. On the other hand, if you're in station is commanding control, like say Apple Computer, that will lead to a different type of social media policy. It may be naive to think you can change an organization's leadership or management style through social media policy. It is the responsibility of those charged with developing a social media policy to create one that supports the company's objectives in a way that is compatible with their existing business. "You or I may not like a lot of the answers to a lot of leaders arrive at. But we have a choice to not work for those people," says Chris Boudreaux. 35:35 -- It is always helpful when social media policy initiatives are sponsored by upper management and here's why. "The best policies are born out of a desire to utilize social media in a way that advances the corporate objectives, and to both protect the employees as well as the company. And that takes an understanding of the business which is is usually strongest among the folks who are running the business," says Chris Boudreaux. 37:14 -- End RECOMMENDED EPISODES * B2B SEO Strategy and Tactics * How to Create Live Webcasts * Twitter CEO Evan Williams Unveils @Anywhere at SXSW ABOUT THE PODCASTERS @EricSchwartzman provides online communication training, strategy and governance to public relations, public affairs, corporate communications and marketing specialists. He has extensive experience integrating emerging information technologies into organizational communications programs through public speaking, hands-on training seminars, consulting and the development of corporate policies on social media usage. His clients have included Boeing, BYU, City National Bank, Environmental Defense Fund, Government of Singapore, Johnson & Johnson, Southern California Edison, UCLA, US Dept. of State, United States Army, US Embassy of Athens, the United States Marine Corps and many small to medium-sized companies and agencies. Eric is the instructor behind PRSA’s top-rated social media and emerging treads training seminars, the Social Media Boot Camp and the Social Media Master Class, which are offered monthly in the US through PRSA. Paul Gillin (@pgillin) of Paul Gillin Communications. Paul was founding editor-in-chief of TechTarget, one of the most successful technology media entities to emerge on the Internet. Before that, he was editor-in-chief and executive editor of the technology weekly Computerworld for 15 years. He wrote The New Influencers, Secrets of Social Media Marketing and the Joy of Geocaching and is currently co-writing a book with Eric Schwartzman about business-to-business applications of social media. Paul writes a regular column for BtoB magazine and contributes to various blogs and online publications. He’s also a Research Fellow and a member of the advisory board of the Society for New Communications Research. On the Record…Online is the Official PR Podcast of the 2010 PRSA International Conference. Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord.

Trust and Loyalty through B2B Social Networks

Eric Schwartzman — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 20:04:00 GMT

Scott Hanson and four other technologists manage the Dell TechCenter, an online community that helps enterprise IT professionals unravel the thorniest problems that occur when trying to integrate technology from multiple vendors. Dell conceived of the community in 2007 as a way to enhance loyalty among its largest customers. Members share advice and ask questions of Hanson and the other engineers, who dispense it for free. The community is open and fully searchable, although only registered members can submit articles and comments. The point isn’t to gain sales leads but to become an indispensable source of advice. And it’s working: In 2008, about 100 people visited the site every day. By early 2010, the count was over 5,000. Active members gain status in the community, and access to information about new products. A core group of 40 to 50 very active members have been designated "Masters," which means they get special recognition, advance information and even the occasional T-shirt. “What our users really want is to be noticed,” Hanson observed Hanson and colleagues Jeff Sullivan, Kong Yang and Dennis Smith are celebrities of sorts in the community of enterprise customers, who frequently seek them out for meetings at trade shows and during visits to the company’s executive briefing center. Their fame has paid off handsomely for Dell: Hanson won’t let us reveal specifics, but Dell has estimated that the TechCenter is indirectly responsible for many millions of dollars in sales each year. Suffice to say that Hanson’s job security is insured for years to come. That’s despite the fact that Dell TechCenter doesn’t sell anything. The site carries no advertising and the member list is never used for promotions. The Dell TechCenter team is adamant about that. “The last thing IT people want when they come to a technical resource is an ad asking them to buy a laptop,” Hanson says. In this interview, he talks about the philosophies that underlie the community’s success. This interview is guest hosted by Paul Gillin of Paul Giilin Communications and was conducted in association with research for an upcoming book on B2B applications of social media, to be published later thia year or early next year. SHOW NOTES: 3:30 Why Dell Tech Center was started 4:40 What’s unique about Tech Center; why customers would come there in the first place 7:30 How Dell built awareness for the community; adding Technology Center links into every product. 8:45 Why content is openly available and not hidden behind a registration wall: “We really don’t want to use this as a vehicle to collect sales leads.” 9:45 Growth: From 100 to more than 5,000 daily visitors 10:45 How monitoring conversations guides administrators toward appropriate content 11:30 The content that resonates well: ‘Anything that makes the IT admin’s life easier.” 10:00 The Dell Masters Program raises the visibility of the top 40-50 participants 15:40 Who are the characters on the site and why the chemistry is important 17:20 Calculating the ROI of the Dell Tech Center; the team touches a lot of customer spending each year (specifics withheld at Dell’s request) 19:10 The importance of personality in makin the Dell connection: “It’s probably the most important thing.” A single Dell Tech Center ID didn’t resonate as well as giving individual administrators their own presences. 22:15 The importance of not trying to sell to members of the community 23:30 The nature of customer relationships on Dell Tech Center: “These people a friends.” How business relations create personal connections. RECOMMENDED EPISODES • B2B Social Networks: Driving Commerce with Imperfection and Surrender • Social Media Investor Relations Special with Former SEC Attorneys • Mosaic of Trust with Richard Edelman About the Guest Host This episode was guest hosted by Paul Gillin (@pgillin) of Paul Gillin Communications. Paul was founding editor-in-chief of TechTarget, one of the most successful technology media entities to emerge on the Internet. Before that, he was editor-in-chief and executive editor of the technology weekly Computerworld for 15 years. He wrote The New Influencers, Secrets of Social Media Marketing and the Joy of Geocaching and is currently co-writing a book with Eric Schwartzman about business-to-business applications of social media. Paul writes a regular column for BtoB magazine and contributes to various blogs and online publications. He’s also a Research Fellow and a member of the advisory board of the Society for New Communications Research.

B2B SEO Strategy and Tactics

Eric Schwartzman — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 02:51:12 GMT

Sales cycles are different when we research purchasing decisions on behalf of companies and this podcast is devoted to explaining why, how and what it takes to search engine optimize content for business to business customers. You’ll learn about B2B keyword discovery, how B2B sales cycles impact search optimization strategy, aligning keyword selection with marketing strategy, how to leverage off-message search phrases and much more with Lee Odden, president of Top Rank Marketing. SHOW NOTES 01:37 – B2B SEO is quite different than B2C SEO, according to Lee Odden. The B2B sales cycle is often much longer than B2C sales cycles. When business buyers are researching an intended purchase, the keywords they search online tend to be much more exploratory, general and broad, as they educate themselves about the procuring a specific service, product or solution. And as they drill down and get closer to making an actual decision, their search queries get much more specific and focused. 03:32 – Attract customers at the beginning and end of the sales cycle by examining the marketing and public relations activities that are already underway, and look for opportunities where you can apply search engine optimization. For example, if a company identifies and creates original content on its website based on broader, research oriented terms, and starts to acquire inbound links embedded against those terms as anchor text on other websites, their website is more likely to get found through search when a potential customer starts getting educated to make a purchase and that’s how they’d SEO their website to get found at the beginning of the buying cycle. 04:40 – “At the same time, maybe that same company is publishing a blog, and there are a mix of keywords that represent more long tail or niche terms that are more specific. And the content strategy, or the content plan for the blog, can make sure that it creates content using those niche keywords over time. And, of course, each of those blog posts that’s about a niche topic would link back over to the product page so that people who discover that topic or that content through search can click-through and arrive over on a sales page to interact with a call to action like download a whitepaper, sign up for a webinar or contact us for a consultation,” says Lee. 06:14 – Keyword selection should be consistent with marketing objectives, messaging and demand. If a company’s marketing strategy is to undercut a premium brand on price, we might try adding modifiers like “cheap” or “discount” to the search phrase to see if people are actually searching those phrases and if they are, optimize the website content for those terms, get links and try to rank for those affordability-related versions of the more general, broader keywords. If a category isn’t well known, if there isn’t much demand for these types of keywords, that’s where companies might apply convention PR and advertising to generate more demand for those queries. 09:09 – Sometime the high volume keyword that people associate with a particular concept biased. For example, the impact of carbon emissions on the environment might be described as climate change or global warming. The demand for global warming versus climate change is more than two to one. But climate change is considered a more politically correct, safer phrase. Search engine optimization is about embracing popular language, but according to Lee, it’s very difficult to convince clients to embrace popular language when that language conflicts with their existing brand messaging. As I write these show notes, my thought is a company that cannot embrace the lexicon by which it has come to be known in popular language is a company in denial, because its image is misaligned with its perception. 09:15 – But if clients are adverse to embracing the terms by which they are known, incorporating that language in blogs, tweets and status updates that link to them is one way to SEO their website for alternative messaging that’s inconsistent with their existing brand message. In this type of scenario, the content on a blog might be intentionally written in a more informal tone, so as not to compete with the more formal brand messaging on the company’s corporate site. For example, you might create a blog post that’s an argument for the use of “climate change” over “global warming” which would require the use of both terms, and which could be optimized for the latter term. 11:07 – When you’re doing keyword research for search engine optimization, you use tools that quantify the search demand for and competitiveness of a certain phrase. But you also need to validate those keywords in social media, to see if the phrases people use when they’re searching for something are the same ones they use in social media when they conversing with others about that subject. Don’t assume those phrases are the same. 12:15 – Ultimately, keyword effectiveness is validated by the sites analytics. Are the keywords you’re working to draw traffic against listing on your web stats? Are people visiting your landing pages and tasking the intended action? 14:45 – SEO newbies tend to try and cram all the keywords they can into their text, thinking that by saying the same thing a bunch of different ways, their page will be seen as more relevant. But readability is more important than repetition. If you’ve keyword stuffed your document to the point that it reads silly, you’ve lost because even of that page does wind up ranking high, it’s going to have a very high bounce rate. Instead, Lee prefers to map keywords according to website categories. He creates a long list of phrases that’s organized according to popularity, competitiveness and relevance, and then decides which pages on the website those terms should be linked to. Then, he varies the usage of the those terms evenly across whatever content gets SEOed and that way he can still use all those terms, but without cramming them into a single document. Lee cautions users about going after just high volume keywords. Instead, focus of those words and phrases with the greatest probability of conversion. keyword-selection 17:59 – Matching up the keywords with the analytics is how you validate keywords and phrases. Analytics will also reveal trends and show you the seasonality of your phrases. And just as media relations pros attempt to position press releases as riffs off the popular news of the day, search engine optimization initiatives can take a similar approach, and your analytics show you were those potential opportunities are. If relevant terms lack significant volume, keep in mind there are other activities that can drive search demand, so when you’re launching a new product, use your mainstream sales and marketing to drive demand and be careful not to sacrifice relevancy for volume because you’ll be tapping into traffic that unlikely to result in sales. 19:16 – Ultimately -- and particularly in B2B SEO -- keyword relevance is more important than popularity, because relevant terms and phrases have a greater probability of conversion. 23:29 -- Enquiro research suggesting that while people may go move from broad phrase to niche phrase research as they progress through online buying cycle, they often go back to broad phrase research before they make their final decision, to confirm their intended purchase. And for this reason, Lee says you can’t base a B2B SEO strategy on just broad or niche terms. You need both. Follow up question: Is there any research out there suggesting that in the case of considered purchases, buyers are more likely to revert to broad phrase search at the end of their online research phrase? Also, are the broad phrases keywords they revert to the same ones they started with, or do those broad phrases tend to change as they become more informed about the category they’re researching? 24:05 – But website design and content strategy also impact purchasing decisions. More often than not, B2B products and services are not one-size-fits-all. The buyer may need technical information or product specifications to select a compatible, interoperable product to meet their specific needs. A website that makes it easier to choose the right product by having that information available and easy-to-use may wind up landing the sale over a higher-ranked website if that website hasn’t invested the time in making that content accessible online. 24:15 – “Increasingly, the social web comes into play, because there are many more opportunities to develop relationships, where search is the initial discovery mechanism, [which is different from] what B2B marketers were using search for in years past. 25:00 – Whether for B2B or B2C, there are different types of research to be done. There’s keyword research, which is identifying phrases based on the audience you’re trying to market to. Competitive research is about understanding who is currently ranking for the phrases you want to rank for, and determining whether or not they’re vulnerable to being toppled. Not all of them will be real world competitors. In the B2B space, there are a lot of academic and government institutions with top ranks that topically, might compete with your commercial website. There’s also research on link building and link acquisition to determine who’s linking to top ranked sites so you can see who’s propping up those influential websites with inbound links. There’s also content archetype research, which endeavors to determine what type of content tends to travel in your category, so that organizations can anticipate the type of content most likely to stimulate discussion and generate inbound links. And you can often figure out what type of content is most popular by searching specific social media services to see what gets talked about most. And then analyze the syntax, the language and page layout and you can start to see the trends about what type of content resonates best in your community. 29:16 – In terms of just how important to technical aspects of SEO are versus just having great content, Lee says it’s a question of competiveness. In moderately competitive scenarios, having great content alone may be enough. So it’s important to develop enough channels of distribution so that when you publish your content, people know about it. And that’s achieved through RSS, email, blogs, status updates and other social media. 30:18 – “Having great content is important but if people don’t know about it, they’ll never link to it,” says Lee. “Links and content are the ying and yang of an effective SEO program.” When you get into a competitive category that is where fine tuning the technical aspects of SEO, like titles tags, Meta data, page load speed, HTML and template optimization become most important. Just like a swimmer shaves their bodies to be just a smidge faster, in the ultra competitive categories of SEO, these factors become increasingly important. Follow Up Question: Is there any research to support that the less the total sales volume of a given product or category, the less competitive a search category is, or is competitiveness driven by other factors? I wonder of niche B2B SEO plays are less competitive. But I also wonder, if it’s so uncompetitive, is it really worthwhile? And lastly, what about professional or consulting services? Are prospects less likely to purchase these types of services without a personal recommendation from someone they know? 31:44 – Erik Deutsch of Excel PR asks via Twitter, “Are inbound links from news releases less valuable in Google’s eyes than links from other pages?” Is there anything about links form news releases specifically that will either increase or decrease the value of that link? 32:06 – More than anything, what Google’s going to look at is the flow of page rank for other pages to your particular page. So the objective is lure as many inbound links are you can to your press release, and then use a link from your press release to raise the rank of a corresponding landing page. 33:44 – It’s a mistake to evaluate the value of links from sources as a snapshot in time. Content that gets inbound links over time grows in influence accordingly. Lee says those inbound links are like electricity, and that electricity can be passed on to whatever it is its linking to. 34:43 -- “The bulk of SEO value from submitting a release over any wire service isn’t so much the version that’s hosted by the wire service, which many wire services will expire unless you pay more money. The SEO value comes when other websites copy that press release. And if you’ve been smart about including the right kinds of links in that press release in the first place, the duplication, the syndication of that press release on other websites will result in unique inbound from different domain names. Hopefully from domains that publish relevant content,” says Lee. citation-indexing 36:26 – In terms of how SEO is changing, it’s getting tougher and the lines between links referenced in social media and webpages is blurred. What becoming increasingly important is understanding the value of social media optimization. For search engine optimization, we can use conventional tactics and leverage social media for link acquisition. “But the search that happens behind the login on Facebook or MySpace or even Linkedin is increasingly going to be important. So I think folks need to consider optimizing content within social networks,” says Lee. “There’s so much content within social networks it’s becoming increasingly important to sort signal to noise, so I think companies will do well to consider keywords when optimizing their social content,” he continues. 37:58 – End RECOMMENDED EPISODES * B2B Social Networks: Driving Commerce with Imperfection and Surrender * SEO for PR Tools and Tips from Search Engine Land editor Danny Sullivan * Russell Wright on the Future of SEO Services ABOUT THE PODCASTER @EricSchwartzman provides online communication training, strategy and governance to public relations, public affairs, corporate communications and marketing specialists. He has extensive experience integrating emerging information technologies into organizational communications programs through public speaking, hands-on training seminars, consulting and the development of corporate policies on social media usage. His clients have included Boeing, BYU, City National Bank, Environmental Defense Fund, Government of Singapore, Johnson & Johnson, Southern California Edison, Toyota, UCLA, US Dept. of State, United States Army, US Embassy of Athens, the United States Marine Corps and many small to medium-sized companies and agencies. Schwartzman is currently co-authoring a book on business-to-business social media communications with Paul Gillin, to be published by Wiley in Fall 2010. He is the instructor behind PRSA’s top-rated social media and emerging treads training seminars, the Social Media Boot Camp and the Social Media Master Class, which are offered monthly in the US through PRSA. Since 2005, he has been producing the weekly, award-winning public relations podcast “On the Record…Online” (@ontherecord) about how technology is changing the way organizations communicate, the official podcast of the PRSA International Conference for the past three consecutive years. On the Record…Online is the Official PR Podcast of the 2010 PRSA International Conference. Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord.

How to Create Live Webcasts

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 20:33:00 GMT

What begins as a discussion about B2B applications of online video quickly spirals into a geek-out session about how to create live webcasts, online video streaming, production, editing, search engine optimization, archiving and file management. If you're interested in coming up to speed on the tools and technologies available for producing live video streams, this episode featuring online video specialist Steve Garfield, author of the new book "Get Seen" is for you. 01:04 -- Steve Garfield explains when it makes sense for B2B marketers to use video, and when doesn't it, and according to Steve, many organizations have become interested in the use of online video to introduce visitors to their websites to the people and culture inside companies. 02:11 - For watching larger news events, Steve still prefers television. But the use of short, bite-sized video clips on an organization's website can be very effective. In terms of the state of online video, Steve says we've come a long way from the days when excessive buffering caused such extreme latency that videos were unwatchable. 04:09 -- The majority of consulting work that Steve provides today involves training people within organizations to use online video equipment, editing software, streaming services and video aggregation services. In the past, organizations had brought in huge production companies to create their video but according to Steve, "It just became a huge production." Today, they are looking for solutions that will allow them to communicate autonomously with video. 05:05 – Common applications of online video for B2B marketers is the use of video to show what it's like at a product rollout or “about us” type of videos that seek to humanize an organization, but since it's easier to watch than it is to read, the use of online video on an organization's website can be a competitive differentiator. 06:50 -- Steve discusses how video could be used by doctors, professional service providers and even hairstyles on their websites to give you a chance to get a feel for their personalities when you're considering who to hire. 08:27 -- Steve talks about the concept of situating all the video in a specific section of an organization's website, using Channel 9 as an example, where Robert Scoble provided the video component of that early, branded social network. But he also mentions the Zappos website, which provides access to videos from product pages, rather than in a separate, video section of the website. Steve declined to give exact numbers, but suggested that the use of video can significantly increase e-commerce transactions. 11:53 -- Even enough your video is just talking heads, the benefit is that your audience gets the chance to attach a face to a voice. Initially, particularly online, someone may launch the video and just watch it for little while, and then put the window in the background and multitask while listening only to the audio. In retrospect, as I write these show notes, I can see Steve's point because particularly when it comes to business-to-business communications, there is real value in being able to recognize someone's face after you've been listening to them online. 12:37 -- Video is an excellent way to get to know someone a much deeper level than through just audio and certainly from their text. Businesses are looking for ways to try and connect with their customers and video provides a practical solution for making that happen. 15:03 -- A discussion about the benefits of live streaming online video, as opposed to video on demand, for extending the reach of live events. 16:39 -- At the bare minimum, all you really need is an Internet connection, a laptop with a built-in WebCam and a Ustream or LiveStream account. Steve talks about a new premium application from UStream called UStream Producer that runs locally on the Mac or PC which provides better streaming video quality which he used at WCBS-TV in New York to produce a live stream of his appearance on a recent episode of their Saturday morning show. The UStream desktop application also records and archives your video And provides options for live text chat and social media sharing. 19:13 -- From a gear standpoint when it comes to choosing a camera that can be mounted on a tripod and used for streaming, Steve recommends the Canon HV20 or Canon HV30 with a Manfrotto Tripod. For microphones, Steve likes the Audio-Technica AT2020 USB mic and lavalieres he recommends the Audio-Technica ATR3350. The reason Steve likes the Canons is because many of the streaming sites require a FireWire connection, and most cameras have essentially replaced FireWire with SD cards and USB 2.0 ports, which is a file transfer activity. 21:30 -- Using UStream Producer mentioned earlier, it is possible to set up multiple camera's and create a live stream that cuts seamlessly from one camera perspective to another, however the free version only accommodates a single camera, while the premium version of the app accommodates multiple cameras. If your computer has two FireWire connections, the recommendation is to install an external FireWire card to bring multiple cameras into your computer. 22:25 -- Using LiveStream, which is Ustream's competitor, multiple cameras on different computers can log into a master account which can be out a live stream from any video camera that is currently logged in to the master account. This service also allows you to bring in YouTube and other on-demand video sources. This can be achieved with the free version of LiveStream. 24:09 -- If you're using a Mac, and want to do screen capture, Steve recommends the new version of QuickTime screen capture that's built into OS 10. however, if what you wanted to is cut to a computer screen in the context of a live stream, that can be achieved with UStream Producer or LiveStream. 27:12 -- Steve and Eric have a pretty hard-core geek out discussion of how the logistics behind live streaming a panel with four people, all mike of wireless level layers, and multiple cameras. 28:52 -- Steve mentions NewTek's TriCaster, which is the coup de grace high-end solution used by a lot of professional production companies for producing live video feeds. 33:09 -- A discussion about the bandwidth requirements for sustaining a watchable video stream online. 36:29 -- Whether it's a live stream or more feature oriented video content, organizations have the opportunity to manage viewer expectations of production quality. Nevertheless, the dear required to produce an exceptional video stream online has come down in price so significant way that it is possible to create a video stream that is as good as could be produced with professional gear using store-bought, consumer grade equipment. 38:43 -- The great thing about the Mac, according to Steve, is that they will pretty much play in the light at it any video codec. For editing, Steve uses iMovie 09 which supports QuickTime and AVCHD. before you purchase a camera, Steve recommends opening the software on your computer and checking to see what type of video codec it supports. As a last ditch effort, it is possible to download applications which will convert codecs, but of course, that adds another step to the process and decreases productivity. 42:09 -- The real challenge of producing HD video at this point, is the file size and processing power required to edit HD clips. On cameras that provide an option, Steve typically sets his camera to shoot in 720P over 1080P, just to reduce the file size and make them easier to deal with. 44:29 -- Storage requirements for archiving online video. 45:38 -- Video archive management tips. 48:09 -- The use of titles, transcripts and metadata to search engine optimize online video. The use of MacSpeech Dictate to create text transcripts of video files. As a footnote, the show notes were written using MacSpeech Dictate, but rather than use the program to create a raw text transcripts of the actual words spoken, I prefer to editorialize and summarize what was said to make it easier for the reader to get the gist of the discussion if your words. 50:30 -- If organizations are interested in booking Steve Garfield for an in-house online video training session he can be contacted at Steve@SteveGarfield.com, you can check out his upcoming public sessions at www.SteveGarfield.com or follow him on twitter @SteveGarfield. in April, Steve is presenting a panel at Jeff Pulver's 140 characters conference in New York. 52:43 -- End RECOMMENDED EPISODES • B2B Social Networks: Driving Commerce with Imperfection and Surrender • Social Media Investor Relations Special with former SEC Attorneys • ../../pr/otro/podcast-post.aspx?id=2213Podcasting for Business Communications ABOUT THE PODCASTER @EricSchwartzman provides online communication training, strategy and governance to public relations, public affairs, corporate communications and marketing specialists. He has extensive experience integrating emerging information technologies into organizational communications programs through public speaking, hands-on training seminars, consulting and the development of corporate policies on social media usage. His clients have included Boeing, BYU, City National Bank, Environmental Defense Fund, Government of Singapore, Johnson & Johnson, Southern California Edison, Toyota, UCLA, US Dept. of State, United States Army, US Embassy of Athens, the United States Marine Corps and many small to medium-sized companies and agencies. Schwartzman is currently co-authoring a book on business-to-business social media communications with Paul Gillin, to be published by Wiley in Fall 2010. He is the instructor behind PRSA’s top-rated social media and emerging treads training seminars, the Social Media Boot Camp and the Social Media Master Class, which are offered monthly in the US through PRSA. Since 2005, he has been producing the weekly, award-winning public relations podcast “On the Record…Online” (@ontherecord) about how technology is changing the way organizations communicate, the official podcast of the PRSA International Conference for the past three consecutive years. On the Record…Online is the Official PR Podcast of the 2010 PRSA International Conference. Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord.

Dominating the Information Spectrum

Eric Schwartzman — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 15:47:00 GMT

To get found online, organizations are using social media to engage in a war of information to win the trust and confidence of their constituents. Former DoD analyst Mark Drapeau, PhD., who is currently an online public diplomacy director at Microsoft, explains how to dominate your information spectrum with lethal generosity. This is a recording of a presentation he delivered at my Social Media Master Class on Jan. 29, 2010 in Washington, D.C.. To attend an upcoming social media workshop, visit www.ericschwartzman.com for dates and locations. SHOW NOTES 01:24 – Mark talks about his experience prior to joining Microsoft at National Defense University, which is affiliated with the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the U.S. Department of Defense, where he studied emerging technologies and their impact on national security. His mandate at Microsoft is to create “proactively social content” that engages communities, including state, local and federal government offices. 03:31 – “Nature abhors a vacuum.” Empty spaces will be filled by something. And so, if you work in fashion, or you work in IT, whatever you do, if there’s a niche, it will be filled by someone’s content. When you search for a topic, fashion, shoes, computers, is someone finding your stuff? That’s the premise I start with,” says Mark. There’s an information war taking place by organizations who want to get found online. But what’s more important than analyzing your traffic, according to Mark, is understanding your audience, what they want and how to engage them. In his case, if someone is searching “Government 2.0” he wants to make sure people are finding his content. 05:01 – For organizations, Mark sees new media communications as a form of public diplomacy that can be used to educate the marketplace and increase the receptiveness of Microsoft’s customers to their policies, products and services. Public diplomacy is the act of influencing, engaging and activating the public – softening the battlefield – and it is used by government agencies and companies to help their organizations achieve certain goals. 07:23 – The convention protocol by which information moves from organization to individual is inefficient, based on the various layers of approval corporate information needs to clear before it winds up reaching the customer. The press release is an excellent example of this. But what’s happening is by using social media to communicate with others, what’s happening is that a lot of people are bypassing official company channels in the process. They’re not official spokespersons, but they’re reaching people. So while organizations struggle to clear official information through the various layers of approval, unofficial voices in social media are filling the vacuum. Because in most cases, big organizations are slow, and cycling information through their chain of command simply can’t keep pace with open source information. And whenever there is a significant gap between information that can be crowd sourced via open source, and the organization’s own, online presence, that organization loses the trust of the community. 08:35 – People are sharing information and educating one another through Twitter and Facebook. Sharing information with your online social network has becomes a social norm, and by contrast, organizations that fail to behave this way are seen as antisocial. The important thing to understand about social media is that it’s more about being social than it is about understanding media or technology. It’s not about the tools; it’s about interacting with other people. 09:21 – “What amazing to me is that if you into the marketing department, or the PR group at a government agency and you ask them “Can you name 5 customers or 5 fans of our company?’ they will have a hard time answering that question. Because, at the end of the day, they are not being social with the kind of people that actually care about the organization,” says Mark. Being social means really caring about a community of people that care about your organization, or topics in which your organization has a vested interest, and that distinction is important because people are more likely to join an issue-specific community than they would be to join your company’s community. People are passionate about issues like sustainability and clean water, and they’ll follow a Facebook fan page about that topic, but they’re going to be much less enthusiastic about your company’s own Facebook fan page. 11:21 – Social media engagement should be proactive, not just reactive. Mark uses the Transportation Security Administration blog as an example of a social media program that is excessively reactive. It’s better than nothing, he says, but he’d rather see them blogging about broader issues like the future of transportation security and how the international community is addressing them. And Mark says, this is because big organizations are afraid to be the first to take a public position on issues, for fear of being wrong. So they’re always playing defensive rather than offensive. “The best offense is a good offense,” he says. “Be out there in front.” 12:38 – Mark acknowledges that being out in front is risky, but no risk, no reward, he says. As an example, Mark references Peter Shankman’s book “Can We Do That?” we contains a lot of good examples of various client engagements where his PR firm took a risk. Careful with the crazy ideas you come up with. You just might have to do one of them. 14:14 – Mark discusses the article “The Message is the Message” by Jennifer Senior which ran in Aug. 2, 2009 about the online ubiquity of Obama’s presidential campaign. He was everywhere, and the Republicans couldn’t keep up with him. “If you are filling those vacuums, and you’re dominating your community’s information spectrum -- everywhere someone’s looking for stuff there’s something by you: guest postings, you have an article in a magazine, video content, whatever it is -- if you can dominate that information spectrum, sometimes it doesn’t even matter what you actually say, because people will recognize you as thought leader if you just have a presence and it’s decent,” says Mark. “It’s got to be decent, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be outstanding if you’re a consistent contributor all the time.” Obama was perceived as dominating the presidential race and leading the news stories because he was everywhere. 15:32 – Mark shares Gary Vaynerchuck’s line “Content is king, but marketing is the queen, and she rules the castle,” meaning great content’s not enough. You also have to get it out there. You have to know where your community is and how to get to them. MySpace may be out of favor with social media pundits, but the research shows MySpace users tend to be in red states and less likely to be college educated, so trying to reach that audience through Facebook is going to be far less efficient. Figure out where you’re audience is and focus of those social media channels most likely to reach them. 19:53 – Rather than focus on solely on the numbers is an indicator of a social media program’s effectiveness, Mark gauges success by whether or not his efforts are delivering value to his community. He counts thank yous, not click throughs. He knows he did a job last year with socials media not by reviewing his bit.ly click-throughs, but by the number of Christmas cards he receives from people he originally met online than he did the previous year. 21:22 -- A course delegate tells Mark that the only thing that speaks to her superior is metrics, so she can say she’s adding value or getting Christmas cards, but at the end of the day, he approves here budget. Mark responds by saying that if your getting good content out through social media, it’s going to wind up reaching people over your superior, and it’s going to get back through their social network that you’re adding value by filling the vacuum with your organization’s messages. Focus on delivering genuine value to the community, and your superior will see that value through other channels. 23:50 – Determine who the experts are in your organization and figure out how to get them out there. If you’re a marketing or PR person, you’re just a conduit. They’re the real experts, so use social media to expose their expertise to a broader audience. And consider the degree of trust people have for your brand as well. If you don’t have trust, you’ve got to figure out a way to get it, or your social media communications will be disregarded. 25:03 – Mark talks about Shel Israel’s “Lethally Generous” blog post, which use Jeremiah Owyang’s ascent to demonstrate how lethally generosity can effectively dominate an information spectrum by filling the vacuum more frequently than your competitors. By giving, you become trusted and that trust affords you business opportunities that didn’t exist before you became lethally generous. NOTE: Shel Israel is featured in a previous episode of this podcast about his book Twitterville, and again with Robert Scoble discussing his book Naked Conversations. You end up not just feeling the pulse. You become the pulse because you’re not just putting information out there, you start receiving information and opportunities back as well. And that’s a very valuable and defensible position to be in. 28:42 – In some ways, being a catalyst for social media engagement inside the organizations is about identifying who the experts are, and then determining whose good at which types of communications. If they’re desk bound, and too busy to write but good on camera, can you set them up with a webcam and YouTube account. If they’re on the road, how can you equip them with the right mobile social networking tools that will work within their existing professional life? 31:08 – Mark shares a quote by Craig Newmark that says “Customer service is public service.” And thanks to social media, this really has become the case, because when you help someone via social media, you do so in a public forum where other people can see, and if you do a good job, you wind up earning the trust of the community through your actions. NOTE: Craig Newmark is featured in a previous episode of this podcast discussing the impact of Craigslist on classified advertising and the newspaper business. 32:19 – Mark sees a lot of indecision inside organizations about social media. But he reminds us that indecision is not a decision. Setting up a social media council to draft a report on the potential impact of social media to be reviewed by the board of directors is not a decision. It’s a stall tactic. By the time you come out with your social media guidelines to empower your advocates, you’re going to have lost so much time that your competitors and opponents are going to fill the vacuum already. They’re going to be thought leaders are your going to be just starting out. Plans are nothing without actions. Analysis paralysis will strangle your organization’s ability to engage constituents through social media. 36:05 – Delegates ask Mark questions about social media engagement. 59:37 – End RECOMMENDED EPISODES • B2B Social Networks: Driving Commerce with Imperfection and Surrender • Social Media Investor Relations Special with former SEC Attorneys • Inside the Pentagon with Former Asst SecDef for Public Affairs Robert Hastings ABOUT THE PODCASTER @EricSchwartzman provides online communication training, strategy and governance to public relations, public affairs, corporate communications and marketing specialists. He has extensive experience integrating emerging information technologies into organizational communications programs through public speaking, hands-on training seminars, consulting and the development of corporate policies on social media usage. His clients have included Boeing, BYU, City National Bank, Environmental Defense Fund, Government of Singapore, Johnson & Johnson, Southern California Edison, Toyota, UCLA, US Dept. of State, United States Army, US Embassy of Athens, the United States Marine Corps and many small to medium-sized companies and agencies. Schwartzman is currently co-authoring a book on business-to-business social media communications with Paul Gillin, to be published by Wiley in Fall 2010. He is the instructor behind PRSA’s top-rated social media and emerging treads training seminars, the Social Media Boot Camp and the Social Media Master Class, which are offered monthly in the US through PRSA. Since 2005, he has been producing the weekly, award-winning public relations podcast “On the Record…Online” (@ontherecord) about how technology is changing the way organizations communicate, the official podcast of the PRSA International Conference for the past three consecutive years. On the Record…Online is the Official PR Podcast of the 2010 PRSA International Conference. Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord.

Twitter CEO Evan Williams Unveils Anywhere at SXSW

Eric Schwartzman — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:47:24 GMT

If you sat out the SXSW Interactive Festival, this special episode, recorded at SXSW in Austin features Twitter founder Evan Williams announcing the new app platform @anywhere and Mashable Editor-in-Chief Adam Ostrow discussing the latest location-based social networking news, changes at Digg and what's coming for Google Buzz. SHOW NOTES 00:52 -- A summary of the news from this year's conference, including Twitter's @anywhere announcement, the rivalry between location-based social networking start-ups Foursquare and Gowalla, big changes in store for Digg.com and Google Buzz in the aftermath of the controversy surrounding their decision to integrate their new social network, a public facing system, with Gmail, a system that has always been very private. 01:31 -- At the Diggnation party, Digg CEO Jay Allison unveiled new.digg.com, a new alpha site available through invitation only, which expands trending news stories beyond just digs to include tweaks, Facebook status updates, personal preferences and your social graph. Mashable Editor Adam Ostrow calls it Digg's attempt to become the ultimate aggregator. 02:20 -- Google Buzz is in a tough position given the public and the media's reaction to their launch, but Adam has confidence that they will ultimately be able to overcome those initial missteps. He thinks Google Buzz will be a lot more exciting when they launch an official API so that third-party applications that already integrate with Twitter and Facebook will be available on the service. " I think the product might have been released a little too early in Gmail. I think there were a lot more things they maybe should have considered before launching it," says Adam Ostrow. But he also says don't count them out. Google has more than 20 employees devoted to developing their Buzz product. "It's clearly a very high-priority projects there," he says. 03:11 -- On the target market for Google Buzz, Adam Ostrow says, "The way they explained it to me, not dissimilar to Twitter and Facebook, they're really looking at both consumers and brands. Right now, I think there's a lot of issues that really make it prohibitive for brands and news organizations to really use the tool effectively. I think first off, it needs to be a standalone site, not just Gmail, which is in the works. So you'll be able to use it if you're a Hotmail user, a Yahoo user or whatever. But I also think they have some namespace issues. I think, obviously, if you've had your Gmail account for four or five years and your username might not be your business organization name, it's a very tough to transition accounts. So there's some issues they need to overcome. We've been using buzz pretty heavily at Mashable and I think it has the potential as a tool for brands and media organizations but they have a lot of work to do to get there." 04:07 -- In terms of hot new products this year at SXSW, Adam Ostrow says this year it's all about Foursquare and location-based social networking. But he thinks the imminent arrival of UK-based Spotify in the US market could make it a hot product at next year's SXSW. 06:01 -- A discussion of the panel session titled "How Not to be a Douche Bag at SXSW" featuring blogger Violet Blue who used "PR people" as stereotypical examples of how not to behave at this conference. According to Adam Ostrow, the key to not being a "PR douche bag" is simply being respectful of other people's time and, obviously, knowing who you're talking to and what they cover. Bue Ostrow has a positive attitude towards public relations. "PR people are important to what we do. They do provide us, sometimes, with relevant stories and people we need to talk to," says Adam Ostrow. 08:45 -- Eric Schwartzman tells Adam Ostrow about Jeremy Pepper's blog post entitled "I Don't Do SXSWi," recaps the conference highlights for him which includes Chris Messina's presentation about why activity streams need to evolve beyond the Facebook newsfeed, Danah Boyd's keynote on dealing with privacy in online spaces that are public, Joi Ito's talk about advocating intergovernmental information sharing and Kaiser Kuo's update on the trials and tribulations of Google in China. Eric asks for Adam's opinion as to how he derives tangible business value from a professional conference that is seen by many as nothing more than a debauchery fest. 09:48 -- Adam Ostrow uses SXSW mostly as an opportunity to cement relationships initiated online in the physical world. "I love to get that face time and really know who they are," says Adam Ostrow, who benefits from the personal relationships he develops at SXSW through as yet unknown story opportunities and potential business development deals. "For people in social media and the consumer facing web, it's the best place" to network. 11:09 -- The Mashable party at SXSW was intentionally designed to afford attendees the opportunity to network and party at the same time. The split level venue was divided into a section with a live bands and another section for networking. 12:51 -- Through a joint venture, Mashable is currently writing "B2B" content for American Express's OpenForum.com. They create similar coverage to what runs on Mashable.com, but for a small business community, primarily about how they can use social media to market to their customers, which may be other businesses, or which may be consumers. 13:06 -- When it comes to B2B applications of social media, how you set your organization's presence up online, how you respond to customers and devoting adequate resources to listening is key. "That's the point of being there. You can be there and just broadcast company news, and I don't think that's too interesting. It's a way for people to keep up with you. But the way we use it as a brand, and the way small businesses we like are using it, is to interact" with customers says Adam Ostrow. 14:50 -- Evan Williams announcing their new app platform @anywhere for integrating Twitter into websites. @anywhere will allow website visitors to follow Twitter users from any website. Hovering your cursor over a Twitter ID on any website using @anywhere will reveal a pop-up window that allows you to follow that account in just two clicks. You can also control how receive information from Twitter without every going to Twitter.com or a Twitter client. @anywhere can also be used to allow Twitter users to use their Twitter account to sign in to a website. Thirteen different websites have been selected to beta @anywhere, including Amazon, Ebay, Yahoo, Bing, YouTube, The New York Times, Digg, Salesforce.com and others. 16:30 -- "The main thing that @anywhere does is reduce friction," says Twitter founder Evan Williams, who admits he's not sure how developers will ultimately wind up using the new technology. One of the more obvious features include the ability to tweet links directly from a participating website. But a bigger advance is the ability to follow a Twitter account directly from a website, instead of having to click through to Twitter.com and log in if necessary to follow the account. Discovery is one of the hardest challenges because of the sheer volume of content that's out there. So putting the ability to follow in the context of the individual or organization your following reduces some of the friction that's currently present in discovery. 17:47 -- The benefits of @anywhere to website operators is a connection to users that you didn't necessarily have before and a way to keep them coming back. "We hear from sites all the time that Twitter drives them tons of traffic. It should result in more followers for a site just sending out links. It should also probably result in more people who are your fans, who are your audience using Twitter, talking amongst themselves and talking about your content, so hopefully it becomes a richer experience. 18:54 -- @anywhere also brings user tweets into your site and gives the ability to create a whole community or sub community in your own site. The goal of Twitter is to help people and organizations build stronger relationships, and @anywhere is about lowering the barriers to achieving that. The keynote interview was conducted by Umair Haque, director of Havas Media Lab. 20:43 -- End RECOMMENDED EPISODES * B2B Social Networks: Driving Commerce with Imperfection and Surrender * Twitter Strategy: Humanizing Brands and Building Loyalty with Shel Israel * * B2B Lead Generation with SlideShare CEO Rashmi Sinha * Daily Candy Editor-in-Chief Dany Levy on Email Newsletters ABOUT THE PODCASTER @EricSchwartzman provides online communication training, strategy and governance to public relations, public affairs, corporate communications and marketing specialists. He has extensive experience integrating emerging information technologies into organizational communications programs through public speaking, hands-on training seminars, consulting and the development of corporate policies on social media usage. His clients have included Boeing, BYU, City National Bank, Environmental Defense Fund, Government of Singapore, Johnson & Johnson, Southern California Edison, Toyota, UCLA, US Dept. of State, United States Army, US Embassy of Athens, the United States Marine Corps and many small to medium-sized companies and agencies. Schwartzman is currently co-authoring a book on business-to-business social media communications with Paul Gillin, to be published by Wiley in Fall 2010. He is the instructor behind PRSA’s top-rated social media and emerging treads training seminars, the Social Media Boot Camp and the Social Media Master Class, which are offered monthly in the US through PRSA. Since 2005, he has been producing the weekly, award-winning public relations podcast “On the Record…Online” (@ontherecord) about how technology is changing the way organizations communicate, the official podcast of the PRSA International Conference for the past three consecutive years. On the Record…Online is the Official PR Podcast of the 2010 PRSA International Conference. Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord.

Mashable CEO Pete Cashmore at SXSW

Eric Schwartzman — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 03:43:00 GMT

Pete Cashmore of Mashable sat down with me yesterday that SXSW 2010 in Austin, Texas to discuss the rise of Mashable, how the iPad might affect the print publishing industry, CPMs for online display ads, burning the boats, Mashable's future ambitions and more. 00:45 -- Mashable CEO Pete Cashmore talks about his online social media guide, which is designed to provide information to those focused on social media marketing, individuals looking to get the most out of tools like Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare hands how to use social media tools and services as utilities. 01:36 -- Mashable was founded in 2005 by Pete Cashmore at the age of 19 out of his house in Scotland. Fueled by his interests in the Internet and a hunch that blogging seemed as good a way as any to get started, he decided to launch the site with no real connections to anyone in social media at the time and the belief that he could run by doing. Since then, Nashville has grown to 20 employees and over 50 writers who work part-time basis. But Pete maintains a grounded perspective by spending most of his time out of the social media bubble in his home country, the UK, where he can focus on putting out great content. 02:52 -- Given the doldrums of the ad supported media business, Pete has managed to buck the trend by focusing on delivering niche content to a premium audience, which deliver high CPMs. As brands look for ways to get people to pay attention to what they're doing on twitter and Facebook, Mashable presents a highly targeted advertising opportunity. 03:22 -- Pete sees the iPad as a potential savior for the print publishing industry. By presenting publishers with a viable, practical alternative to the printed page, mash able CEO Pete Cashmore says that since people are somewhat comfortable paying for content on their mobile phones, he believes that comfort will extend to the iPad. "It's essentially a device that lets you package media. I think it might even break the cycle of people expecting news for free on the web. And I think we might see with devices like the iPad, like the iPhone, that people are used to paying for content. believes could be channels where people are actually prepared to pay for media," says Cashmore. 04:15 -- In terms of how much a magazine publisher might charge for an iPad subscription, Pete says the numbers vary widely. But his guess is, an annual subscription might go for around $10. 05:46 -- Pete Cashmore discusses what he considers to be a good CPM for online advertising, which is anything over $15 for online display ads and as much as $20 for online video at its. four publishers with really focused content, he has seen them get as much as $30 per thousand impressions. Google ad sense, on the other hand, provides much lower CPMs of $1-$2. 06:36 -- There's a cannibalization that needs to take place, says Pete. We are seeing traditional publishers resist the transition. They're trying to keep the cash cow alive. the written word in print may be more profitable currently that is online, but obviously, there's going to be a transition. On how the mainstream outlets are doing so far, Pete believes many of the major newspapers and magazines are making the transition to digital quite well. And to those who don't make the leap will disappear by attrition. 08:07 -- Commenting on Marc Andreessen's recent comment that mainstream media outlets need to "burn the boats" Pete says "The rule of cannibalization is you either cannibalize yourself or someone else is going to do it for you." 08:30 -- To drive his point home, Pete talks about how Apple cornered the music industry with iTunes by making it easier to pay for music instead of just suing people. Through ease-of-use and accessibility, they become major players in the music business, simply because the music business stayed focused on milking their cash cow, leaving themselves open to cannibalization, which is exactly what Apple did. And now, the same risk exists for print publishers. Blogs have sprung up, and if print publishers don't make the leap, they too are vulnerable to be cannibalized. In the tech space, where consumers are early adopters of technology, that cannibalization is well underway. 10:45 -- Pete thinks all media companies should be open to a variety of formats. But Mashable's expertise currently is creating great text. Rather than divert his focus at this point he is steering clear of audio and video. Nevertheless he can foresee approaching those opportunities through media partnerships. 12:16 -- Mashable does not currently cover B2B extensively. But an example of a company he believes is serving the interests of B2B marketers is CoTweet, which makes it easy for multiple authors to collaborate on a brand's Twitter account. The other area of B2B that Mashable covers are the analytics firms that monitor, measure and evaluate the effectiveness of social media marketing initiatives. 14:16 -- In terms of people who Pete associates with social media marketing, he mentions Chris Brogan who speaks about how brands can command and communicate well with audiences. 15:15 -- For those interested in having their social media products or services featured in actual, the best way to pitch is by sending e-mail to news@mashable.com which is staffed 24/7. For best results, keep it short and to the point. RECOMMENDED EPISODES * Getting Buy-In and Resources for Social Media with Brian Solis * Power Social Networking and the Real Time Web with Jeff Pulver * Twitter Strategy: Humanizing Brands and Building Loyalty with Shel Israel * Daily Candy Editor-in-Chief Dany Levy goes On the Record…Online ABOUT THE PODCASTER @EricSchwartzman provides online communication training, strategy and governance to public relations, public affairs, corporate communications and marketing specialists. He has extensive experience integrating emerging information technologies into organizational communications programs through public speaking, hands-on training seminars, consulting and the development of corporate policies on social media usage. His clients have included Boeing, BYU, City National Bank, Environmental Defense Fund, Government of Singapore, Johnson & Johnson, Southern California Edison, Toyota, UCLA, US Dept. of State, United States Army, US Embassy of Athens, the United States Marine Corps and many small to medium-sized companies and agencies. Schwartzman is currently co-authoring a book on business-to-business social media communications with Paul Gillin, to be published by Wiley in Fall 2010. He is the instructor behind PRSA’s top-rated social media and emerging treads training seminars, the Social Media Boot Camp and the Social Media Master Class, which are offered monthly in the US through PRSA. Since 2005, he has been producing the weekly, award-winning public relations podcast “On the Record…Online” (@ontherecord) about how technology is changing the way organizations communicate, the official podcast of the PRSA International Conference for the past three consecutive years. On the Record…Online is the Official PR Podcast of the 2010 PRSA International Conference. Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord.

Getting Buy-In and Resources for Social Media

Eric Schwartzman — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:10:52 GMT

If part of your job involves building a business case and winning executive buy-in for social media initiatives inside organizations, you don’t want to miss this episode with Brian Solis, released on the eve of the SXSW conference in Austin, Texas. Over the last few years, Future Works founder Brian Solis has shot like a rocket to the top on the social media influence pyramid. His Conversation Prism has become the de facto graphic for appraising social media channels. His first book, “Putting the Public Back in Public Relations,” which he co-wrote with Deirdre Breckenridge made the argument for social media engagement, and his just released new book “Engage” provides practical guidance for piloting social media initiatives inside organizations. In this episode, which was conducted in association with research I’m currently conducting for a book on B2B applications of social media to be published by Wiley late 2010/early 2011, Brian reveals how he wins buy-in and acceptance for social media pilot programs with corporate stakeholders inside organizations. 01:24 – Brian talks about the “ah-ha” and “uh-oh” moments, which usually crystallize the perceived need for social media engagement inside organizations. 02:49 – Using the Conversation Prism to collect meaningful research by searching the each of the different social media channels to uncover where the hot spots are for any given organization. And based on the findings from those queries, Brian talks about designing social media initiatives that address tangible business needs. 03:31 – Without the research that comes from a thorough investigation of who’s saying what where about a given product, brand or service, there’s no way to ask the right questions to have the “ah-ha” moment. According to Brian, it is important to understand that conversations are constantly occurring online that drive all kinds of business decisions. And unless we actually seek out and gauge in the right conversations by listening through filters those decisions will be made without us. It’s the realization that there are not just conversations taking place across the social web. 03:46 – “There are not just conversations taking place across the social web. There are influential decision-making steps and processes and considerations that are taking place that are transpiring right now, without us. And when you can demonstrate the exact cause and effect of what’s transpiring and to what extent, then that “ah-ha” moment is pretty profound,” Brian explains. 05:54 – Successfully implementing social media initiatives inside organizations requires that the projects lead ultimately transition from champion to diplomat, because it is critical to raise awareness of what needs to be accomplished and the required resources to pull it off among the executives who can fund pilots, and who or may not be directly involved in the initiative. 06:33 – “What’s going to be important to these folks [decision makers with P&L responsibility] is that we apply information to them in a way that they’re used to measuring it. Even though this is new medium, we have to help them learn by speaking their language, and then ultimately teaching them something new, almost like learning a new language through immersion,” says Brian. 07:12 – Much as when ad agencies bid accounts on spec, in order to make the case for a social media initiative, it is necessary to invest the time and resources to figure out where the relevant conversations are taking place, and to try and determine which departments of the organization are most impacted by these conversations. Are the conversations surrounding customer service issues, engineering issues or marketing-related issues? The idea is to collect and attribute online conversations to the specific business units or departments inside the organization that they apply. For Brian, the key to winning buy-in is research, but once he’s got it completed, he’s still not done. 08:01 -- Brian takes all his research, puts into a snazzy PowerPoint deck and presents it to the C Suite business decision makers to win buy-in. It’s important that the presentation be distilled to the point where it’s not overwhelming. It must provide clear overview as to the opportunities that exist, and provide tangible suggestions of what can be done to address them and then how those efforts will be learned over time. 09:43 – When it comes to the argument about whether or not it’s necessary to justify the ROI of social media engagement, Brian takes the high road. “Change isn’t always something that’s easy to embrace. Maybe the demand for metrics or ROI is stall tactic, because there’s this fear of change or what have you. But whatever it is, don’t spend your energy and resources debating it. Just work with it,” says Brian. And social media can be measured more effectively than old school marketing and public relations. 11:21 – When it comes to measuring social media, Brian likes to establish the cost per action because in his mind, that’s the most tangible metric for determining the value of a conversation. In other words, what happened as a result of the conversation? Whether its click-throughs, links, registrations, shares, downloads or sales, cost per action focuses on the outcome of the conversations, rather than the conversation itself, but it’s important to note that sales are not the only measurable transactions that have real business value to organizations. 12:18 – The most common question Brian gets from stakeholders inside organizations about social media implementation is, “What is that we’re going to accomplish? How many people is this going to take? And what’s going to cost? And then, what does success look like? I hear that in every single conversation,” says Brian. And one way to get those answers is through research, which he has a blue print for conducting at www.conversationprism.com. 13:01 – By documenting, categorizing and quantifying the results of your research by issue and the part of the organization impacted, you build the business case. Based on the formula Brian lays out in his book Engage, finding relevant conversations, engaging whoever’s behind them, monitoring for their response and then following up takes roughly 25 minutes of someone’s time. So if you’re going to try and measure cost per action, it really comes back to the amount of time you’ve invested in a conversation to try and stimulate that action. So if it’s 25 minutes per action, you just look at the research and evaluate which conversations the organization has the organization has the most to gain by engaging, count up the number of conversations and multiply by 20 to 25 minutes per engagement, and that will give you some idea of what kind of resources you need to address that opportunity. 15:14 – In terms of where the pockets of resistance for social media engagement are inside most organizations, Brian says it’s different every time. But a lot of it has to do with where the champions for social media inside that organization are. “The thing that I’ve learned is this. If there aren’t already champions there -- and based on the research you will find that there are multiple opportunities, you just have to prioritize which one it is that you pilot based on the data that comes back – everyone has concerns, or they also have incorrect perspectives with respect to what can be accomplished through social media. So there’s a lot of education there. So having answers to all the skeptical questions that you could possibly get before you go into that meeting is going to be extremely helpful because people will ask you more questions that will postpone doing it the right way. So having those answers is what it’s going to take to get at least some, initial level of support,” says Brian. You might not get enterprise wide acceptance from the get go, but that’s okay. Focus on getting the resources for the pilot program and use that as an opportunity to demonstrate value to others inside the organization. 16:42 – When Brian is doing his research, his uses the Katie Paine method of coupling words indicative of a bad customer experience with the company’s name inside all the search boxes of all the social media channels in the Conversation Prism. So he takes words like suck, or die or hate to surface those conversations with the greatest sense of urgency. Brian says this is a very powerful way to raise eyebrows and incite action. 18:43 – According to Brian, you can’t bill for educating customers to reorganize for social media. “There is a general misperception that social media is centralized. And it’s not. Because when you do the research, when you do the listening aspect of it, you will find that the more meaningful conversations directly align with divisions of your organization,” says Brian. “You can always map it perfectly to HR, sales, marketing, the executives, PR, what have you.” Brian recommends creating a chart that shows the percentages of conversations that apply to the different divisions, so the stakeholders have a sense of which parts of their company are most under siege. In order to win the support you need across the entire organization, they have to see who it impacts. 20:30 -- “The conversation takes place online. If you aren’t there to hear it, did it really happen? And once you can show that it did,” says Brian. And once you show those opportunities that were missed, you can show them what they could be doing to turn those conversations into measurable business gains. “The only reason you have skeptics and push back is because they don’t know what’s taking place. And if you can show them not only what’s happening, but what the opportunities are that lie within, you can start to bring people to the table in a collaborative format,” continues Brian. 21:15 – “Every business is going to become more not just socially but socially engaged and that is, any division of a business that’s affected by outside activity is going to have to pay attention to what’s going on, and eventually they might ask to start participating in that in order to steer it in the right direction,” says Brian. “Every division needs someone to almost be like what was a community manager for the entire organization, now has, sort of a community manager specifically for that division. You don’t just suddenly create the social media team overnight,” says Brian, who can see the day when, in the vein of a brand style guide, social style guides will be created to help community managers effectively manage a brand’s personality through social media. 25:27 – The key to overcoming pockets of resistance within the organization, especially in legal and HR, is again, the data, as well as the extent and effect it has on the organization’s goals. When it comes to measuring the influence of a conversation, Brian looks at how many people are following the person driving the conversation and how many people does the conversation touch. 26:11 – Defining a common goal is a critical first step to getting stakeholders on board. The easier you make it for others to support you, the easier it is to execute the pilot program effectively, which Brian says is often overlooked by organizations. But tools are available, they’re free and as long as you’re willing to invest the time, you’ve got a relatively good prospect of success. 27:22 – If he’s acting in the capacity of a champion, he asks himself, “What are we trying to accomplish” and then works backward to determine what type of research and metrics are indicative of opportunities. There have to be some kind of business objectives behind your social media initiative, and you have to be able to define them. If he doesn’t know what those objectives are, he’s asking probing questions to find them so he can map tools to tactics. 28:53 – Brian is hosting the Blogger Lounge with Stephanie Agresta and the Windows Phone team at SXSW this year, and they’re kicking off a party with the Tech Set on Friday night. Brian says the Windows 7 Phone looks awesome, and remarks about AT&T’s miserable phone service. 31:43 – End RECOMMENDED EPISODES • B2B Social Networks: Driving Commerce with Imperfection and Surrender • Social Media Investor Relations Special with former SEC Attorneys • Inside the Pentagon with Former Asst SecDef for Public Affairs Robert Hastings ABOUT THE PODCASTER @EricSchwartzman provides online communication training, strategy and governance to public relations, public affairs, corporate communications and marketing specialists. He has extensive experience integrating emerging information technologies into organizational communications programs through public speaking, hands-on training seminars, consulting and the development of corporate policies on social media usage. His clients have included Boeing, BYU, City National Bank, Environmental Defense Fund, Government of Singapore, Johnson & Johnson, Southern California Edison, Toyota, UCLA, US Dept. of State, United States Army, US Embassy of Athens, the United States Marine Corps and many small to medium-sized companies and agencies. Schwartzman is currently co-authoring a book on business-to-business social media communications with Paul Gillin, to be published by Wiley in Fall 2010. He is the instructor behind PRSA’s top-rated social media and emerging treads training seminars, the Social Media Boot Camp and the Social Media Master Class, which are offered monthly in the US through PRSA. Since 2005, he has been producing the weekly, award-winning public relations podcast “On the Record…Online” (@ontherecord) about how technology is changing the way organizations communicate, the official podcast of the PRSA International Conference for the past three consecutive years. On the Record…Online is the Official PR Podcast of the 2010 PRSA International Conference. Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord.

B2B Online Community Management

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:07:00 GMT

Social networks have been mainstream for less than five years, but HR.com has been delivering much of the same value to its members for more than a decade. Founded in 1999, the site today serves nearly 190,000 members, most of them human resources professionals. Its jewel in the crown is an active calendar of webcasts which attendees can attend to earn professional certifications. The site also has many contributions in the form of blogs and expert articles. Like any site that's been around that long, HR.com has had its share of twists and turns. Originally founded as an online magazine, its site was recast as a community when social networking became popular. Today, the Ontario, Canada-based company employs 32 people, is profitable and has a successful model in which all of the content is contributed by members. A diversified revenue stream includes advertising, events and webcasts; speakers pay $3,000 for a chance to get in front of the site's coveted audience. Debbie McGrath calls herself the Chief Instigator of HR.com. A serial entrepreneur with a background in computer science, she founded HR.com in 1999 after selling her previous venture, The CEO Group, to the Washington Post Co.. This interview is guest hosted by Paul Gillin of Paul Giilin Communications and was conducted in association with research for an upcoming book on B2B applications of social media, to be published later thia year or early next year. 0:35 How HR.com was started 1:05 The evolution from magazine to community 2:00 The most popular features with the audience are in learning and education. About 30 sessions are webcast each month with average attendance of about 400 people. Contributors can get certification credit for what they learn in the webcast. 3:00 Why experts pay to give webcasts: “They get to showcase their expertise, be a thought leader in the space and for lead generation in some cases.” 4:15 HR.com’s primary revenue sources include events, advertising and suscriptions 5:25 Requirements for registration. Anyone can register as long as they agree to receive one ad per week. 6:15 How forms are administered 6:50 Debbie had no prior experience in VB communities. She discusses how the characteristics of different professional communities makes the learning process a constant challenge. 7:20 Surprises of managing communities. “There seems to be no relationship between quality of content and attendance.” People who charge $60,000 for a one- hour keynote seem to draw no better than unknown speakers. 9:45 The role of HR.com's surveys and the goal of creating product and service guides. “We believe the Forrester/Gartner model is flawed.” 11:10 The upside surprises of running a community. "I'm shocked at how many people come to us from all over the world." 12:25 Guidance to would-be b-to-b community organizers: unique domain experts and it's really hard to get started in today's crowded market. 13:15 How HR.com runs virtual events 14:25 HR.com’s revenue mix: events, e-mail, PPC advertising, events 15:00 Memorable moments in HR.com’s industry. It was the first site in its industry to do webcasts. Internal resistance to the transition to a social network model. 17:30 Plans for the future: making events more self-service and profitable 19:30 Strictly regulating webcast content. “If presenters gave sales pitches, attendance wouldn't be as good.” 20:00 Gaining permission to work in the certification program. A large association charges for the same basic information HR.com gives away for free. RECOMMENDED EPISODES • B2B Social Networks: Driving Commerce with Imperfection and Surrender • Social Media Investor Relations Special with Former SEC Attorneys • Mosaic of Trust with Richard Edelman About the Guest Host This episode was guest hosted by Paul Gillin (@pgillin) of Paul Gillin Communications. Paul was founding editor-in-chief of TechTarget, one of the most successful technology media entities to emerge on the Internet. Before that, he was editor-in-chief and executive editor of the technology weekly Computerworld for 15 years. He wrote The New Influencers, Secrets of Social Media Marketing and the Joy of Geocaching and is currently co-writing a book with Eric Schwartzman about business-to-business applications of social media. Paul writes a regular column for BtoB magazine and contributes to various blogs and online publications. He’s also a Research Fellow and a member of the advisory board of the Society for New Communications Research.

Mosaic of Trust with Richard Edelman

Eric Schwartzman — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 01:13:02 GMT

Richard Edelman discusses what the results of the 2010 Edelman Trust Barometer mean for B2B focused organizations. This interview was conducted as part of the research for an upcoming book about the B2B applications of social media that I am writing with Paul Gillin, which will be published by Wiley later this year. 02:14 - Richard Edelman on how broadly B2B marketers should be looking to engage stakeholders, who the most credible spokespeople and the new keys to corporate reputation. 03:02 - Disappearance of the boundary between brands and corporate reputations. 03:39 - Richard mentions how Edelman client ITT Corporation's Watermark marketing program is focused on a mosaic of stakeholders including state and local agencies, politicians, NGOs and end customers. 04:12 - Why B2B communications is no longer a "solitary soldier." 05:11 - Richard Edelman on how B2B focused organizations should go about selecting social media channels to engage through by focusing on issues that have a social impact, remaining conscious of government's increasing role in regulation and finding ways for your expert employees to be heard. 06:31 - Richard explains why trust in financial analysts remains high, despite the fact that they failed to accurately predict one of the most precarious financial situations in US history. 07:26 - Richard Edelman and Eric discuss Ken Auletta's new book "Googled," the importance of trust and the lesson for B2B marketers from the 2010 Trust Barometer. 08:32 - The importance of tracking more than just a company's financial data in the age of transparency. 09:10 - Employees as the new credible source versus the CEO. 09:47 - How realistic is it that businesses really will start putting purpose before profits? Richard uses Edelman client GE Ecoimagination as an example on an organization that is putting sustainability at the center of its product offering. RECOMMENDED EPISODES * B2B Social Networks: Driving Commerce with Imperfection and Surrender * Social Media Investor Relations Special with former SEC Attorneys * Inside the Pentagon with Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Robert Hastings ABOUT THE PODCASTER @EricSchwartzman provides online communication training, strategy and governance to public relations, public affairs, corporate communications and marketing specialists. He has extensive experience integrating emerging information technologies into organizational communications programs through public speaking, hands-on training seminars, consulting and the development of corporate policies on social media usage. His clients have included Boeing, BYU, City National Bank, Environmental Defense Fund, Government of Singapore, Johnson & Johnson, Southern California Edison, Toyota, UCLA, US Dept. of State, United States Army, US Embassy of Athens, the United States Marine Corps and many small to medium-sized companies and agencies. Schwartzman is currently co-authoring a book on business-to-business social media communications with Paul Gillin, to be published by Wiley in Fall 2010. He is the instructor behind PRSA’s top-rated social media and emerging treads training seminars, the Social Media Boot Camp and the Social Media Master Class, which are offered monthly in the US through PRSA. Since 2005, he has been producing the weekly, award-winning public relations podcast “On the Record…Online” (@ontherecord) about how technology is changing the way organizations communicate, the official podcast of the PRSA International Conference for the past three consecutive years. On the Record…Online is the Official PR Podcast of the 2010 PRSA International Conference. Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord.

B2B Social Media Engagement

Eric Schwartzman — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:38:19 GMT

EmployeeScreen celebrated its 10th anniversary last August, making it a grandfather in the hotly contested market for employee screening services. The landscape is dotted with more than 1,000 companies, many of them specialized boutiques, according to Nick Fishman, chief marketing officer and executive vice president. EmployeeScreen has thrived in that environment in part due to a diversified set of social media programs that deliver education and insight that draws more than 3,000 visitors to its website each week. It was almost an accident three years ago that EmployeeScreen began to develop its social media presence. An early experiment with search engine optimization yielded a huge lift in traffic, which emboldened EmployeeScreen to go further. Today, its EmployeeScreen University draws thousands of human resources professionals each month to a slate of articles and audio/ video podcasts, with about one in four visitors clicking through to EmployeeScreen’s main website. Its active blog helps sustain its position near the top of search engine results. The success has enabled EmployeeScreen to reduce its dependence on advertising and to engage with prospects at a deeper level. It's also demonstrated a greater truth, says Fishman. “One small guy can make very big waves.” This episode is hosted by Paul Gillin (@pgillin) of Paul Gillin Communications. 0:00 About EmployeeScreen 1:15 Competitive picture 1:45 Why using social networks to conduct background checks is a bad idea 5:15 How EmployeeScreen got into social media marketing by accident and the surprising early success the company had 7:30 The launch of EmployeeScreen University, a learning destination for HR professionals to learn all about background checks 9:30 Visitors grew to 5,000 to 7,000 per month, with 25% clicking to the corporate site 10:15 The move into social networks; HR people were early adopters of LinkedIn 11:00 Why Twitter hasn’t been a big business contributor 13:15 About EmployeeScreen’s all-time most popular blog entry 15:10 About adapting content for a b-to-b audience 16:15 Traffic to the blog averages about 3,000 visitors a week 17:05 How podcasts fit into the mix 17:30 Thematic programming: This Week in Background Checks; other uses for the podcast series 20:05 Which metrics matter most 20:45 How social media has reduced the need to advertise 21:15 Maintaining an early competitive lead; how search engine optimization keeps the site strong 22:15 Why you shouldn’t try to game search engines 23:00 Trying to keep up with social media evolution 24:15 How Nick and EmployeeScreen got into social media marketing 26:15 The need to stay on top of changing trends in Internet marketing 26:55 Landmarks in EmployeeScreen’s social media experience 27:50 “WordPress has been a godsend” RECOMMENDED EPISODES • B2B Social Networks: Driving Commerce with Imperfection and Surrender • Social Media Investor Relations Special with former SEC Attorneys About the Guest Host This episode was guest hosted by Paul Gillin (@pgillin) of Paul Gillin Communications. Paul was founding editor-in-chief of TechTarget, one of the most successful technology media entities to emerge on the Internet. Before that, he was editor-in-chief and executive editor of the technology weekly Computerworld for 15 years. He wrote The New Influencers, Secrets of Social Media Marketing and the Joy of Geocaching and is currently co-writing a book with Eric Schwartzman about business-to-business applications of social media. Paul writes a regular column for BtoB magazine and contributes to various blogs and online publications. He’s also a Research Fellow and a member of the advisory board of the Society for New Communications Research.

Podcasting for Business Communications

Eric Schwartzman — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:59:40 GMT

Business benefits, audio and video production techniques, search engine optimization, a discussion of the latest gear and the future of podcasting in a world of attention deficits with Steve Lubetkin of Professional Podcasts. 01:35 -- Steve Lubetkin talks about his introduction to podcasting and his background using technology as a business communicator professional. 03:32 -- Eric mentions that this podcasts reaches almost as many listeners through the show blog as it does via RSS, and asks Steve if the same is true for him. 05:05 -- Steve Lubetkin builds a business case for RSS, by pointing out the many benefits of distributing XML with enclosures. 06:28 -- For Steve Lubetkin, the ultimate goal in producing and distributing podcasts from is to get his clients noticed, and for that reason, he prefers automated solutions that minimize his time investment in achieving that result. 07:13 -- Using podcasts to get clients noticed via search engines. 08:24 -- The distinction between HTML and XML measurement, and the importance of securing a measurement solution that records both. 09:02 -- The importance of parking your feed on iTunes, from a client satisfaction perspective and listener satisfaction standpoint. 10:06 -- B2B podcasting is, for the most part, not about reaching large audiences. It's about reaching individuals with an immediate need for the marketers product or service. So instead of getting in front of thousands of people who may or may not have a need, podcasting is about automating the awareness, consideration, research and evaluation phases of general buying cycles. 11:31 -- Steve Lubetkin discusses the benefits of communicating via audio and video, in both short and long formats. 14:17 -- Instead of producing original content, Eric and Steve Lubetkin discuss using podcasts to extend the reach of business and other corporate events that are occurring already. 17:29 -- The advantage of shooting events in video is that you can always use only the audio if you prefer, but you still get the ability to use the video as well. 20:33 -- Steve Lubetkin gives his tips on the best gear for producing business oriented podcasts today and talks about the importance of recording good audio versus good video. 23:49 -- Steve Lubetkin and Eric talk about mixing audio, HD and the flip. 35:23 -- A discussion of business-to-business podcasts it is the use of podcasts for internal communications. 38:12 -- integrating podcasts into corporate communications campaigns. 42:15 -- Ron Ploof's new book "Read This First," which was featured on Marketing Over Coffee. 43:47 -- A discussion of Steve Rubel's (who has been featured in a previous episode of this podcast) life streaming experiments on Posterous, which he covered with Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson on For Immediate Release, and how podcasting might adapt to attention deficits. 47:03 -- Eric talks about Andy Lark's keynote at the first NewComm Forum, at which Andy showed EPIC 2014 to the crowd and proceeded to blow everyone's mind with his presentation about social media. 48:07 -- News at Seven, the dynamically generated news program, which featured avatars posting an online news program edited by fact stripping robots. 49:17 -- The importance of text to the future of content marketing and in dealing with attention deficits if we move into a change of partial content consumption. 50:32 -- Unleashing the archival value of content through search engine optimized text notes. 53:13 -- You can find Steve online at http://www.lubetkin.net/blog and www.ProfessionalPodcasts.com RECOMMENDED EPISODES * B2B Social Networks: Driving Commerce with Imperfection and Surrender * Social Media Investor Relations Special with former SEC Attorneys ABOUT THE PODCASTER @EricSchwartzman provides online communication training, strategy and governance to public relations, public affairs, corporate communications and marketing specialists. He has extensive experience integrating emerging information technologies into organizational communications programs through public speaking, hands-on training seminars, consulting and the development of corporate policies on social media usage. His clients have included Boeing, BYU, City National Bank, Environmental Defense Fund, Government of Singapore, Johnson & Johnson, Southern California Edison, Toyota, UCLA, US Dept. of State, United States Army, US Embassy of Athens, the United States Marine Corps and many small to medium-sized companies and agencies. Schwartzman is currently co-authoring a book on business-to-business social media communications with Paul Gillin, to be published by Wiley in Fall 2010. He is the instructor behind PRSA’s top-rated social media and emerging treads training seminars, the Social Media Boot Camp and the Social Media Master Class, which are offered monthly in the US through PRSA. Since 2005, he has been producing the weekly, award-winning public relations podcast “On the Record…Online” (@ontherecord) about how technology is changing the way organizations communicate, the official podcast of the PRSA International Conference for the past three consecutive years. On the Record…Online is the Official PR Podcast of the 2010 PRSA International Conference. Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord.

Why Doublespeak is Dangerous

Eric Schwartzman — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:42:38 GMT

Despite it's first appearance in George Orwell's 1984, the use of "doublespeak" is on the rise in the US. Whether it's euphemism, jargon, gobbledygook or inflated language, doublespeak is a serious problem in the US for individuals and organizations. In this episode, American linguist William Lutz, co-author of the SEC's Plain English Handbook, author 17 books on writing in clear language and professor emeritus at Rutgers University explains why doublespeak is counterproductive to democracy, why we need to stop being passive consumers of deceptive language and what we can do to fight back. 01:28 -- "Clear language is essential so that both parties understand what they are agreeing to. In any contract that you enter into, you have to understand what your obligations and rights are under the terms of that contract," says Mr. Lutz. If a company writes a contract in such a way that consumers think they understand what their obligations are, but in reality don't, they may agree to something they don't understood, and ultimately cannot fulfill. When companies use anything other than straight-forward clear language to describe the terms of an offer, they're not dealing honestly in the marketplace, In they are setting up consumers to fail. 02:47 -- After a career focused on the use of doublespeak -- a term coined by George Orwell in his book 1984, first published in 1949 -- Lutz says this practice is on the rise for the very same reason Orwell predicted in his book, which is that "You can get away with a lot of things in language. We talk about spin, and it's all right to be a spin doctor. But what are we really saying about a spin doctor? A spin doctor sits there and says, "Oh no, no, no, you didn't hear what you thought you heard. Let me tell you what you really heard, and proceeds to put a spin on. And the spin turns out to be something entirely different than what was said or what was written or whatever. This has now become a profession. if you can get away with things using just words, why not? And it's become, unfortunately, something of a growth industry," says Mr. Lutz. 04:12 -- Doublespeak poses a threat to the United States because it creates a buffer between what organizations are saying and what people are hearing. if you're entering into a credit card contract, or buying a home, and you're understanding of your obligation is not based on reality, that's problematic. The housing bubble was exacerbated by the fact that people thought they understood the mortgages they were getting, only to find out that they were in over their heads. In a democracy, we decide what policies and candidates to back by listening to the public discourse. If the discussion is carried out in doublespeak, organizations deliberately mislead the people so don't really know what's going on, and we wind up making decisions of social importance on the wrong basis. 05:41 -- "Doublespeak is a matter of intent. You can identify doublespeak by looking at who is saying what to whom, under what conditions and circumstances, with what intent and what result. If a politician stands up and speaks to you and says, "I am giving you exactly what I believe, and then turns around and does the opposite, then you've got a pretty good yardstick. She was pretending to tell me something, and it turns out it wasn't what she meant at all, she meant something different," says Mr. Lutz, in his doublespeak litmus test. 06:43 -- The first type of doublespeak is the euphemism. "We want to talk about something, but because of social conventions we don't use direct language, we use indirect language. you don't walk up to someone and say I'm sorry your mother died. You say I'm sorry for your loss, or I'm sorry she passed away. But no one is being misled. In fact, it's a mark of your concern for the other person that you use that euphemism. However when you start using a euphemism because you want to avoid the harsh reality, then you're engaged in doublespeak. For example, the State Department invented the euphemistic doublespeak term "unlawful arbitrary detention" or "unlawful arbitrary deprivation of life," says Mr. Lutz. "It basically means that the government was busy killing its own citizens without benefit of trial or or any other legal niceties, so [that's an example of where] euphemism moves into doublespeak." 07:46 -- The second kind of doublespeak is jargon, which usually centers around a particular industry or area of specialized knowledge. In the workplace, by the workers, jargon is fine because everyone understands it. But when you use it to mislead or obscure with someone who does not know that jargon then you've crossed the line into doublespeak. For example, "involuntary conversion," is a legal term which means the loss of use of your property due to fire, theft or public condemnation. If your car is stolen, legally that's an involuntary conversion of your property. However, when you talk, as one airline did, about the involuntary conversion of a 737, meaning that the plane crashed, then we've moved into using jargon is doublespeak. 08:57 -- The third kind of doublespeak is bureaucratese or gobbledygook, where we just pile words upon words that nobody can figure out. " I think the classic master of that was Alan Greenspan. I used to listen to his testimony before Congress just so impressed with his use of economic jargon, doublespeak, gobbledygook and it all sounded so impressive, didn't it? But it didn't mean anything that anybody could figure out," says Mr. Lutz. 09:29 -- The fourth kind of doublespeak is inflated language, which tries to make something impressive or important that really isn't. For example, "used cars" are now "pre-owned" or even "experienced." We have "previewed DVDs" meaning they're "used." The doorman on a building is the "access controller." And William's all time favorite, the "predawn vertical insertion" which was used by the Pentagon described the invasion of Grenada. 11:15 -- People are very good at recognizing doublespeak. The constant use of doublespeak has a hardening effect in that we come to expect it,which is unfortunate because we shouldn't. As an analogy Lutz uses air-quality. As long as the air quality is good no one is concerned, or pays much attention." But as soon as the air quality becomes bad, suddenly everyone's up in arms. He believes we should have the same concerns about the quality of language that is used in public discourse. And says that we need to voice our concerns to politicians who use doublespeak much as we would to manufacturers of products that malfunction. We'd return the product for refund and should do the same when we hear doublespeak by stopping to be passive consumers of language and demanding those who use doublespeak to rephrase themselves. 14:13 -- Using Enron as an example, Eric asks William whether or not the use of clear language can actually help investors detect fraud, because organizations can just lie in plain English. It's difficult to lie in plain English, cause it's easier for people to catch you. In the case of Enron, William explains that they used footnotes that were so cryptic they were incomprehensible, and that both journalists and analysts covering the stock could not find a single Enron representative who could explain them. It was not written in plain English. it was written in financial, economic jargon, bureaucratese, gobbledygook and it was done, to deliberately mislead and hide what was going on because if they wrote it in plain English, so that it was even moderately understandable, and people read it, they were going to ask questions. And they probably would have figured out that instead of running a profit, they were running a multibillion-dollar loss. And the other thing that's happened now is that if you've lie, the government can now prosecute you for fraud. So the folks at Enron had to write language that allowed them to pretend like it was all disclosed, but people just didn't understand it. So you see, "mandating plain language, that is plain enough so that any reasonably intelligent investor can understand it, puts a strong legal restriction on people who try to attempt fraud," says Lutz. 18:02 -- The direct-mail business, which counts on a 1% return rate for its sustenance, is a perfect opportunity for consumers to fight back against doublespeak, by simply ripping up misleading or unclear offers and sending them back to the solicitor in the pre-paid envelope so that they pay postage, without netting a return. If just 5% of all direct mail recipients protested in this fashion, direct-mail solicitors would be forced to change their practices. 20:22 -- William addresses in inherent conflict of corporate social media policies. From a legal perspective, he takes a very conservative view, given the prospect for legal harm. But, on the other hand, he recognizes that you can't stop these sharing technologies, that are literally overwhelming us, acknowledging that organizations simply have to figure out a way to work with it. "It is interesting to note that even the Security and Exchange Commission in Washington DC does, now, have policies in place for Twittering, blogging, etc," says Mr. Lutz. When he was there, Chairman Cox held a press conference where he fielded questions via Twitter. It's a recognition that organizations need social media policies. "But you have to make a clear distinction and explain to employees that when they tweet from work or home, if there's any suggestion that they are speaking as employees of the company, they have to be very careful because they are now bringing down onto the company all that responsibility," continues Mr. Lutz. 24:38 -- Issues involving the use of social media at public companies which William has seen cause specific regulatory problems include the inadvertent, selective disclosure of earnings information via a social media and employees publicly bashing their employers on social media -- not small gripes but serious charges against the employer. It's a matter of context, which Mr. Lutz says there is a lack online, since social media makes a little too easy to mistakenly send business communications to friends and family and personal messages to our professional colleagues. Communications lacking context are easier to misinterpret, he says. 27:29 -- The hot topic of discussion at the SEC is the use of Twitter to distribute links to financial disclosures on a public company's website. Mr. Lutz discusses the SEC's guidance on the use of websites for corporate disclosures -- covered in-depth in a previous episode of this podcast with Brain Lane, partner at Gibson Dunn and Crutcher and the former Director of the Division of Corporate Finance at the US Securities and Exchange Commission and Broc Romanek, the Editor ofTheCorporateCounsel.net and a former counselor to SEC Commissioner Laura Unger -- pointing out that that guidance was based on research that demonstrated the web has become a widely accessible point of disclosure. According to the SEC, Twitter is not widely accessible enough to fulfill the nonselective disclosure requirement. Nevertheless, Mr. Lutz does support the use of Twitter for business communications, as long as companies don't rely on it for corporate disclosures. 29:27 -- Regarding the use of company websites for financial disclosures from public companies [PDF], Mr. Lutz reminds us that websites do not exist by themselves. There are still all kinds of reulatory and other legal documents filed with government entities that are not available on most company websites. And all these disclosures have to agree with one another. So the issue of coordinating all these dissemination sources is really challenging and becomes a matter of document and information control. And until we solve some of these issues, companies are going to be conservative in the number of outlets they use to disclose information, simply because it demands so much work on their part to maintain all of them, which means they're going to only use the ones they see as most effective. 31:28 -- When it comes to advising public companies looking to leverage Twitter for corporate disclosures, Mr. Lutz reminds them them to carefully before they tweet. "Don't send a message just for the sake of sending a message." Add something material to the grist, William admits he has stopped using Twitter altogether, because he was unable to get the usefulness of the service. But his advice to others is: 1. Tweet only when you have something substantive to stay. 2. Think carefully about how you want to say it. 3. If the 140 character limit frustrates the completeness of your thought send two or three tweets in succession. 33:32 -- Eric tells William about Shel Israel's book Twitterville, featured in a previous episode of this podcast, and recommends it to better understand the usefulness of Twitter. BONUS CONTENT * SEC Guidance on the Use of Company Websites for Corporate Disclosures [PDF] * "Twitterville" - Eric's Book Notes RECOMMENDED EPISODES * Twitter Strategy: Humanizing Brands and Building Loyalty with Shel Israel * B2B Social Networks: Driving Commerce with Imperfection and Surrender * Social Media Investor Relations Special with former SEC Attorneys ABOUT THE PODCASTER @EricSchwartzman provides online communication training, strategy and governance to public relations, public affairs, corporate communications and marketing specialists. He has extensive experience integrating emerging information technologies into organizational communications programs through public speaking, hands-on training seminars, consulting and the development of corporate policies on social media usage. His clients have included Boeing, BYU, City National Bank, Environmental Defense Fund, Government of Singapore, Johnson & Johnson, Southern California Edison, Toyota, UCLA, US Dept. of State, United States Army, US Embassy of Athens, the United States Marine Corps and many small to medium-sized companies and agencies. Schwartzman is currently co-authoring a book on business-to-business social media communications with Paul Gillin, to be published by Wiley in Fall 2010. He is the instructor behind PRSA’s top-rated social media and emerging treads training seminars, the Social Media Boot Camp and the Social Media Master Class, which are offered monthly in the US through PRSA. Since 2005, he has been producing the weekly, award-winning public relations podcast “On the Record…Online” (@ontherecord) about how technology is changing the way organizations communicate, the official podcast of the PRSA International Conference for the past three consecutive years. On the Record…Online is the Official PR Podcast of the 2010 PRSA International Conference. Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord.

Power Social Networking and the Real Time Web

Eric Schwartzman — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:18:39 GMT

I know. You've heard it a million times. The social web is not a vanity press. It's a place to develop relationships, where give and take rules and conversations thrive. Sounds great, right? But how does that work in practice? Just because you have a way to introduce yourself, doesn't mean people are going respond. What's the right way to use online social networks to get someones attention? So if you've ever wondered, "What do I do when my @replies and emails go unanswered?" then this episode is for you. I originally thought it was going to be pretty much just about the real time web, and the first half is, but you're going to hear some very useful, practical tips about how to actually break through and start conversations with people you may want to know -- even the ones who are so popular they're literally inundated with requests -- through social networks. You're going to learn about leveraging preferred communication channels, how to cross-pollinate social networks, where the VoIP industry is headed, whether or not government regulators should be look beyond net neutrality to search neutrality and what it all means to a 15-year old. It's the Social Networking Jedi Training episode with the father of the VoIP industry, Jeff Pulver (@jeffpulver) of JeffPulver.com and the 140 Character Conference. 01:00 -- In the financial markets, brokers and investors base their buying and selling decisions on real-time information, and in some ways, the real-time web offers us the same fast, breaking information, and its new found availability, thanks to Twitter, Facebook, Google Buzz and Google Wave, has a flattening effect on competitive markets, by democratizing information, giving everyone access to information at the same time. The archival web gave everyone greater access to information, but some people were still at an advantage because they got it first. But it is the real-time web, where individuals echo one anothers voices, which has had a leveling effect, in the transfer of power from the few to the many. 04:46 -- The 140 Characters Conference, its purpose and the rise of Twitter among individuals in the mainstream media, politics, entertainment and advertising. 05:15 -- Using the analogy of financial markets once again, Jeff Pulver uses the gap in time between an earthquake that occurred in Northern California and amount of time it took for that information to surface on Google as representative of an information arbitrage opportunity, reminding us that just as a 5-second advance on world events can and does constitute a significant trading advantage, the real-time web may afford us advantages in business, politics and culture that not all entirely known. 7:01 -- Tim Street (@1timstreet) asks via Twitter how Jeff manages his database of personal contacts, which is mentioned in the book "Trust Agents" by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith, though not in enough detail to be actionable. 11:48 -- Eric reads Jeff the following line from "Trust Agents" which says "The lesson Pulver told Chris at the time, was that one's personal database is an asset as valuable as gold, if nurtured and maintained" and then asks him specifically how one nurtures his personal database, which Jeff says is based on tailoring the message to the individuals preferred media channel. "If I understand that someones communication device is a Blackberry, then I make sure my subject of my e-mail is less than 16 characters. Some people, who will never respond to an e-mail, will respond immediately to a tweet. Some people who ignore e-mail, will respond to a direct message. There are people, who for some reason, will only respond to Facebook messages." Our default communications channels are different. The future of direct marketing rests in the marketer's ability to identify, remember and connect with each individual through their preferred communication channel, whatever that may be. 16:26 -- Jeff also says time of day when that person individual is active on a particular channel is also a determination. For example, if he is soliciting speakers for a conference, and he's unable to get a referral from someone, he may just contact that person on twitter. But before he dies, he'll go to their Twitter page and see if there's a time they're typically active, and contact them then. 16:46 -- if Jeff Pulver were designing a CRM tool today, the information he would record on each customer card would be: cell phone number, corporate e-mail, personal e-mail (Gmail, Yahoo, or Hotmail), Facebook ID, Twitter ID and preferred method of contact. 19:11 -- Eric tells Jeff about one of his favorite podcasts, Marketing Over Coffee by John Wall and Christopher Penn, and recalls a discussion in which they explained how to use a Gmail, Yahoo or Hotmail e-mail account address book to synchronize contacts in Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Flickr and other social networks, and asks whether or not Jeff has ever used this method. 20:46 -- The role of e-mail in promoting conferences hasn't really changed, according to Jeff, other than the fact that e-mail is no longer everyone's preferred communication channel. So effectively leveraging e-mail means knowing who prefers it and who doesn't. But when Jeff wants to build a list of current contacts, he'll start by exporting his Linkedin contacts, next export his Plaxo contacts and his Gmail contacts and put it all together in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. He'll also go on to Facebook and Twitter and promotional publish links to his events and conferences, noting that this is where your number of followers is valuable. He also creates Facebook events and groups and direct markets those who RSVP and join. 24:27 -- One of the primary reasons Jeff Pulver uses Microsoft Excel to build his lists is the issue of data portability, or the concern that if he is forced to rely solely on Facebook or Twitter to access his social network, it's possible those services might someday lock him out, restrict access because of a terms of service violation or even change to the terms of service someday and limit the number of contacts a user can maintain. 26:22 -- Eric recommends Shel Israel, featured in a previous episode of this podcast about Twitter Strategy, humanizing brands and building loyalty, as a speaker at Jeff's upcoming 140 Characters Conference. 26:56 -- Freedom Voice marketing communications manager John Lincoln asks via Twitter about the latest VoIP phones with video conference abilities, and what's on the horizon. And Jeff says what's next is high-definition voice, since currently, our voices are so filtered and under-sampled that we are required to spell out our names phonetically, and often struggle to understand speakers with heavy accents or small children, which is a direct result of poor quality audio. 29:17 -- Why VoIP conversations often have audio dropout or interference, what, if anything, individuals can do about it and why net neutrality is a key component to the future of VoIP. 31:16 -- Eric reads Jeff an excerpt from a guest column titled "Search and You May Not Find" by Adam Raff who runs a company called Foundem, that appeared in the opinion section of the New York Times, suggesting that regulators need to go beyond just net neutrality and insure search neutrality as well. "The need for search neutrality is particularly pressing because so much market power lies in the hands of one company Google. With 71% of the united states search market, Google's dominance of both search and search advertising gives it overwhelming control. One way that Google exploits this control is by imposing covert blank penalties that can strike legitimate and useful websites, removing them entirely from its search results or placing them so far down the rankings that they will in all likelihood never be found. For three years my company is vertical search and price comparison website found them effectively disappeared from the Internet in this way." 34:30 -- Jeff's 15-year old son Dylan, who Eric saw seated in the background during the interview conducted via Video Skype, shares his perspective on how the social media is changing the world. 38:23 -- End BONUS CONTENT • "Trust Agents" Eric's Notes • "Twitterville" - Eric's Notes RECOMMENDED EPISODES • Twitter Strategy: Humanizing Brands and Building Loyalty with Shel Israel • B2B Social Networks: Driving Commerce with Imperfection and Surrender • Social Media Investor Relations Special with former SEC Attorneys ABOUT THE PODCASTER @EricSchwartzman provides online communication training, strategy and governance to public relations, public affairs, corporate communications and marketing specialists. He has extensive experience integrating emerging information technologies into organizational communications programs through public speaking, hands-on training seminars, consulting and the development of corporate policies on social media usage. His clients have included Boeing, BYU, City National Bank, Environmental Defense Fund, Government of Singapore, Johnson & Johnson, Southern California Edison, Toyota, UCLA, US Dept. of State, United States Army, US Embassy of Athens, the United States Marine Corps and many small to medium-sized companies and agencies. Schwartzman is currently co-authoring a book on business-to-business social media communications with Paul Gillin, to be published by Wiley in Fall 2010. He is the instructor behind PRSA’s top-rated social media and emerging treads training seminars, the Social Media Boot Camp and the Social Media Master Class, which are offered monthly in the US through PRSA. Since 2005, he has been producing the weekly, award-winning public relations podcast “On the Record…Online” (@ontherecord) about how technology is changing the way organizations communicate, the official podcast of the PRSA International Conference for the past three consecutive years. On the Record…Online is the Official PR Podcast of the 2010 PRSA International Conference. Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord.

B2B Social Networking - Lead Generation on SlideShare

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:28:34 GMT

Lead generation through business with personality, shortcomings of star-ratings functionality, driving B2B social networking activity, making sharing beneficial to community members and encouraging responsible behavior by discouraging anonymity with Rashmi Sinha, CEO of SlideShare, which recently unveiled new, branded channels. If you're a regular listener of this podcast, you'll notice these show notes are different. They are more complete and more narrative. I am currently writing a book with Paul Gillin on B2B social media engagement, and will be incorporating insights from this podcast. There seems to be a great deal of interest in understanding how B2C might differ from B2B social media engagement. Paul and I are working to articulate the distinctions. This is one of many B2B oriented podcast interviews I will be releasing. Expect a few guest hosted episodes by Paul as well. Also, with the release of this podcast we have posted an audience survey link on our show blog and are asking listeners to please, take the survey. SHOW NOTES 00:47 -- Rashmi Sinha's previous appearance on the Supernova Podcast, hosted by Christopher Carfi on Blog Talk Radio, where much of the discussion focused on object-oriented social networking, and what makes these types of services different from more popular social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and MySpace. 01:15 -- As in the real world, and particularly in a business-to-business context, interaction is usually focused around a particular activity, like a meeting, convention or demonstration. Popular social networks like Facebook and Twitter, when interaction is not focused around a specific activity, are sometimes awkward because there is no construct for that experience in the real world, where exchanges are organized around actions. 02:07 -- SlideShare branded channels, a new area of the site which allow organizations to establish a custom, micro-site with their own look and feel inside the service, so they can engage with the broader SlideShare community. Microsoft and Adobe have established their own branded channels, as has the White House and the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project. As part of the launch, SlideShares new branded channels are now open to other organizations and brands by request, which at the time of this podcast can made be submitting a form within that section of the website. 03:09 -- The majority of SlideShare's community members are business decision-makers. Community members use the service mostly in a business context, since the social network is designed to host, share and promote discussion around PowerPoint presentations, which are used mostly in business to help make a point. As a result, SlideShare is primarily a business-to-business social network. On Feb. 6, 2010, just days after SlidShare's branded channels launch, there were 11 featured business channels, 2 featured education channels, 4 featured nonprofit channels and 1 featured event channel. 03:54 -- The Slideshare Virtualization Channel, a new, curated channel put together by the B2B social networking service is one of many they intend to add over the coming months, to provide organizations with an opportunity to associate their product, brand or service with premium content appealing to a specific business audience segment by way of a sponsorship. 04:49 -- According to Rashmi, Facebook is a personal social network that has been edging towards business. Twitter is a social network that has always had a mix of personal and business applications. And Linkedin is a social network that is completely professional, with no room at all for personal interactions. She calls SlideShare a social network occupying the space between Facebook and Twitter. She acknowledges that SlideShare is very business oriented, but says that because it is such a visually oriented network where the most popular presentations usually incorporate a great deal of personality and flair, the service is conducive to interactions that are more personal than on Linkedin. 05:49 -- SlideShare may be business-to-business, but the service's real strength is its ability to promote business with personality. For example, on SlideShare's homepage, the presentations that tend to rank high, combine a great deal of personality with their subject matter, rather than more dry, reference-type presentations, which may be packed with relevant, useful content, but are often suffer from dense copy block, too few images and no real visual punch. 07:12 -- From a user-interface standpoint, there should be no difference between a B2C and B2B social networks, according to Rashmi. She reminds us that as is true in all forms of social media, ease of use drives adoption. And popular social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are benchmarks for just how easy a social networking service needs to be to lure members. We have become accustomed to interacting with others online in a certain way, and if a B2B social network is going to be successful, it should be as user-friendly as popular online social media. 08:21 -- Connecting with perspective business customers in hopes of generating leads is the dominant behavior on SlideShare and Rashmi says her B2B social network is built around that purpose. Presentations are used to pitch products, brands and services. They support more extended, in-depth explanations. Display ads may work to entice you to click and go somewhere, but they can't walk you through the types of explanations that are typical of more complex products and services. It is the explanation that determines the length of a company's sales cycle. At this point, presentations are a good consultative sales tool, since they make it easier for marketers to incorporate the various business processes, case studies and best practices decision-makers like to appraise when evaluating business products that could be incorporated into a company's everyday processes. 10:17 -- Currently, from a measurement standpoint, Slideshare reports the number of views, embeds, favorites, comments and downloads. In the future, the company plans to report referrals as well and offer more in-depth reporting capabilities. 11:29 -- People upload their presentations on the site not just to share them with their existing business partners, but to get in front of other members they may not know, but who may have a need for their products and services. As is the case with popular networking services, if you see other members there who you want to connect with, it encourages you to join. So the network effect is just as important in a business-to-business social networking environment, as it is on Facebook and Twitter. For business-to-business marketers, niche networks may also have additional value by aggregating a more targeted, premium audience. 12:20 -- Rashmi reveals the typical pattern by which SlideShare embed codes wind up getting used to display member presentations. First, members tend to embed their presentations on their own sites Then they tweet it out or share it on Facebook. Next, people who find them on SlideShare may embed those presentations on other sites. The owner of the presentation tends to embed it only on their own side. But if it's good content it just takes off. Slide share offers numerous ways to syndicate presentations. But the quality of the presentation, as determined by the SlideShare community, determines how broadly it permeates online. In some ways, this makes it impossible to game SlideShare to generate leads. "Your content has to be good," says Rashmi. "We provide the tools for sharing, but if your content is getting distributed everywhere, it's because your content is good." 14:31 -- In a business to business social networking environment, the absence of spam is a key component of getting people to comment. The quality of conversation must be high. "People have higher standards for B2B sites than on B2C sites. They don't want to put up a professional conversation in a place where they might encounter trolls," says Rashmi. She also points out that not all comments about SlideShare content occur on her company's site. Those conversations can and do take place on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin as well. 15:42 -- In contrast to the SAP Community Network (featured in a previous episode of this podcast about B2B social networks), SlideShare manages their community by hosting a forum for discourse, with ease-of-use as a core focus. 16:28 -- Rashmi estimates that while only about 20% of the presentations posted on SlideShare get comments, 60% of all presentations draw either comments, embeds, favorites or downloads. 16:55 -- Rashmi Sinha has mixed feelings about user ratings as a feature, so SlideShare opted not support that option. She references a Sept. 22, 2009 YouTube blog post which reveals that site users, generally, are more inclined to grant YouTube videos five stars than any other rating. In some cases, if they really dislike a video, they'll give it one star. But people seldom rate videos two, three or four stars. On the blog Social Commerce Today, a Jan. 21, 2010 post titled "YouTube & The Death of User Ratings" by Paul Marsden offers the following interpretation: "Psychologically, it's far less taxing on the brain to give feedback in simple binary like\dislike form, and binary feedback is arguably easier to turn into a useful format to inform choices. And culturally, binary feedback is less open to cultural bias, as anyone who has done a balanced scorecard review will know. Americans overrate, Germans under rate." Marsden argues that when it comes to online social networking, like\dislike ratings are more valuable than star ratings. He prefers to, "... leave ratings to professional reviewers -- it's what they're trained to do...." As a side note, this opinion is in stark contrast to Mark Yoltan's, who says that on the SAP Community Network, a business to business social network recognized as one of the most successful in the world, user ratings actually improve our performance, because poor user ratings in a public environment serve as a wake up call to either improve the product or encourage those who like it to rate it highly. Perhaps this is more a function of just how important what I'm rating is to me. Could it be the more professionally relevant what I'm rating is, the more willing I am to invest the time to give it a star rating? Any thoughts on this out there? As far as Rashmi is concerned, she choose the simple favorite button as the best practice for drawing in members to rate presentations. But perhaps most important is the fact favorites and comments drive presentation downloads. "When you have a lots of favorites that means that you are showing up on the screens of people across the site, because if I favorite your present station, your presentation will show up in my area of the site. So you get a lot more distribution when you get favorite and commented upon," says Rashmi. 18:19 -- Tech-oriented content is the dominant subject-matter on Slideshare. 20:09 -- And it's the visually attractive and provocative presentations tend to draw the most downloads on Slideshare. Shift Happens is a presentation uploaded by Jeff Brenman three years ago is a great example of the type pf presentation that tends to do well on SlideShare. As of Feb. 6, 2010 it had been viewed 901,425 times, received 258 comments, 2237 favorites, 79,092 downloads and more than 10,000 views on various sites where the presentation has been embedded. Rashmi Sinha says high quality presentations that are long and rely on dense copy block with fewer images tend to draw less attention, even though they may be packed with great information. the premise supports the notion that good media is quite different from good research. The former promises quick insights, while the latter arrives at a perspective by covering all aspects of a rational process, but requires a more significant time investment. As a side note, this argument reminds me of Steve Rubel's 2009 interview with Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson of For Immediate Release: the Hobson and Holtz Report, in which Steve said that as a result of he is looking to shorter, more abbreviated media formats to connect with broader audiences, suggesting infographics as a format he is interested in experimenting more with. From a sociological standpoint, filtering information through one's online social network seems apt to promote the rise of pithy, sensationalist content, as EPIC 2014 predicted. 23:08 -- Rashmi Sinha has learned a great deal about what it takes from a legal perspective to protect intellectual property rights in a B2B social networking environment. SlideShare does receive Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) complaints, but they are very infrequent. From the beginning the service has sought to encourage responsible sharing of content. Presentations on SlidShare are much more popular when they're downloadable, and content owners have the option of whether or not to make their presentations downloadable when they post them. "Overall, we've put in the hook for people to benefit from sharing their content and set up a positive loop so that if you go and share your content, you are getting rewarded from it. Which means that often, the person sharing the content is the creator of the content or has the copyright," says Rashmi. 24:09 -- When people share under their true identity, which is predominantly the case on SlideShare, and it would follow would be the case in most business-to-business social networking environments where lead generation is an primary objective, people are less likely to violate copyrights then they may be in environment where participants can achieve their goals anonymously. In a social network where people use their real identity, you get much more responsible actions and much greater respect for copyright. 24:53 -- The biggest misconception people have about B2Bs social networks is that the ease-of-use, functionality and usability standards for them can somehow be less than what they are in popular B2C social networking sites. People have a certain way of using the web, and they want the same ease-of-use and they get from a B2B social network as they get from a B2C social network. 25:51 -- Currently, Rashmi says the "white paper download" is the dominant paradigm for online B2B marketing. But she also it's really a broken paradign. Because you forfeit your e-mail address and contact information before you know whether or not the content is worthwhile. SlideShare solves this problem by adding a layer of social networking. Most favorites and commented content, rises to the top, making it easier to find and more likely it's worthwhile. And you don't have to relinquish your e-mail address either. Rashmi calls the SlideShare approach more permission-based, rather than interruption-based, which business buyers are more resistant to. 28:11 -- End RECOMMENDED EPISODES * Twitter Strategy: Humanizing Brands and Building Loyalty with Shel Israel * B2B Social Networks: Driving Commerce with Imperfection and Surrender * Social Media Investor Relations Special with former SEC Attorneys ABOUT THE PODCASTER @EricSchwartzman provides online communication training, strategy and governance to public relations, public affairs, corporate communications and marketing specialists. He has extensive experience integrating emerging information technologies into organizational communications programs through public speaking, hands-on training seminars, consulting and the development of corporate policies on social media usage. His clients have included Boeing, BYU, City National Bank, Environmental Defense Fund, Government of Singapore, Johnson & Johnson, Southern California Edison, Toyota, UCLA, US Dept. of State, United States Army, US Embassy of Athens, the United States Marine Corps and many small to medium-sized companies and agencies. Schwartzman is currently co-authoring a book on business-to-business social media communications with Paul Gillin, to be published by Wiley in Fall 2010. He is the instructor behind PRSA’s top-rated social media and emerging treads training seminars, the Social Media Boot Camp and the Social Media Master Class, which are offered monthly in the US through PRSA. Since 2005, he has been producing the weekly, award-winning public relations podcast “On the Record…Online” (@ontherecord) about how technology is changing the way organizations communicate, the official podcast of the PRSA International Conference for the past three consecutive years. On the Record…Online is the Official PR Podcast of the 2010 PRSA International Conference. Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord.

Twitter Strategy Humanizing Brands and Building Loyalty with Shel Israel

Eric Schwartzman — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 23:29:20 GMT

Of all the great guests I've had on this podcast, I'm particularly excited about this one, who last appeared here in a joint interview with Robert Scoble. One of the best books I read in 2009 was "Twitterville" by Shel Israel (@shelisrael). I found it so riveting and packed with useful information, that I simply couldn't read it without a highlighter in hand. If you like this podcast, you've got to read this book. For a preview, listen to this in-depth, one-on-one discussion with Shel Israel about how organizations can use social media to sustain customer loyalty when things go wrong, human interaction as a replacement for the false image branding often conveys and the future prospects of Twitter as a company and a service. SHOW NOTES 01:30 -- Shel Israel agrees to let Eric Schwartzman publish his "Twitterville" book notes, the author's feelings about the book and whether the title sells it short. 04:45 -- At big organizations, employees are often encouraged to stay in their lane. From an operational standpoint, how does someone like Frank Eliason of @ComcastCares get the cable repair truck to show up on time, or get modifications made to someone's cable bill? Achieving buy in for social media customer service programs enterprise wide. 09:37 -- A discussion of the Motrin Moms backlash on Twitter prompted by Jessica Gottlieb in response to a commercial she found to be insensitive, and whether or not organizations are sometimes too quick to capitulate and rollover in response to customer protests, regardless of whether or not they believe the protests are reasonable. 13:06 -- The herd or pack mentality often pervasive when and where people congregate online, how it relates to individual and organizational behavior and what Motrin's real failure was in how they dealt with the #motrinmoms incident. 14:47 -- Frank Rose's article in Wired Magazine titled "Commercial Break" about the consumer generated advertising campaign for Chevy Tahoe, which is often hailed among social media pundits as a case study for what not to do, but which actually resulted in increased sales, market share and shorter sales cycles. Note: Frank Rose has been featured in a previous episode of this podcast. 19:17 -- Why and how the way organizations like @WholeFoods and @Starbucks approach to Twitter is more in line with the Land of Oz than with reinforcing and underscoring a commitment to transparency and authenticity. 21:17 -- Reconciling Julian Smith and Chris Brogan's claim in their book "Trust Agents" that organizations should "never leave an empty unused account anywhere because it's as much an indicator of neglect as a dirty desk" against the belief that logo Twitter accounts are, generally speaking, not as effective as individual accounts because who wants to talk to a Coke can? 22:31 -- Branding as a creative, false image that companies manufacturer to try to convince you that their products, brands, and services are something they're not, and how Twitter presents organizations with an opportunity to replace that model with a more authentic, legitimate experience based on human interaction. 25:08 -- Identifying the friction between subjective and objective Tweets, and whether or not some sort of distinction between the two could suggest a practical, reasonable governance policy for organizations that are on the fence about whether to Tweet under branded or individual accounts. 27:45 -- If organization's embrace a Twitter strategy that encourages employees to use their individual accounts, how can those organizations preserve the relationships employees establish on their behalf after they exit the company? 29:07 -- Shel Israel's experience working withThe MCI, which at the time was engaged in an aggressive telemarketing campaign, to explain why the effectiveness of organizational communications cannot be measured by raw data alone, and the notion that social media may, for the first time, present organizations with a more fiscally-responsible channel for expanding marketshare. 32:18 -- Customer service as the new PR and solving problems via social media in full view of everyone. 33:00 -- A discussion of how automaker Toyota has set up and organized their twitter presence under a branded, logo account @Toyota but with the employees tweeting on the companies that have listed in the sidebar are custom background JPEG. 34:29 -- Using Andrew Sinkov who tweets @evernote and Apple Computer as a backdrop, a discussion about the importance of good conversation versus product performance. 35:31 -- While superior product performance and qualified employees may render social media less important, sustaining customer loyalty when things break is going to be much more difficult for opaque, secretive organizations that have no goodwill in the online community. 38:08 -- The future prospects for Twitter as a company, micro-blogging as a communications channel and concerns about twitter as a single point of failure. 42:45 -- Shel Israel's new book, about the software company SAP, which he is co-writing with Mark Yoltan, SVP of the SAP community network. Note: Thanks to Shel, Mark Yolton to has been featured in a previous episode of this podcast on B2B Social Networking. 45:56 -- End BONUS CONTENT: * "Twitterville" - Eric's Notes * "Trust Agents" Eric's Notes RECOMMENDED EPISODES: * B2B Social Networks: Driving Commerce with Imperfection and Surrender Social Media Crisis Communications Strategy Deep Dive with FEMA Public Information Officer John Shea * Online Newsroom Best Practices with Toyota Social Media Supervisor Scott Deyager ABOUT THE PODCASTER @EricSchwartzman provides online communication training, strategy and governance to public relations, public affairs, corporate communications and marketing specialists. He has extensive experience integrating emerging information technologies into organizational communications programs through public speaking, hands-on training seminars, consulting and the development of corporate policies on social media usage. His clients have included Boeing, BYU, City National Bank, Environmental Defense Fund, Government of Singapore, Johnson & Johnson, Southern California Edison, Toyota, UCLA, US Dept. of State, United States Army, US Embassy of Athens, the United States Marine Corps and many small to medium-sized companies and agencies. Schwartzman is currently co-authoring a book on business-to-business social media communications with Paul Gillin, to be published by Wiley in Fall 2010. He is the instructor behind PRSA’s top-rated social media and emerging treads training seminars, the Social Media Boot Camp and the Social Media Master Class, which are offered monthly in the US through PRSA. Since 2005, he has been producing the weekly, award-winning public relations podcast “On the Record…Online” (@ontherecord) about how technology is changing the way organizations communicate, the official podcast of the PRSA International Conference for the past three consecutive years. On the Record…Online is the Official PR Podcast of the2010 PRSA International Conference. Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord.

B2B Social Networks - Driving Commerce with Imperfection and Surrender

Eric Schwartzman — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:25:35 GMT

Considering launching a B2B social networking site for your organization? If so, you've come to the right place. In this podcast, Mark Yolton, Sr. V.P. of SAP Community Network tells you almost everything you need to know about what it takes to launch a successful B2B social network. The SAP community network -- a B2B social networking initiative nearly 2,000,000 members strong and growing at a monthly pace of 30,000 new members spanning 200 countries and territories worldwide -- has been recognized by the Altimeter Group and SiteIQ as one of the most successful business-to-business social networking sites in the world. In this episode Mark Yolton, senior vice president of SAP Community Network Global Ecosystem & Partner Group reveals the winning formula that has resulted in 6000 posts per day, 1 million unique visitors per month and 200,000 contributions by celebrating imperfection, profiting from surrender, improving product performance through user ratings and building deeper professional relationships through personal interactions. This interview will incorporated in a book I am writing with Paul Gillin on business-to-business social media engagement. If you are aware of other instances or case studies involving the successful use of social media for business-to-business online communications or social media, please leave a comment here and let me know. We are interested in interviewing others with experience deploying social media communications channels for measurable business gain. Paul has published a draft outline of our book, to be published by Wiley later this year, under the working title Social Marketing and the Business Customer. I'm particularly excited about this interview, and want to extend my thanks to Shel Israel for helping to arrange it. This podcast also marks a new chapter in the show's format. We have a new main title, a new closing title and a new sponsor. Looking forward to your feedback on these changes. SHOW NOTES 01:42 -- Using a social network to deliver value to different stakeholder groups including customers, partners, the sponsoring company and individuals. 03:54 -- Building brand loyalty through social networks and more compelling business benefits of sponsoring a social network. 04:20 -- Why customer-to-customer communications is a significant benefit of social networks for business-to-business applications and the key to stimulating peer-to-peer activity. 06:34 -- How to determine what type of information is appropriate for sharing within a B2B social network without compromising the sponsoring company's competitive edge. 08:42 -- Why a corporate social media policy tailored to the sophistication of the employee base is a critical component of effective business-to-business social networking. SAP has published their Forum Rules of Engagement and Blog/Community Guidelines. 11:21 -- Using a wiki to include employees in the development of a corporate social media policy. 12:24 -- The strategic criteria by which SAP decided between establishing a branded B2B social networking community versus a public B2B social networking community. Note: While SAP used their own software, branded communities can also be built using tools such as Ning, while public communities are commonly hosted on Web 2.0 sites like Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin. 15:35 -- Deepening business relationships through Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and B2B social networks as adjunct to a core, branded, B2B social networking site. 16:25 -- The advantages of branded communities over Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn and which companies are not candidates for managing their own branded, B2B social networking community. 19:04 -- The types of roles or job functions within the organization and generations predisposed to participating in a social networking B2B environment. 21:10 -- How to decide which sections of a B2B social networking site should be public, and which areas should be private. 24:33 -- Conducting edge work through mentors, who are nominated by the community and do not work for SAP. The use of exclusive access and private areas to seed information within the community through influential community members. 28:38 -- How active contributors benefit from participating in the SAP B2B social networking site through lead generation and reputation management. 30:28 -- The business benefits of relinquishing control of the conversation to your customers and exactly what it takes to drive active discussion amongst customers, resellers, partners, and other channel sales participants in a social networking B2B environment. 32:06 -- The intangible benefits of online social networking to B2B online social networking community members. 36:33 -- The use of friends or contacts in an online social network to filter important, relevant information through recommendations. 37:58 -- Staffing requirements for managing, weeding and farming B2B social networking sites. 40:29 -- Using star ratings and user reviews inside B2B social networking site to promote sales and improve product performance. 41:25 -- The specific skills that make for on exceptional B2B social networking community manager. 44:41 -- The relationship between a B2B social networking site community manager's willingness to reveal at least some aspects of their personal lives with their business colleagues, their effectiveness at shepherding conversations within a social networking B2B environment and why imperfections and human flaws are essential to driving conversations. 45:39 -- The use of Facebook, Twitter and object-oriented social networking sites to deepen personal relationships, which are sustained primarily in a branded, B2B social networking environment. 47:06 -- The relationship between user ratings and product sales within a B2B social networking site, why perfect ratings are not usually good for sales and how low ratings can be used to improve product performance. 50:03 -- Integrating proprietary and open source software to power a B2B social network initiative and dealing with potential tension between open-source platforms and licensed proprietary software. 55:39 -- End BONUS CONTENT AVAILABLE: • SAP Community Network External Briefing • SAP eBook: Driving Business Value through B2B Social Networking RECOMMENDED EPISODES: • Social Media Investor Relations Special with Former SEC Attorneys • Using Social Media to Fight Global Warming at the US Dept. of State • Crisis Communications Online: Social Media Usage during the VT Shootings ABOUT THE PODCASTER @EricSchwartzman provides online communication training, strategy and governance to public relations, public affairs, corporate communications and marketing specialists. He has extensive experience integrating emerging information technologies into organizational communications programs through public speaking, hands-on training seminars, consulting and the development of corporate policies on social media usage. His clients have included Boeing, BYU, City National Bank, Environmental Defense Fund, Government of Singapore, Johnson & Johnson, Southern California Edison, Toyota, UCLA, US Dept. of State, United States Army, US Embassy of Athens, the United States Marine Corps and many small to medium-sized companies and agencies. Schwartzman is currently co-authoring a book on business-to-business social media communications with Paul Gillin, to be published by Wiley in Fall 2010. He is the instructor behind PRSA’s top-rated social media and emerging treads training seminars, the New Media and Social Media PR Boot Camp and the New Media and Social Media PR Master Class, which are offered monthly in the US through PRSA. Since 2005, he has been producing the weekly, award-winning public relations podcast “On the Record…Online” (@ontherecord) about how technology is changing the way organizations communicate, the official podcast of the PRSA International Conference for the past three consecutive years. On the Record…Online is the Official PR Podcast of the 2010 PRSA International Conference. Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord.

Special Episode Listening to Social Media Conversations with Rob Key

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 20:38:36 GMT

Rob Key, CEO and founder of Converseon talks about becoming a listening organization, social CRM and mining actionable business intelligence from online conversations at the 2009 PRSA International Conference in San Diego. 01:09 -- Listening to social media through conversation mining, and working with clients from a management consulting perspective to help them reorganize their operations to take advantage of actual customer feedback collected on the web. 02:10 -- Changing the marketing and public relations model to recognize how social media is causing organizations to integrate all areas of the company into the conversation. 02:44 -- The delineation between conversation mining and news media or social media monitoring or raw pipes versus versus intent modeling, sentiment and geo-data. 04:31 -- The different types of listening solutions organizations use and how the very based on the specific needs of the customer. 05:08 -- Translating raw data into meaningful business intelligence through Converseon's proprietary listening platform. 06:20 -- How to become a listening organization for sustainable business advantage. 07:08 -- The three components of listening: what yo what the was thoroughly legal service infusing the value of social across the entire enterprise for sustainable differentiation, securing the right technology listening platform. NOTE: According to Key, HP has says that listening integrated into customer service has saved them $10 million in call center costs, and P&G says that through social media and listening, over 50% of its innovation is coming from outside of the company. 09:01 --Using work flow software with pre-configured rules to manage the distribution of information mind on social networks to the appropriate departments within the organization through social media analytics software. 10:02 -- The benefits of capturing outcomes from a legal perspective so that legal and regulatory compliance are satisfied. 11:01 -- The importance of securing a persistence listening platform to support ongoing conversation mining throughout the enterprise. 12:17 --The organizational and business change components required to ensure discoveries and insights surfaced through listening are delivered to the appropriate departments to increase customer satisfaction and improve performance. 13:01 -- Work flow integration with CRM tools and social media training. 14:14 -- importing existing measurement from legacy systems to preserve prior findings through platform migration. 15:00 -- The real challenge of listening from a technology perspective, capturing conversations and cleansing content for relevance. 15:51 -- The seven layer hierarchical pyramid of data: Raw Data, Cleansed Data, Baseline Analytics, Black Box Analytics, Human Analysis, Internal Customer Data Integrated with External Data (social CRM), and Business Intelligence. 21:01 -- Whether or not businesses can use social graphs to determine the importance of conversations and participants. 22:02 -- Why influence and sentiment need to happen at a customer and a vertical business level. 24:24 -- Determining the social impact of US Pres. Barack Obama this Cairo speech on global issues, Hezbollah's defeat in Lebanon and the electoral protests in Iran. 27:07 -- How the Obama administration is evaluating and applying the merits of conversation mining to achieve its broad objectives. 27:36 -- Implicit the importance of explicit, metaphor, neologism, images, dialects in conversation mining, and qualifying conversation participants by the choice of term they employ. 30:17 -- Key responds to a comment made by Mark Wiener in a previous episode, in which he said computers can't tell the difference between I love Toyota and I love anything but Toyota. 30:42 -- Why we are still 10 years away from accurate artificial intelligence, why humans are an essential part of listening and why you should beware of any listening provider that claims 90% accuracy. 33:55 -- End RECOMMENDED EPISODES: * Social Media Investor Relations Special with Former SEC Attorneys * Using Social Media to Fight Global Warming at the US Dept. of State * Crisis Communications Online: Social Media Usage during the VT Shootings ABOUT THE PODCASTER @EricSchwartzman provides online communication training, strategy and governance to public relations, public affairs, corporate communications and marketing specialists. He has extensive experience integrating emerging information technologies into organizational communications programs through public speaking, hands-on training seminars, consulting and the development of corporate policies on social media usage. His clients have included Boeing, BYU, City National Bank, Environmental Defense Fund, Government of Singapore, Johnson & Johnson, Southern California Edison, Toyota, UCLA, US Dept. of State, United States Army, US Embassy of Athens, the United States Marine Corps and many small to medium-sized companies and agencies. Schwartzman is currently co-authoring a book on business-to-business social media communications with Paul Gillin, to be published by Wiley in Fall 2010. He is the instructor behind PRSA’s top-rated social media and emerging treads training seminars, the New Media and Social Media PR Boot Camp and the New Media and Social Media PR Master Class, which are offered monthly in the US through PRSA. Since 2005, he has been producing the weekly, award-winning public relations podcast “On the Record…Online” (@ontherecord) about how technology is changing the way organizations communicate, the official podcast of the PRSA International Conference for the past three consecutive years. On the Record…Online is the Official PR Podcast of the 2009 PRSA International Conference. Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord and get them as soon as they’re released.

Inside the Public Affairs Campaign of Barack Obama

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:27:00 GMT

Mike Smith (@smittypa) of Mike Smith Public Affairs talks about his work on the Obama Campaign and the months leading up to US presidential election at 2009 PRSA international Conference in San Diego. 01:01 -- How citizen journalism and viral communications worked to advance the Obama Campaign. A discussion of the boot camps which were held by the Obama campaign to energize the base, communciate the message and the campaign trail from Iowa to Virginia. O2: 07 -- His experience canvassing door-to-door in freezing cold weather in Iowa. The single biggest lesson this 27-year-old public relations person learned from the campaign and the importance of putting the voter first. 02:56 -- Sacrificing the niceties of PR and creating bonds with voters based on a working knowledge of each voter's background. 03:29 -- Rather than focus on communicating directly with everyone, the Obama campaign's strategy, which identified and focused on the influencers within their communities, and leveraged their support to achieve broader outreach. 04:33 -- Why the Iowa caucus is so significant in US presidential elections. 06:14 -- How the Obama campaign was able to attract and organize so many volunteers, and why the Des Moines Register was more important than The New York Times. 07:24 -- Working with field organizers and how the Obama strategy focused on getting college students back from Christmas break in time to vote. 08:24 -- Fifty million in one month was an all time record for fund-raising on the Internet, and since it came from mostly $100 donations, the campaigns populist message was drawn from the micro-payments story. Video excerpt from thhis audio podcast interview with Mike Smith 09:26 -- The role of Blue State Digital and the Web team on the Obama Campaign, and how they mobilized the enthusiasm of their social media followers. 10:16 -- Learning to Tweet from Craig Newmark (featured in a previous episode of this podcast) and integrating Twitter into the Obama Campaign. 11:04 -- Craig Newmark's advice on determining who to follow, and a little know fact about Craig's political allegiance. 13:13 -- Self-identification on social networks with respect to political affiliations and whether or not that is or is not a good idea from a professional standpoint for public relations and public affairs practitioner. 14:05 -- Determining how and when to disclose one's political preferences in an online social environment. Where does my life end and the corporate life begin? 15:11 -- Wrestling with how much disclosure and transparency is appropriate on the Internet with social networking tools. RECOMMENDED EPISODES: Social Media Investor Relations Special with former SEC Attorneys Using Social Media to Fight Global Warming at the US Dept. of State Crisis Communications Online: Social Media Usage during a Crisis with Leysia Palen ABOUT THE PODCASTER @EricSchwartzman provides online communication training, strategy and governance to public relations, public affairs, corporate communications and marketing specialists. He has extensive experience integrating emerging information technologies into organizational communications programs through public speaking, hands-on training seminars, consulting and the development of corporate policies on social media usage. His clients have included Boeing, BYU, City National Bank, Environmental Defense Fund, Government of Singapore, Johnson & Johnson, Southern California Edison, Toyota, UCLA, US Dept. of State, United States Army, US Embassy of Athens, the United States Marine Corps and many small to medium-sized companies and agencies. Schwartzman is currently co-authoring a book on business-to-business social media communications with Paul Gillin, to be published by Wiley in Fall 2010. He is the instructor behind PRSA’s top-rated social media and emerging treads training seminars, the New Media and Social Media PR Boot Camp and the New Media and Social Media PR Master Class, which are offered monthly in the US through PRSA. Since 2005, he has been producing the weekly, award-winning public relations podcast “On the Record…Online” (@ontherecord) about how technology is changing the way organizations communicate, the official podcast of the PRSA International Conference for the past three consecutive years. On the Record…Online is the Official PR Podcast of the 2009 PRSA International Conference. Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter@ontherecord and get them as soon as they’re released.

Building a Social Media Policy with Rich Teplitsky

Eric Schwartzman — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 10:26:00 GMT

Rich Teplitsky, Director of Public Relations for KGB Texas in San Antonio discusses social media communications policies and governance inside organizations at the 2009 PRSA International Conference in San Diego. Teplitsky is chair elect of the PRSA Technology Section and has served in senior roles at Alcatel-Lucent and Monster.com 01:14 -- Social media policy as an extension of an organization's professional code of conduct. A video excerpt from the audio podcast interview with Rick Teplitsky 03:46 -- Establishing the rules of social media engagement, the rules of self-identification and the importance of transparency. 05:11 -- The demographics and expectations of participation of today's work force and how that impacts corporate policy. 06:13 -- How our expectations of privacy have changed as result of social media and the responsibility of employees to limit their participation in activities that could result in digital images and other social media objects. 07:08 -- The regulatory challenges of corporate communications in the Conversational Era and how it impacts social media policy. 08:17 -- Dealing with issues such as competitiveness and rudeness of social media interaction in a corporate social media policy. 10:17 -- The importance of stakeholder relations, and ensuring that the right stakeholders have a seat at the table prior to the development of a social media policy. 11:27 -- Constantin Basturea's New PR Wiki as a resource for examining the social computing guidelines and blogging policies of a variety of organizations. 12:16 -- The PRSA Technology Section's Ning site as a resource for networking with other public relations professionals tasked with developing social media policies. RECOMMENDED PODCASTS: Guantanamo PR Chief on Gov 2.0, Social Media Engagement and Mainstream Media Relations Using Social Media to Fight Global Warming at the US Dept. of State Daily Candy Editor-in-Chief Dany Levy goes On the Record…Online U.S. Army Reserve Social Media Chief Lieutenant Colonel Gerald Ostlund @EricSchwartzman provides online communication training, strategy and governance to public relations, public affairs, corporate communications and marketing specialists. He has extensive experience integrating emerging information technologies into organizational communications programs through public speaking, hands-on training seminars, consulting and the development of corporate policies on social media usage. His clients have included Boeing, BYU, City National Bank, Environmental Defense Fund, Government of Singapore, Johnson & Johnson, Southern California Edison, Toyota, UCLA, US Dept. of State, United States Army, US Embassy of Athens, the United States Marine Corps and many small to medium-sized companies and agencies. Schwartzman is currently co-authoring a book on business-to-business social media communications with Paul Gillin, to be published by Wiley in Fall 2010. He is the instructor behind PRSA’s top-rated social media and emerging treads training seminars, the New Media and Social Media PR Boot Camp and the New Media and Social Media PR Master Class, which are offered monthly in the US through PRSA. Since 2005, he has been producing the weekly, award-winning public relations podcast “On the Record…Online” (@ontherecord) about how technology is changing the way organizations communicate, the official podcast of the PRSA International Conference for the past three consecutive years. On the Record…Online is the Official PR Podcast of the 2009 PRSA International Conference. Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter@ontherecord and get them as soon as they’re released.

US Navy Rear Admiral TL McCreary on Crisis Communication for 9/11 and the war in Iraq

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:32:00 GMT

An interview with 27-year retired United States Navy Rear Admiral TL McCreary, the former spokesperson for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and a former public officer in service to Army Gen. Dick Shelton, Gen. Dick Myers and the former Counter-terrorism Counsel and president of Military.com about handling crisis communications during the US incursion into Iraq, embedding journalists with military units, the biggest crisis communications mistake the US Military made during the Iraqi incursion and how former US Armed Forces service members can apply their public affairs skills to the private sector workplace. This interview was recorded at the 2009 PRSA International Conference. 01:43 -- How McCreary became an Admiral in the United States Navy and his experience as a public affairs officer in the United States Military. 02:26 -- Why informing military commanders what's going on in the public sector it's not just an issue of truth, but an issue of trust and an issue of transparency and why lawyers and public affairs officers are the two most important counselor's to today's senior leadership. 03:32 -- The importance of providing an accurate explanation of war time activities to the public. 04:01 -- A recount of 9/11, exactly what happened when the hijacked plane hit the Pentagon and what went through his mind on that day. 05:04 -- Working in the National Command Center in the Pentagon with Vice Chairman Gen. Myers, SecDef Rumsfeld and his spokesman Victoria Clarke after the plane hit the Pentagon. 06:02 -- The importance of good military training in preparing a public affairs officer how to communicate effectively during a crisis. 06:38 -- Letting the American people know that the US Military is still functioning and operating during a time of crisis. 07:02 -- SecDef Rumsfeld's presentation to the press from the podium in the Pentagon. 07:43 -- The main difference between handling crisis communications during 9/11 versus other national emergencies was one of scope, which directly involved the United States Vice President, the US Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff all discussing matters such as what to do if there were a second attack and whether or not to shoot down a plane with civilians aboard. 08:39 -- The use of a separate, off-site press center to accommodate media during a major crisis, and providing status updates to the public through Craig Quigley, Victoria Clarke's spokesperson at the Department of Defense, who ran the press center during 9/11. 09:36 -- The differences between 9/11 crisis communications and media relations during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. 10:06 -- Handling public affairs during the initial incursion into Iraq under a veil of secrecy. Devising the press plan, which was designed to embark pools of media without revealing our battle plans. And the use of embargoed information to communicate the scope of the incursion and the facts on the ground through the national and some international news media to the American people. 11:24 -- Dispatching journalists to aircraft carriers and other military staging areas to allow them to cover the Iraqi incursion, code named operation Iraqi Freedom, during its occurrence. 12:30 -- What it takes to be the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the United States Department of Defense. 14:27 -- the use of independent journalists in the first Iraqi incursion and router out of all my queries roll in drafting. The rationale for embedding journalists as a strategy for countering Saddam Hussein's propaganda campaign through transparency. 16:19 -- How Gen. Myers's experience in Vietnam impacted his communications strategy during the Iraqi incursion and the importance of distinguishing military policy from political policy so people understand that the US Armed Forces are not responsible for the decision to go to war, which is made by elected US civilian leadership. 18:17 -- Dealing with security breaches from reporters like Geraldo Rivera's sand drawings that leaked US Military positions during the Iraqi campaign. 19:14 -- The single biggest mistake that the US Armed Forces made in from a communications standpoint during the incursion into Iraq. 20:03 -- How and why the US Armed Forces lost the ability to tell their story after the embedded journalists program dissolved and journalists shifted their focus to other matters after the initial Military incursion was complete. 21: 23 -- Rear Adm. TL McCreary's top tips to United States Armed Forces service members who are approaching their discharge and transition to the civilian workplace. NOTE: Service Members are encourage to download a free copy of the Digital Readiness Report, which lists the key communications skills sought by corporate hiring managers in today's job market. 22:57 -- Why the US military public affairs community is better at crisis communications than most others 22:42 -- Why the US military public affairs community understands mainstream and trade media relations. 24:53 -- The one area military public affairs officers are least knowledgeable in is Sarbanes-Oxley law and other regulations governing the communications of public companies, but they are generally quick studies. 26:19 -- Whether or not members of United States Armed Forces are a better fit for transitioning to large organizations or small businesses. 27:19 -- Why former public affairs officers in the US Armed Forces are very self-sufficient and able to manage activities autonomously. RECOMMENDED PODCASTS: Guantanamo PR Chief on Gov 2.0, Social Media Engagement and Mainstream Media Relations U.S. Army Reserve Social Media Chief Lieutenant Colonel Gerald Ostlund Inside the Pentagon with Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Robert Hastings Pentagon War Court Spokesperson Ann Peru Knabe on Afghanistan, Iraq and 9/11 Balancing Your Right to Know against Operational Security with US Marine Corps Public Affairs Officer Major Danny Chung Social Media Training the US Armed Forces Public Affairs Staff ABOUT THE PODCASTER @EricSchwartzman provides online communication training, strategy and governance to public relations, public affairs, corporate communications and marketing specialists. He has extensive experience integrating emerging information technologies into organizational communications programs through public speaking, hands-on training seminars, consulting and the development of corporate policies on social media usage. His clients have included Boeing, BYU, City National Bank, Environmental Defense Fund, Government of Singapore, Johnson & Johnson, Southern California Edison, Toyota, UCLA, US Dept. of State, United States Army, US Embassy of Athens, the United States Marine Corps and many small to medium-sized companies and agencies. Schwartzman is currently co-authoring a book on business-to-business social media communications with Paul Gillin, to be published by Wiley in Fall 2010. He is the instructor behind PRSA’s top-rated social media and emerging treads training seminars, the New Media and Social Media PR Boot Camp and the New Media and Social Media PR Master Class, which are offered monthly in the US through PRSA. Since 2005, he has been producing the weekly, award-winning public relations podcast “On the Record…Online” (@ontherecord) about how technology is changing the way organizations communicate, the official podcast of the PRSA International Conference for the past three consecutive years. On the Record…Online is the Official PR Podcast of the 2009 PRSA International Conference. Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter@ontherecord and get them as soon as they’re released.

Communicating the Biggest Bank Failure in US History with Former WaMu VP Internal Communications Karen Horn

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:55:00 GMT

Handling corporate communications for the biggest bank failure in US history with Former Washington Mutual Vice President of Internal Communications Karen Horn of Horn Communication at the 2009 PRSA International Conference in San Diego. Prior to her position at WaMu, she was the senior director of employee commitment at Cisco. Note: Alan Elias, senior vice president of corporate communications for Washington Mutual Card Services and Cisco executives Jeanette Gibson, New Media Manager and Maureen Casper, Senior Director of Corporate Communciations have both been featured on previous episodes of this podcast. 01:37 – A summary of why and how Washington Mutual became insolvent, the FDIC seizure and the sale of the failed financial services firm to JP Morgan Chase for $1.7 billion. 03:52 – What the sale of WaMu to Chase meant for home owners who had financed their homes with a home loan from Washington Mutual. 04:36 – What happened on Sept. 25, 2008, the day WaMu employees found out the bank had been seized by the FDIC, and the declaration of the sale to JP Morgan Chase, which came by way of their government relations team. 06:23 – The government relations team’s decision to communicate the declaration via telephone rather than email, since the initial accounts were speculative. 06:55 – Scripting the message to employees about the collapse and the FDIC seizure, so that if a seizure did occur, WaMu could inform employees before the mainstream news media, and the decision to distribute that communication via email. 08:05 – Coordinating the distribution of the internal communication to employees with the company’s external communications efforts to the news media and how they sequenced the news break strategically to control its release. 09:16 – The emotional reality of learning that the company you’ve been working for has gone belly up and that your pension and 401k are gone. 10:58 – At what point do you turn your back on your employer’s corporate reputation? Do you go down defending the brand, or do you surrender to trying to save the memory of a sinking ship? 12:31 – WaMu’s use of an internal leadership blog in their intranet, which was maintained by the bank’s COO, as a way of attracting criticism and indentifying friction points within the bank. 14:50 – Lessons learned and advice to financial services companies about how to integrate social media into a communications effort. 16:10 – Using an external social media channel like a blog to make a market for stock, sustaining a conversation over the long haul and making sure the organization’s reasons for blogging are realistic. 18:32 – Is internal communications more important in the conversation age, since we are migrating from a world where the center of the organization was the mouthpiece, to one where the center of the organization informs its edges, and its edges inform the world. 19:56 -- The single biggest corporate communications lesson learned from handling corporate communications during the collapse of Washington Mutual. 22:54 – How WaMu communicated with customer services representations in the days leading up to the failure, to motivate them to do their best to protect the banks interest, despite its precarious financial predicament. 20:59 – End RECOMMENDED PODCASTS: Social Media Training the US Armed Forces Public Affairs Staff at DINFOS with Staff Sgt. Joshua Salmons Inside the Online Video Business with Blip.TV co-founder Dina Kaplan Daily Candy Editor-in-Chief Dany Levy goes On the Record…Online Jason Rosenberg, Online Communications Director for the Democratic National Convention Committee Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is an independent new media and social media consultant, the creator of the top-rated New Media and Social Media Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom and website design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of social media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills, as well as social media strategy and campaign support. Schwartzman is also the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom. On the Record…Online is the Official PR Podcast of the 2009 PRSA International Conference. Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord and get them as soon as they’re released.

How to Build a Digital Strategy with Edelman Digital Vice President for Interactive Solutions Gary Goldhammer

Eric Schwartzman — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 11:15:00 GMT

Aligning digital strategy with business objectives, unique risks for public companies and engaging in controversial conversations with Gary Goldhammer (@g24khamr), vice president for Interactive Solutions at Edelman Digital at the 2009 PRSA International Conference in San Diego. Gary has been blogging for five years about the convergence of journalism and new media at Below the Fold. 00:55 – Aligning digital strategy with business strategy by listening to what people are saying online, and creating an engagement strategy based on existing perceptions. 01:45 – What types of objectives cannot and should not be attempted with digital technology. What cannot be achieved? 02:30 – What are the risks public companies should be aware of when they create their digital strategy and what sort of guard rails should be in place before the launch a digital communications campaign? 02:47 – Adverse event reporting and what pharmaceutical companies are required by Food and Drug Administration to do if someone leaves a comment about an adverse reaction to one of their drugs on the manufacturer’s Facebook page. 03:25 – The duty to report the adverse effects of drug therapy extend beyond those pharmaceutical companies that maintain a social media presence. If a company is listening and engaging in any other social media channel, they may still be liable. 03:50 – Recent SEC Guidance on the Use of Company Websites to Satisfy Regulation Fair Disclosure and the notion that for public companies using social media, nonselective disclosure translates into nonselective engagement. 05:41 – How the online destination of a social media web presence impacts a public company’s duty to update, and whether or not hosting a corporate on a third-party service like Blogger at a BlogSpot domain is any safer than hosting the blog at your own domain. 07:11 – The duty to update as a strategic factor, rather than a legal factor, and the idea of looking at social media engagement as an ongoing conversation, rather than a one-time campaign. 08:03 – How to decide what social media channels are right for your organization based on where an organization’s most desirable community members are interacting already online and building strategies around inputs instead of outputs. 09:58 – The risks of segmenting communications by social media channel, saying one thing on Twitter and something else on Facebook and treating social media as a broadcast channel, versus an engagement channel. 12:05 – Is dealing with controversy about a company exclusively on their Facebook page instead of at your corporate domain protect the organization from tipping off those disengaged from social media about the controversy? 13:57 -- The web has not always been social, but has all media become social? A discussion of the Motrin Moms case study as an example of media that wasn’t intended to be social, and how it wound up provoking an adverse reaction via social media. 15:01 – Why using social media as a mass media channel is ineffective, and testing pilot projects internally as way of establishing a comfort level inside the organizations before launching initiatives in these channels externally. 18:29 – The 2009 Edelman Trust Barometer [PDF] rankings, which listed financial analysts and business magazines as the most trusted sources of company information, David Carr’s recent article about the state of the business magazine category, and whether or not business magazines will retain that level of trust on the 2010 Edelman Trust Barometer, which at the time of release of this podcast was not yet available. David Carr has appeared as a guest on this podcast before, and his keynote speech at the 2007 Digital Impact Conference was also podcast. 19:07 – The future of conventional journalism and the importance of niche and local news agencies. 20:59 – End RECOMMENDED PODCASTS: Social Media Training the US Armed Forces Public Affairs Staff at DINFOS with Staff Sgt. Joshua Salmons Inside the Online Video Business with Blip.TV co-founder Dina Kaplan Daily Candy Editor-in-Chief Dany Levy goes On the Record…Online Jason Rosenberg, Online Communications Director for the Democratic National Convention Committee Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is an independent new media and social media consultant, the creator of the top-rated New Media and Social Media Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom and website design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of social media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills, as well as social media strategy and campaign support. Schwartzman is also the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom. On the Record…Online is the Official PR Podcast of the 2009 PRSA International Conference. Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord and get them as soon as they’re released.

The State of Public Relations Association of America with Michael Cherenson president and CEO of PRSA

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 16:56:00 GMT

The business case for public relations, the results of the general assembly of the 2009 PRSA Assembly for Delegates and Leadership and delivering value with Michael Cherenson (@mcherenson), Chair and CEO of PRSA and Executive Vice President of New Jersey-based Success Communications Group at the 2009 PRSA International Conference in San Diego. 01:21 – Steve Lubetkin (@podcaststeve) asks via Twitter, “What is PRSA going to do to persuade members to seek APR accreditation? Steve Lubetkin owns the firm in New Jersey Lubetkin Communications, which produces podcasts for clients. 04:55 – With communications migrating online and the rise of social media, what makes the APR accreditation relevant? 06:20 – Fran Stephenson (@fransteps), director of corporate communications at Rackspace asks via Twitter, “How will the board regroup after yesterday’s disappointing assembly results?” Fran Stephenson also oappeared in a panel at the conference with Kami Watson Huyse, Matthew Henry and Jason Avant on Building Relationships with the Digerati. 08:05 – On her Kicking Sand Blog, Nicole Jordan (@nicolejordan ) asks, “What do PR professionals think needs to be done to fundamentally change the way PR is perceived and practiced?” Nicole Jordan covered the conference for Webmaster Radio. Her audio coverage can be found at the Voices of PRSA Podcast Center. 11:01 – Is the definition of public relations too narrow to accurately describe where the business is headed? 13:28 – End RECOMMENDED PODCASTS: Social Media Training the US Armed Forces Public Affairs Staff at DINFOS with Staff Sgt. Joshua Salmons Inside the Online Video Business with Blip.TV co-founder Dina Kaplan Daily Candy Editor-in-Chief Dany Levy goes On the Record…Online Jason Rosenberg, Online Communications Director for the Democratic National Convention Committee Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is an independent new media and social media consultant, the creator of the top-rated New Media and Social Media Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom and website design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of social media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills, as well as social media strategy and campaign support. Schwartzman is also the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom. On the Record…Online is the Official PR Podcast of the 2009 PRSA International Conference. Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord and get them as soon as they’re released.

Guantanamo PR Chief on Gov 2.0 Social Media Engagement and Mainstream Media Relations

Eric Schwartzman — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 09:31:00 GMT

Handling public affairs at the detainment facility operated by the Joint Task Force at GTMO “Gitmo,” the efforts of the Office of the US Secretary of Defense in establishing an umbrella social media policy and whether the US Dept. of Defense will publish data sets at www.data.gov, featuring Guantanamo Public Affairs Chief, US Navy Lieutenant Commander Brook DeWalt, APR and 2009 PRSA International Conference Honorary Co-Chair. 01:12 – Brook talks about his role as the liaison between US Armed Forces public affairs and the Public Relations Society of America, as the honorary 2009 PRSA International Conference Co-Chair. 03:18 – The controversy surrounding the detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, preparations to close the facility by Presidential Executive Order on Jan. 22, 2010 and the mission of the joint task. 07:51 – Accommodating media at Guantanamo, who visit almost weekly to observe the conditions the facility and the treatment of the detainees. 10:27 – Managing public affairs maintaining transparency, providing access to information about the facility, the detainees and the personnel who serve there. 13:19 – Lt. Commander DeWalt responds to former Asst. Secretary of Defense Robert Hastings’s claim that Brook DeWalt was the brainchild behind the Department of Defense’s entrée into social media communications in his former role as Director of New Media for the US Department of Defense, and the Lieutenant Commander’s response that he was part of team with Jack Holt (@jack-holt) and others. 15:30 – The Department of Defense Bloggers Roundtable program, which DeWalt’s team launched, and other activities including working with the Pentagon Channel and www.defense.gov. 17:13 – A discussion of the umbrella social media policy, as discussed recently in the news media, that is being developed by the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Offices within Joint Staff and an acknowledgement that technology is always in advance of policy. 19:29 – Whether the lack of social media policy a benefit or a detriment to implement social media communications within the U.S. Department of Defense, and importance of having policy moving forward. 21:31 – How public affairs within the US Armed Forces has changed in the age of the digital native. 22:20 – The unique demands of serving in a public affairs capacity with digital immigrants as opposed to digital natives. 23:40 – Applying the standards of responsible communications, which in the US Armed Forces means “staying in your lane,” to the business of social media communications. 26:10 – The absence of data provided by the US Dept. of Defense to www.data.gov, particularly given Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen’s speech at the 91st Annual American Legion Convention, in which he said that since the US presence in Afghanistan, 8 million children are in school, 2.4 million of which are girls, up from 800,000 prior to the US incursion. Couple this with the fact that the Citizen’s Briefing Book presented to President Obama said that in the area of Homeland Security, 38,250 people say that they do not support “wars on abstract concepts,” making it the number one issue in this area as far as the public is concerned. Whether or not the US Dept. of Defense will start providing more data about the impact of their efforts, and which government agencies should be responsible for making that data available. (NOTE: As of Dec. 10, 2009 DoD is currently offering six raw data sets at www.data.gov.) 29:54 -- End Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is an independent new media and social media communications consultant, the creator of the top-rated New Media and Social Media Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of social media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills, as well as social media strategy and campaign support. Schwartzman is also the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom. On the Record…Online is the Official PR Podcast of the 2009 PRSA International Conference. Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord and get them as soon as they’re released.

Rising to the Top of PRSA with Chair-Elect Gary D. McCormick, APR

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 10:26:00 GMT

How to become a PRSA board member, inside PRSA’s prestigious College of Fellows and judging the PRSA Silver Anvil Awards with PRSA Chair-Elect Gary D. McCormick, APR, Fellow PRSA and Director, Partnership Development at HGTV, Scripps Networks. 02:14 – What it takes to be inducted into the prestigious PRSA College of Fellows. 03:52 – What goes into vetting and recognizing PRSA a new Fellow. 05:04 – What does it take to rise to the top of a member-based organization like PRSA? 06:28 – What is the value of being active in PRSA? What do you get from being a member? 08:26 – What’s the benefit of judging the PRSA Bronze Anvil and PRSA Silver Anvil Awards? 10:03 – What does it takes to earn a seat on the board of directors and be elected the chair? 13:05 – How does PRSA control the quality of the professional development programs at the chapter level against those at the national level? 16:09 – What is PRSA’s biggest challenge moving forward? 17:40 – End RECOMMENDED PODCASTS: Social Media Training the US Armed Forces Public Affairs Staff at DINFOS with Staff Sgt. Joshua Salmons Inside the Online Video Business with Blip.TV co-founder Dina Kaplan Daily Candy Editor-in-Chief Dany Levy goes On the Record…Online Jason Rosenberg, Online Communications Director for the Democratic National Convention Committee Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is an independent new media and social media communications consultant, the creator of the top-rated New Media and Social Media Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of social media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills, as well as social media strategy and campaign support. Schwartzman is also the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom.

On the Record Online with Deirdre Breakenridge

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 18:18:00 GMT

Managing social media engagement, the impact of social media on our intellectual development and what’s next with author and social media professional Deirdre Breakenridge (@dbreakenridge), president of PSFMarketwyse, recorded at the 2009 PRSA International Conference in San Diego. 01:17 – Deirdre discusses the controversy surrounding her most recent book “Putting the Public Back in Public Relations,” which she and her co-author Brian Solis discussed with Neville Hobson and Shel Holtz on For Immediate Release. 02:34 – Deirdre discusses her other books, her personal brand, listening and becoming a social media resource. 04:48 – The cost of being a social media influencer, and balancing the time one spends using social networks against parenting. 05:49 – Being a committed mother and making a conscious effort to spend time off of email, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr as a way of rejuvenating. 07:44 – The impact of social media engagement on our intellectual development, and the potential drawbacks of living in a constant state of partial attention. 08:59 – How ready is public relations to inherit the social media communications mantle, engage with bloggers and start leveraging emerging online channels Google Wave? 10:18 – Does it make sense for public relations to lead in social media engagement at most organizations, or should social media be the domain of another department? 12:08 – Should PR oversee social media governance inside the organization, and is social media a horizontal business function? 13:32 – Deirdre talks about a panel of social media specialists she assembled for the 2009 PRSA International Conference which includes Joe Jaffe, Ariel Hyatt, Kami Huyse and Brian Solis. 14:30 – Now that so many organizations have Twitter accounts, Facebook fan pages, YouTube channels and Flickr feeds, what’s next? Looking ahead at conversation monitoring versus conversation mining, real-time collaboration and the shift of power from brands to communities. 16:25 – How will younger generations regard social media and online communities technology? Will they grow up with an inherent understanding of how to effectively apply these channels? 17:51 – What kind of information should public relations practitioners be looking to pull out of the mountains of online data being created that is relevant to their business category? 18:43 – End About the Podcaster: Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is an independent new media and social media communications consultant, the creator of the top-rated New Media and Social Media Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of social media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills, as well as social media strategy and campaign support. Schwartzman also founded online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom. On the Record…Online is the Official PR Podcast of the 2009 PRSA International Conference. Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord and get them as soon as they’re released.

Pentagon War Court Spokesperson Ann Peru Knabe on Afghanistan Iraq and 9-11

Eric Schwartzman — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:42:00 GMT

Public Affairs during the wars Afghanistan and Iraq and at the War Court during Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s 9/11 confession with retired Pentagon War Court Spokesperson Ann Peru Knabe. Kanbe is currently an active Air Force Reservist and teaches public relations at the University of Wisconsin. 01:21 -- Gary Goldhammer asks what kind of food the detainees at Guantanamo are served. 01:56 – Comparison of the food quality at the McDonald’s in Guantanamo Bay versus the McDonald’s off of Red Square in Beijing and the PR101 of media relations. 03:30 – Handling public relations for the US Armed Forces during Operation Iraqi Freedom. 04:28 –How Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen’s assertion that the war in Afghanistan is a war for the “trust and confidence” Afghani people translates tactically into a day in the life of US Armed Forces public affairs officer, internal communications as a catalyst for external communications and handling international media relations. 06:56 – The challenge of dealing with journalists who try to get US Armed Forces to take a position on whether a war is right or wrong, since the decision to go to war is never made by the US Armed Forces, but rather by the President of the United States of America. 08:19 – In the conversation age, how do US Armed Forces staffers “stay in their lane” and participate at the same time? 08:52 – Participating in social media without compromising operational security. 10:06 – How does the slogan “Every service member a spokesperson” translates tactically with respect to social media engagement for the US Armed Forces? 10:47 – Social media governance for active US Air Force reservists who lead civilian and military lives. 11:38 – U.S. Air Force community building effort on Facebook. 11:57 – The location and organization of the Pentagon War Court, and whether or not it is governed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. 13:41 – Her experience handling public affairs at the Pentagon War Court when Khalid Sheik Muhammad’s confessed that he -- along with two other detainees -- masterminded the 9/11 terrorist attacks in a hearing that was covered by 50 journalists and family members of those killed in those events. 15:27 – The importance of due process, that everyone is innocent until proven guilty and that even alleged terrorists are entitled to the same protections as anyone who accused of a crime. 15:54 – Major Danny Chung, United State Marine Corps assertion that the US Armed Forces fights for the freedom and liberty of the American people to express their opinions, and Marine Corps Captain Matthew Hoh’s resignation as a testament to that fact. 16:56 – The notion among civil liberty activists that U.S. legal matters should be prosecuted by the Dept. of Justice in the U.S. Courts, and that the Pentagon War Court is unconstitutional. 18:16 – The facts behind the Pentagon War Court and how it compares to the US Courts and links where people can research those comparisons in detail: • Military Commissions Act 2009 [PDF] • Military Commissions Manual [PDF] 20:01 – Getting Cuban cigars in Guantanamo. 20:37 – The war in Afghanistan, improvised explosive devices and whether or not the US can win an armed conflict in that country. 23:05 -- End Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is an independent new media and social media communications consultant, the creator of the top-rated New Media and Social Media Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of social media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills, as well as social media strategy and campaign support. Schwartzman is also the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom. On the Record…Online is the official podcast of the 2009 PRSA International Conference. Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord and get them fresh.

Public Relations in Mexico with Marco Herrera of Grupo Public

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:38:00 GMT

Overcoming false stereotypes, the impact of the illegal drug trade on Mexican tourism and pitching journalists in a corrupt climate with Marco Herrera, president of Grupo Public in Mexico City, recorded at the 2009 PRSA International Conference in San Diego. 00:58 – The state of the public relations business in Mexico City, the types of clients they serve, the number of the PR firms competing for accounts and the number of Mexican citizens employed at these firms, according to the Mexican PR Association. 02:57 – Grupo Public’s client base, which includes Harley Davidson, MCI, Palm, the World Economic Forum and local organizations, and the services the firm provides. 03:43 – How government relations between the US and Mexico affects his firm’s ability to promote an American brand like Harley Davidson within Mexico, and whether unpopular US foreign policy can negatively impact an American brand’s reputation in Mexico. 06:48 – Whether Mexican PR Firms see Mexican expats living in the US as influencers, and try to relay their messages through them to appeal to Mexican nationals. 07:35 – Efforts of multinationals to market to Latinos living in the US, the evolving culture of this community and public relations agencies focused on serving this market. 08:32 – False stereotypes in the US about Mexican immigrants and Mexican citizens. 10:09 – How false stereotypes impact Grupo Public’s ability to serve US companies, lack of international cultural awareness among US citizens and the perception that Mexico is no more developed than Africa. 12:34 – News reports of excessive violence by the illegal drug trafficking trade on Mexican tourism and why the rule “if it bleeds it leads” has taken a heftier toll of revenues than warranted, according to Herrera. 13:45 – Pushing the Mexican Government to use public relations to be more transparent, as a way of counterbalancing all the illegal drug trade news with positive news as well, so people hear not just bad news about what’s happening in Mexico, but the good news as well. 14:48 – Practicing media relations in Mexico, pay for play and whether or not corruption in the news media is a factor in scoring ink. 18:27 – The Mexican Government’s President of Deputy Chambers recent decision to cease subsidies to newspapers. 19:02 – Best places to stay to Mexico City, the hot new neighborhood to stay in and the best Argentinean BBQs. 22:07 -- End Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is an independent new media and social media communications consultant, the creator of the top-rated New Media and Social Media Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of social media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills, as well as social media strategy and campaign support. Schwartzman is also the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom. On the Record…Online is the Official PR Podcast of the 2009 PRSA International Conference. Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord and get them as soon as they’re released.

Using Blogger Relations to Put Butts in Seats with Live Entertainment PR Specialist Andy Perez

Eric Schwartzman — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:36:21 GMT

Live entertainment marketing and public relations, the impact of the digital revolution on ticket sales and tips on beating the scalpers to good seats with Andy Perez, former west coast public relations chief for Feld Entertainment, producers of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Disney on Ice, Disney Live and Supercross. Prior to that he managed the Feld Entertainment account at Miller Pear Public Relations in Chicago. Currently, he is working as an independent public relations practitioner, handling PR or Star Wars in Concert and others. 01:24 – Using integrated communications campaigns to put butts in seats for live entertainment events in a down economy, branding, the precarious shift from a business where the majority of ticket sales were made in advance, to one where most ticket sales are now walk-up, and adjusting public relations campaigns to drive ticket sales during, instead before, the local dates. 03:54 – Defining a live show for marketing, public relations and advertising and the most common errors live entertainment producers make when purchasing ad time to promote touring arena produ tions. 05:57 – Competing for the attention of a value-oriented, family audience, the single biggest challenge associated with launching a new live show of any kind and Star Wars in Concert, an arena show that debuted earlier this year in Anaheim. 07:36 – Planning and organizing pre-publicity opportunities to promote live arena touring shows, and what live entertainment producers and promoters and really competing against when they launch new tours. 09:54 – P.T. Barnum as a public relations pioneer, the Ringling Brothers circus parade as a built in PR stunt and working with local agencies like the police force as a way of getting the word out that the circus is in town. 12:38 – Creating advance ground tours to raise awareness and generate word-of-mouth prior to a run in any given city. 13:21 – Zing Zang Zoom’s publicity junket at the Magic Castle, at which mainstream media and mom bloggers interviewed the show’s zingmaster Alex Ramon, the show’s director Shanda Sawyer (who I represented) and illusionist Jim Steinmeyer. 16:21 – How a blogger relations campaign used promo codes and special offers to sell 10,000 tickets online. 18:41 – Focusing a blogger relations campaign geographically, so that local blog coverage drives local ticket sales. 20:23 – The unique challenges of selling tickets to live family entertainment events on the west coast of the US versus the middle or eastern US, and the second biggest competitor that promoters of large scale arena performances face. 23:03 – The impact of the digital revolution on the category live entertainment as a whole, based on the mounting success of agent Tony Selznick (a friend and client) of McDonald Selznick Associates, which represents stage directors, choreographers and dancers. 23:40 – Is live entertainment impervious to being undercut by the Internet? 24:10 – Xanadu’s online Tony Award PR campaign, which used a fictitious press agent to create word-of-mount on the Net. 25:23 – Why do live entertainment producers have no photo policies, when photos taken and shared by audience members increase awareness that that show is currently in town? 27:03 – How live entertainment marketers can use YouTube to collect third-party endorsements from consumers. 28:26 – The advantages and disadvantages of working with Ticketmaster, which is currently being acquired by LiveNation, and online ticket sales versus phone ticket sales. 31:51 – Does StubHub present a considerable challenge to Ticketmaster/LiveNation? 33:15 – Why and how search engine optimization has created an opportunity for ticket scalpers to exacerbate the wedge between live entertainment producers and their ticket buying publics. 35:55 – How to beat the scalpers at their own game and get the best seats to any live entertainment event. 38:28 – Buying tickets online versus via phone, and adjusting your ticket buying strategy to the size of the venue where the live entertainment show will run. 40:55 -- End RECOMMENDED PODCASTS: Inside the Online Video Business with Blip.TV co-founder Dina Kaplan Securing Celebrity Endorsements for Public Relations with Rita Tateel On the Record...Online with LA Times Entertainment Writer John Horn On the Record...Online with Deadline Hollywood Columnist Nikki Finke Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is an independent new media and social media communications consultant, the creator of the top-rated New Media and Social Media Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of social media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills, as well as social media strategy and campaign support. Schwartzman is also the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom. This episode was recorded on Cyber Monday (the Monday after Thanksgiving) in 2009. Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord and get them as soon as they’re released.

Celebrity Endorsements and Social Media with Rita Tateel

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 03:34:18 GMT

How to book celebrities for special event appearances, making a paid celebrity endorsement authentic and the impact of social media on the culture of celebrity with Rita Tateel, president of The Celebrity Source at the 2009 PRSA International Conference. 00:54 – Past projects with The Celebrity Source include securing High School Musical star Ashley Tisdale for the Girls Day San Diego and Hayden Pannettiere for GenCon Indianapolis, two special events. 01:41 –Achieving measurable business objectives through celebrity appearances and the most commonly asked questions public relations practitioners have when they are investigating the possibility of booking a celebrity for a special event or product launch. 02:01 – Choosing celebrities based on a target audience and why a one-size fits all strategy never works. 02:56 – Matching celebrities to campaigns based on key messages, so the endorsement is authentic. 03:38 – Celebrities may be a great way to get people’s attention, but can they ever be more influential than one’s online social network? 04:40 – How the clothing line Von Dutch was able to launch based on a few well placed celebrities who were seen wearing those baseball caps and t-shirts, scoring influential brand recognition. 05:35 – Can celebrities influence more than just style-related brands? Do people trust celebrities when it comes to considered purchases, likes health care, financial services or politics? 07:35 – How the world of celebrity endorsements has changed in the age of social media and transparency. 8:12 – Joe Jaffe’s prediction that Twitter is a bubble waiting to burst, the Edelman Trust Barometer [PDF] ranking on the influence of celebrities and whether or not the emergence of micro-celebrities who find fame with a smaller audience online will change the way we regard pop culture celebrities. 09:50 – How Twitter is enabling pop culture celebrities to directly engage their fans, build a more passionate fan base and establish greater influence than disengaged celebrities. 10:36 – Does the fact that a celebrity is paid for an endorsement automatically cancel out their credibility? 11:24 – Using celebrity endorsements for corporate cause-related marketing initiatives. 12:43 – Does Twitter and social media make it more difficult to keep a celebrity on message? 13:23 – How to effectively brief a celebrity on your key messages prior to a special event appearance. 14:01 – At what point do you monitor social media before, during or after a celebrity appearance? 15:23 – How to maximize the impact of a celebrity appearance and the most common mistakes organizations make when book a celebrity for public relations event. 17:29 -- End RECOMMENDED PODCASTS: On the Record...Online with Fame Formula author Mark Borkowski On the Record...Online with Deadline Hollywood’s Nikki Finke On the Record...Online with Richard Johnson of Page Six Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is an independent new media and social media communications consultant, the creator of the top-rated New Media and Social Media Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of social media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills, as well as social media strategy and campaign support. Schwartzman is also the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom. On the Record…Online is the Official PR Podcast of the 2009 PRSA International Conference. Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord and get them as soon as they’re released.

Joe Jaffe Bursts the Twitter Bubble

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 21:24:20 GMT

Why Twitter’s a bubble waiting to burst, inside-out social media marketing and the sweet spot between branding and online communities with Joseph Jaffe (@jaffejuice), president and chief interrupter at Crayon, recorded at the 2009 PRSA International Conference. Jaffe recently released his third book “Flip the Funnel” about harnessing the power of your existing customer base as a source of recommendations and referrals. He has a blog, made his initial foray into podcasting with Steve Rubel on “Across the Sound” is now a solo effort renamed “Jaffe Juice.” 01:10 – Why it’s dangerous to measure and judge the effectiveness of social media by old media standards, how podcasts generate business opportunities, and reaching the right people versus a lot of people. 02:34 – Jaffe talks about his three books, the conceptual thread that binds them and building businesses from by marketing from the inside out. 06:16 – The sleaze factor associated with incentivizing people to recommend brands to their online social networks, how recommendations can determine the degree of trust, credibility, authority and consistency we have for someone, and how “street cred” or social currency is starting to become a factor in keeping people honest. 08:55 – Erik Deutsch asks via Twitter, “How should clients balance corporate branding with personal style in social media.” 09:30 – A discussion about personal branding, repositioning and controversy, and why putting too much value in your own self-worth can side track you from achieving real business objectives. 11:11 – Trolling for criticism, the importance of self-confidence and standing for something you believe in, even if it is just giving away a free iPhone. 13:09 – Being first, taking risks, experimentation and analysis paralysis. 14:42 – Giovanni Rodriguez asks via Facebook, “Is social media up-leveling or marginalizing people in the PR profession?” 15:51 – Applying the skills of public relations, such earned media through media relations and nurturing relationships, to social media communications, and the mad dash among PR agencies, ad agencies and clients to lead in social media engagement. 18:04 – If you thought Second Life was the be all end all, here’s why Twitter is a bubble just waiting to burst. Looking at the finger instead of where it’s pointing. And how to effectively leverage Twitter in organizational communications. 22:18 – Why PR agencies, ad agencies and clients should NOT lead in social media engagement, and how to realign the corporate org chart to join online conversations. 24:19 – The findings of the Digital Readiness Report, by Tom Smith, Don Spetner, Barb McDonald and myself, and which department inside the organization is leading social media engagement at most companies. 26:15 – The difference between consumer generated content and consumer generated media. 27:16 – The difference between viral campaigns and memes. 29:22 – Whether or not marketers can and should actively engage in social media, or if they’re better off focusing on building an environment in which communities can grow organically. 31:39 -- End RECOMMENDED PODCASTS: The Death of Marketing with Ad Industry Pundit Bob Garfield Social Media Strategy for Nonprofits with Beth Kanter How People use Social Media during a Crisis with Leysia Palen Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is an independent new media and social media communications consultant, the creator of the top-rated New Media and Social Media Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of social media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills, as well as social media strategy and campaign support. Schwartzman is also the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom. On the Record…Online is the Official PR Podcast of the 2009 PRSA International Conference. Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord and get them as soon as they’re released.

Social Media Strategy for Nonprofits with Beth Kanter

Eric Schwartzman — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:59:57 GMT

Social media strategy for nonprofits specialist Beth Kanter on nonprofits that are using social media effectively, why research from Weber Shandwick and Philanthropy Now about the ROI of social media at nonprofits misses the mark and leaving social media ant trails. Featured Guest In 2009, Beth Kanter was named by Fast Company Magazine as one of the most influential women in technology and one of Business Week's "Voices of Innovation for Social Media." In March, 2009, she will serve as the 2009 Visiting Scholar for Social Media and Nonprofits for the Packard Foundation. 01:05 – An explanation of the visiting scholar program at the Packard Foundation and her upcoming book with Allison Fine tentatively titled “The Networked Nonprofit” to be published by Wiley in 2010. 03:05 – The threats and opportunities that self organization via social media presents to nonprofit organizations. 04:28 – Leaving social media ant trails online so people who have an interest in your cause can find you, and start leaving their own ant trails online to create a network effect. 06:24 – The work of self-organizing, online collaborative activity specialist Eric Eugene Kim and the impact of leaving digital ant trials over time. 07:59 – How the social media strategies of nonprofits differ from those of commercial organizations and government agencies and a discussion of how Dr. Richard Leakey, chairman at Wildlife Direct, is using a blog community of conservationists to leave ant trails that eastablish relationships among passionate wildlife conservation, and generates significant funds through online donations. 09:45 – Delivering value to the community before asking for money and a discussion of how the March of Dimes Share Your Story online community for parents of babies born prematurely, or who have spent time in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), rallied around the family of a child that died, covering the the family’s funeral expenses and sending proceeds for the March of Dimes. 11:54 – A discussion of Chris Brogan and Julien Smith’s give-to-take ratio, as prescribed in their book Trust Agents. 14:40 – A discussion of how to effectively promote the new Facebook page launched by the US Dept. of State to extend the reach on the delegation’s participation at the COP15 UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. 16:29 – Partnering and connecting with like-minded influencers as a way of proliferating a message through peers via social networks and using print collateral and signage to recruit online friends offline. 18:58 – Cross promoting your Facebook badge on your blog and using conventional promotions to encourage social media engagement. 19:54 –Weber Shandwick’s Social Impact Survey which is somewhat misleading, because it asks the wrong the questions, and which is also quite helpful, because it suggests that social media is less about building visibility and more about engaging communities. 22:37 – Beth Kanter’s reaction to the results of Philanthropy Action’s report on Social Networking and Mid-Size Nonprofits. 23:33 – Beth Kanter responds to Alison Noonan, who asks, “I’m currently working for a children’s charity. Any suggestions how we can make up for lost funding with social media?” (Sorry Alison but I couldn’t find the roiginal tweet, or your Twitter ID, to link to. Please send it to me again and I will add it.) 26:07 – Translating the donor pyramid into a practical social media strategy for nonprofits and a study by Pew Internet which found that large charitable donations are more likely to occur online. 27:03 – Beth Kanter responds to Kevin Skerrit, director of new media at EduGuide.org, who asks via Twitter, “If resources are available, should NGOs create their own social networks, or only participate in other big ones like Facebook?” 27:50 – How websites are becoming more social and content is getting a social life through outposts like Facebook and Twitter, and your home base, such as your own website or blog. 28:51 – How Planned Parenthood has reorganized their internal structure to form a content department, which manages content on their own website, and repurposes that content through social media channels. 29:42 – A discussion of the Social Media Game created by David Wilcox and Beth Kanter, designed to take people through a simulated process of mapping a social media strategy to specific organizational objectives. 38:51 – End Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is an independent new media and social media communications consultant, the creator of the top-rated New Media and Social Media Boot Camp. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online communications strategy and implementation, Schwartzman leads a portfolio of social media training courses to accelerate the development of social media communication skills within organizations. Schwartzman is also the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom. Special thanks to the Austrian Club in Melbourne for reminding me to get this done. Apologies Bob Crawshaw, but I didn’t receive your question until after the interview was complete.

US Embassy Press Officer Karin Czerny on Social Media Communications in Vienna

Eric Schwartzman — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:10:03 GMT

Dr. Karin H. Czerny, Head of the Press Section at the United States Embassy in Vienna and Eva Muhm, Director of the American Reference Center at the United States Embassy in Vienna talk about communicating US interests via mainstream news media and social media in Austria. 00:34 – An introduction to the featured guests on this podcast, and the context of the conversation. 00:49 – Internet penetration and blogging culture in Vienna, Austria compared to other countries. 01:21 – The use of the social web during political campaigns and political bloggers. 03:53 – The conference on The Future of Journalism, organized at Amerika Haus by the US Embassy in Vienna. 04:39 – Use of the US Embassy in Vienna’s website to post press releases and announcements. 05:36 – The solvency and reach of newspapers versus online news in Vienna, and who reads what. 07:57 – Using a recent student protest as an example of how people are organizing and communicating online, the guests discuss the use of emerging media channels to communicate effectively on behalf of the US in Austria. 08:44 – How the US Embassy in Vienna is using social media to communicate such as Facebook page, YouTube, Flickr and Twitter, and what they hope to achieve through these channels. 10:46 – The social media strategy driving the US Embassy in Vienna’s engagement, and how they decide what information should be distributed through their different online communications channels. 11:41 – The biggest challenges associated with communicating on behalf of the US Embassy in Vienna. 13:49 – Unique characteristics and requirements of communicating with the Austrian mindset. 17:02 – Whether or not the mainstream news media coverage and online discussion of the US domestic health care reform debate has impacted the credibility of our foreign policy decisions in the international community. 18:49 – A discussion of the types of topics and speakers that the US Embassy is hosting in Vienna. 21:15 – Hopes and expectations for the UN Copenhagen Climate Change Conference. 22:10 – The social media readiness of Vienna compared to other European Countries. 23:29 – End Other Recommended Podcasts: The State of Social Media in Europe with Top Austrian Bloggers Using Social Media to Fight Global Warming at the US Dept. of State Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is an independent new media and social media communications consultant, the creator of the top-rated New Media and Social Media Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of social media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills, as well as social media strategy and campaign support. Schwartzman is also the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom. This episode was recorded at the US Embassy in Vienna. Special thanks to Greg Goble and Brigitte Pressler for their support with this episode.

Using Social Media to Fight Global Warming at the US Dept. of State

Eric Schwartzman — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:54:44 GMT

U.S. Dept. of State Foreign Service Officer Liz Murphy and Public Affairs Specialist Billie Gross of the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs discuss using social media to stop global warming, rebuilding bridges with the international climate community and extending the reach of the UN Climate Change Conference via Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Featured Guests: Liz Murphy -- Prior to this assignment, Liz Murphy served as a Public Diplomacy Officer in Baku, Azerbaijan and as a Consular Officer in Monterrey, Mexico. She has an A.B. degree in history from Harvard. Billie Gross -- In addition to her work at the State Department in 2006, Billie Gross also serves a public relations specialist at BRG Public Relations. Before joining the State Dept, she worked at the U.S. Dept. of Energy as an assistant human resource specialist. 01:03 – How the US Dept. of State Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs promotes transformational diplomacy by advancing global environmental stewardship, encouraging economic growth and promoting social development. 03:03 – Facts about global warming: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world’s authoritative scientific body’s consensus on climate change is indeed occurring. The IPCC shared the Noble Peace Prize with Al Gore in 2007. 04:06 – How the Bureau responds to the claim that U.S. carbon emissions on a per capita basis are among the world’s highest. 04:58 – The international community’s response to renewed efforts from the US to play a role in capping carbon emission after the Kyoto protocol. 06:19 – Preconceived notions of developed and developing nations in the international climate community towards the US and hard emissions targets, emissions trading, financing objectives and securing room for future growth. 07:24 – What the US Dept. of State’s diplomatic delegation hopes to achieve at the COP 15 UN Copenhagen Climate Conference. 08:46 – The impact of recent article in the New York Times titled “Leaders Will Delay Deal on Climate Change” on the US Dept. of State delegation’s morale and momentum. 09:56 – Propel Media Events (@propelmedia) asks via Twitter, “Where did you begin? What type of social media plan did you start with? What are the key metrics to ensure success?” 10:31 – Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s attitude toward social media engagement and the various social media channels the US Department of State has established, including the DIPNOTE blog, to extend the reach of their activities online. (The State Dept also has a presence on Facebook, YouTube, Flickr and Twitter.) 11:57 – Can the U.S. Department of State effectively achieve global electronic engagement in the age of social media without violating the Smith-Mundt Act, as discussed with Mountain Runner public diplomacy blogger Matt Armstrong in a previous podcast. 14:32 – What was involved in establishing a Facebook Fan Page to extend the reach of the U.S. delegation’s activities at the COP15 conference and how the Bureau plans to use the Facebook presence at the conference. 16:08 – How the Bureau is working to draw fans to its new COP15 UN Climate Change Conference 2009 Facebook page, and a discussion of the US State Dept’s Facebook page and the Office of Global Women’s Issues Facebook page. 17:25 – A discussion of where climate change ranks in importance in terms of global issues, and whether or not the number of fans attracted to the COP15 Facebook page could have an impact on the legislative process. 19:48 – The different panels, speakers and other live events that will be occurring at the COP15 conference and simulcast on the Bureau’s new website at http://www.COP15.state.gov, the centerpiece of the State Dept’s social media strategy at the conference. 22:01 – The social media strategy by which the Bureau will determine what kind of content to release through which online media channels, and in what sequence. 24:58 – The bureau’s online video strategy for simulcasting live and serving up video on demand. 27:01 – The schedule of events will be posted online here, via Twitter and Facebook. 28:28 -- George Clark (@RasoirJ) asks via Twitter, “How will they use State's field network, embassies, consulates, etc., to enhance their approach to social media?” 29:30 – Tapping into US Embassy networks and regional offices worldwide to stimulate participation in live online chats to solicit questions and feedback on a global basis. 30:32 – What foreign policy changes the US could make to lessen domestic carbon emissions and how to get actions at home into an enforceable, international agreement. 32:33 – Liz Murphy and Billie Gross discuss lessons learned as professional communicators that could be applied to the private sector like building consensus and tailoring messages to different audiences. 35:20 – The US Dept. of State is challenging participants to win an all expense paid international exchange program in the “Change Your Climate, Change Your World” video contest. Complete contest details here. 36:49 -- End Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is an independent new media and social media communications consultant, the creator of the top-rated New Media and Social Media Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of social media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills, as well as social media strategy and campaign support. Schwartzman is also the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom. Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord and get them as soon as they’re released.

How to Achieve Social Media Rock Star Status with Ariel Hyatt

Eric Schwartzman — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:37:20 GMT

Indie Music Online PR Specialist Ariel Hyatt on using social media to get signed to a record deal, how P. Diddy tweets without ruining the mystique of his stardom and using social media engagement to empower fans to promote their music organically online. 01:07 – Ariel Hyatt of Ariel Publicity and author of “Music Success in Nine Weeks” describes her journey from conventional mainstream public relations executive to promoting musical artists exclusively online. 03:07 – Ariel Hyatt talks about immersing herself in social media by launching a blog, podcasting, hosting meet-ups, going to Podcamp and becoming a contributing member of the community. 04:17 – Candace Joy asks Ariel Hyatt via Michael Butler of the Rock ‘n Roll Geek Show, “How would you get someone signed?” 04:30 – Creating a groundswell social media movement online by building a vibrant fan base community as a proof of concept to lure record labels to sign you to a record deal. 05:50 – The Marie Digby online promotion scandal. 8:50 – Just how long it takes to build trust, learn to communicate authentically and actually see the benefits of social media engagement. 10:30 – In a question submitted via Twitter, Rick Goetz asks, “What’s more important for blog love: doing newsworthy things or knowing people?” 11:43 – Is the transparency of social media stripping away the mystique of the rock star? 12:28 – Finding out that Henry Rollins was never on Twitter. 13:31 – Musicians Pete Wentz, Dave Navarro and John Mayer’s use of Twitter and Mylie Cyrus’s recent decision to quit Twitter. 14:24 – How P. Diddy repeatedly captures popular interest and taps into the popular nerve and why talent alone may not be enough to ascend to rock star status. 15:45 – P. Diddy’s now famous Popeye’s vs. KFC chicken TwittyTV online video. 17:09 – Inside the social life of Ariel Hyatt, a massive Ska, Punk, Rock indie music fan. 18:38 – A DIY recording artists’s career defined. 19:13 – The ascent of blues guitarist Kelly Richie, who learned to leverage social media to connect directly to her fan base and scale the pyramid. 22:25 – Why jam bands like the Grateful Dead and Phish represent social media in the real world. 23:46 – Translating musical like-mindedness into social media connections. 25:36 -- End Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is an independent new media and social media communications consultant, the creator of the top-rated New Media and Social Media Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of social media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills, as well as social media strategy and campaign support. Schwartzman is also the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom. This episode of On the Record…Online, the Official PR Podcast of the 2009 PRSA International Conference, was recorded live at the conference and released on Veteran’s Day. Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord and get them as soon as they’re released.

U.S. Army Reserve Social Media Chief Lieutenant Colonel Gerald Ostlund

Eric Schwartzman — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:07:56 GMT

A conversation with U.S. Army Reserve Social Media Chief Lieutenant Colonel Gerald Ostlund about empowering service members to use social media as unofficial spokespersons, the use of social media during the Fort Hood shootings and what U.S. citizens can do to show support for members of the U.S. Armed Forces. 00:59 – Gerald Ostlund defines his areas of responsibility as social media chief at the U.S. Army Reserve, which includes social media strategy, social media policy, social media content development and quality control. 2:01 – Operational security as the core concern the U.S. Army Reserve has about social media engagement, and protecting against operational security violations by making sure that reservists understand not to divulge where they’ve been or where they’re going via social media channels, particularly when they’re deployed down range. 02:21 -- Soldiers as unofficial U.S. Army Reserve spokespeople, whether they’re on duty or off. Just as public relations practitioners teach their clients that there’s no such thing as going off the record, the U.S. Army Reserve teaches their soldiers that there’s no such thing as “off duty” when they’re using social media. 03:03 -- Importance of staying within the bounds of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, not disparaging the President of the United States, members of U.S. Congress or other elected Government leaders, which may be punishable violations of the code. 03:47 – Whether or not being a member of the U.S. Armed Forces means you must sacrifice your Constitutional Right to Free Speech. 04:27 – The litmus test for whether or not the Uniform Code of Military Justice extends to social media. 05:36 – How the U.S. Army Reserve is approaching the unique challenge of managing decentralized communications via social media among an army of reservists who are continuously rotating in and out of active duty, and how U.S. Army Reservists are balancing their online civilian persona against their online military persona. 06:35 – Staying in your lane by personalizing your experience as a way of empowering soldiers to serve as unofficial spokespeople, while ensuring they don’t step on the toes of the U.S. Army Reserve Public Affairs detail, who fill the official spokesperson role. 07:44 – Advice to U.S. Army Reservists who tweet and use other social media channels on how to differentiate their personal opinions from the official policies of the U.S. Army Reserve. 09:14 – The use of disclaimers such as “Although I am an officer or soldier, I don’t speak for the U.S. Army Reserve” on blogs and in the profile sections of social networking services. 10:21 – Media relations and crisis communications lessons learned from the Fort Hood shootings and the use of social media to get the word out quickly during the tragedy. 13:03 – Leysia Palen’s analysis of official and unofficial communications during the Virginia Tech shootings and the prospect of socially distributed problem solving. Ms. Palen is a past guest on this podcast. 14:57 – Most of the victims of the Fort Hood shooting were revealed through mainstream and social media prior to the U.S. Army’s ability to release an official statement, due to the legal responsibility of notifying next of kin prior to making official announcements. 15:42 – The prospect that General George W. Casey, Jr., Chief of Staff at the U.S. Army, would revisit the way they make use of communication channels to distribute information during good times as well as bad. 16:54 – How U.S. Army Reserve Public Affairs Officers -- who may be required to go in front of the news media and discuss the details surrounding the deaths of soldiers who they’ve trained with, and who may be their personal friends -- control their emotions under the spotlight in times of crisis. 18:18 – The real sacrifice U.S. Armed Forces service members make for choosing a life of military service. 20:24 – The call of duty, obeying the oath to serve and defend when the U.S. President calls and leaving the policy and the politics to elected, civilian leadership. 21:31 – Whether or not the U.S. Armed Forces could effectively to use social media to win trust and confidence in Afghanistan or Iraq, and why we need to be ones mentoring and enabling them to spread the word themselves. 25:35 – The relationship between Iraqi and Afghani nationals and their ex-pat community in the U.S., and utilizing the latter as a resource to get the word out to nationals. 27:08 – His experience working directly with Iraqis and the sacrifices they are making to try and build a better Iraq. 27:53 – What motivates people to set off bombs and plot terrorism against civilians inside Iraq. 29:27 – What U.S. citizens can do to support the troops and to promote a peaceful resolution to armed conflict. Ideas for showing support: • Say thank you to a soldier. It means a lot. • Volunteer for a family readiness group at your local Army Reserve. • Whether you’re left or right. VOTE! Put representatives in office who you think will better the USA, so the policies our service members are defending are worth the sacrifice. 32:08 – Whether or not young people are getting more or less engaged in the political process. 33:52– End MORE MILITARY PODCASTS: • Inside the Pentagon with Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Robert Hastings • Balancing Your Right to Know against Operational Security with US Marine Corps Public Affairs Officer Major Danny Chung • Social Media Training the US Armed Forces Public Affairs Staff at DINFOS with Staff Sgt. Joshua Salmons Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is an independent new media and social media communications consultant, the creator of the top-rated New Media and Social Media Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of social media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills, as well as social media strategy and campaign support. Schwartzman is also the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom. This episode of On the Record…Online, the Official PR Podcast of the 2009 PRSA International Conference, was recorded live at the conference and released on Veteran’s Day. Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord and get them as soon as they’re released.

Inside the Pentagon with Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Robert Hastings

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:17:01 GMT

A conversation about the chain of command inside the Pentagon, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and caring for wounded warriors with Bob Hastings, vice president communications Northrop Grumman Information Systems and former acting assistant secretary, Defense for public affairs who presentes a case study about Wounded Warrior Care: Practical Applications in Strategic Communications. 01:23 – An explanation of the civilian oversight of the military, the reporting structure within the US Department of Defense and what it’s like inside the control center at the Pentagon. 03:26 – Just how advanced IS the technology inside the US Department of Defense? 04:28 – Why some US Armed Forces service members are more guarded than others when talking to the new media. 07:40 – Secretary of Defnese Robert Gates’s observation of the tension between “exquisite systems” we may need to win the war tomorrow versus getting the gear we need to win the war today. 09:37 – How the SecDef cut through the bureacracy to improve the quality of treatment for wounded warriors, faster MRAP requisitioning and the procurement of faster and better intelligence on the battlefield. 10:53 – How the Department of Defense secures and develops intelligence. 11:29 – The Wounded Warrior Care case study that Robest Hastings is presenting at the 2009 PRSA International Conference. 12:58 – The most important lesson learned from the Wounded Warrior Care case study. 15:17 – How Robert Hastings came to be appointed as an Assistant Secretary of De fense. 17:24 – What it was like interviewing at the Pentagon with SecDef Robert Gates for the job of Assistant Secretary of Defense. 19:24 – A discussion of a strategic communications intiative undertaken by the US Dept. of Defense 20:25 – Which branch of the US Armed Forces officer’s dining room at the Pentagon has the best food. 22:25– End RECOMMENDED PODCASTS: • Social Media Training the US Armed Forces Public Affairs Staff at DINFOS with Staff Sgt. Joshua Salmons • Balancing Your Right to Know against Operational Security with US Marine Corps Public Affairs Officer Major Danny Chung Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is an independent new media and social media communications consultant, the creator of the top-rated New Media and Social Media Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of social media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills, as well as social media strategy and campaign support. Schwartzman is also the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom. This episode of On the Record…Online, the Official PR Podcast of the 2009 PRSA International Conference, was recorded live at the conference. Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord and get them as soon as they’re released.

Balancing the People s Right to Know against Operational Security with USMC PAO Major Danny Chung

Eric Schwartzman — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:20:08 GMT

United States Marine Corps Major Danny Chung discusses his role as a public affairs officer, pulling Geraldo Rivera out of the desert during Operation Iraqi Freedom and balancing the American people’s right to know against operational security during combat situations. 00:56 -- Why Major Chung decided to enlist in US Marine Corps in 1990. 02:07 – What it was about the Marine Corps versus the Army, Navy and Air Force that attracted him. 04:00 – How he wound up in media relations, which was certainly not his intention when he originally joined. 04:48 – Major Chung discusses his experience managing media relations in Iraq before and after former president George W. Bush command the US Armed Forces to invade Iraq on March 19, 2003. 06:05 – Major Chung talks about his experience getting the USMC story out to professional journalists in today’s highly polarized news media environment. 07:41 – Major Chung’s opinion of Fox News. 09:22 – Using access to newsmakers and other military public affairs officers as a way to influence the media coverage that gets generated. 11:44 – The mandate of a United States Marine Corps public affairs officer. 12:41 – Pulling Geraldo Rivera out of the desert during Operation Iraqi Freedom for compromising operational security and the more difficult aspects of balancing the American public’s right to know against operational and national security now and in the distant future. 14:41 – The single biggest lesson that all Marine officers learn. 16:06 –How a conservative, command and control style organization like the US Marines Corps is approaching social media engagement. 18:34 -- Casey Peterson asks if social media has replaced the letter home and if the Marines are monitoring that information for loose lips. 20:06 – The role of a public affairs officer and leadership in monitoring social media conversations, the pervasiveness of digital media in lives of service members today and the Abu Ghraib prison photos scandal as a case study for when things go wrong. 22:18 – Getting the good and the bad news out as quickly as possible. 23:12 – The prospect of living up to the motto “every Marine a spokesperson” by making laptops and handhelds standard issue. 24:14 – How the USMC public affairs staff mitigates risk be briefing their fellow Marines on dealing with the press. 25:39 – How to convince a commanding officer who may be older and less engaged that things like search engine optimization and social media matter, when they don’t even know what these channels are. 31:02 – Should the US Marine Corps acknowledge Matthew Ho’s resignation at www.marines.com? 33:03 – Fighting to preserve the right of people to freely protest and express their opinions. 34:02 – Erik Deutsch asks about the US Military’s social media strategy in the Middle East, to which Major Chung responds that print and radio are more of a factor in those theaters. 36:16 – The notion of using social media for information operations and the use of handheld devices to Tweet during the Islamic Republic of Iran’s recent electoral protests. 38:56 – Major Chung responds to a passage from a feature story in Wired Magazine about how Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is focusing on winning the war today and his decision to ramp up production of armed transports deployed in Iraq. 41:28 – Major Chung talks about driving around Bagdad in a soft skinned Humvee. 44:05 – Major Chung shares his personal perspective on the effectiveness of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates versus former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. 46:41 – End BONUS PODCAST: Social Media Training the US Armed Forces Public Affairs Staff at DINFOS with Staff Sgt. Joshua Salmons Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is an independent new media and social media communications consultant, the creator of the top-rated New Media and Social Media Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of social media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills, as well as social media strategy and campaign support. Schwartzman is also the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom. On the Record…Online returns as the Official PR Podcast of the 2009 PRSA International Conference, which will be in San Diego, Oct. 7-10, 2009. Other US Armed Forces public affairs officers who will be interviewed at the conference include: • Lt. Col. Ann Peru Knabe, APR, public affairs officer, Pentagon War Court Spokesperson, U.S. Air Force Reserve • Col. Rudy Burwell, director, Army Reserve Communications Subscribe via RSS or follow us on Twitter @ontherecord and get them as soon as they’re released.

State of Social Media in Austria and Europe with Top Austrian Bloggers

Eric Schwartzman — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:28:31 GMT

Austrian bloggers Helge Fahrnberger, Michael Vaccaro and Matthias Wurz discuss the development of social media in Europe, cultural differences between Europe and the US, and what Austrian’s really think about Arnold Schwarzenegger, John Kerry and Bruno. 00:58 – Helge Farhnberger talks about his experience blogging in Austria, his blog, his work as a social media and social software consultant and a major sociological condition for human cooperation. 02:45 – Michael Vaccaro talks about his blog which is a platform for promoting unknown, indie artists -- primarily in Austria and Germany -- to help them snag record deals and talent representation. 04:02 – Matthias Wurz talks about his experience blogging, his blog and his objective of explaining Austrian affairs to an international audience. 05:19 – Austrian bloggers share their opinions on Arnold Schwarzenegger as an actor, a politician and an Austrian and why Austrian’s call him the man without a mother tongue. 06:43 – Why Austrian’s stripped Arnold Schwarzenegger’s name from a football stadium in the city of Graz that had been named after him. 08:27 – How Austria’s right wing conservative voters felt about the US Supreme Court’s decision to recognize as president George W. Bush over John Kerry, who was of Austrian decent. 08:58 – Austrian bloggers react to Sasha Baron Cohen’s portrayal of a fictional Austrian character in the motion picture Bruno. 10:10 – Austrian bloggers discuss the motion picture “The Sound of Music” and how many Austrians have seen the film. 11:23 – Austrian bloggers discuss Viennese coffee house culture versus American coffee house culture, Starbucks and talking your coffee to go.. 16:45 – Working hard, hardly working and living to work versus working to live. 18:02 – Austrian bloggers discuss Austria’s ranking as the best place to live in the world. 21:34 – Austrian bloggers debate whether or not a clearer delineation between work and play is causing the use of social media to develop differently in Europe and Austria. 22:17 – Helge Farhnberger on the social demographics of Austria, which has 8 million people: 20 to 30 thousand Twitter uses, he guesses, making the point that Twitter users are influential. There are 1.2 million active Facebook users in Austria. And he talks about why innovations are more likely to come out of the US than Europe. 24:31 – Michael Vaccaro talks about mixing social life and work, social media usage among younger people in Europe, the role social media users play as cultural sign posts and how Austria’s listing as the best place to live reinforces that behavior. 27:26 – Matthias Wurz offers a counter perspective to Michael Vaccaro’s assertion that laziness is at least partially to blame for social media apathy in Europe and how he uses Facebook both professionally and personally. Matthias is on Twitter at @matthias_wurz. 29:34 – Michael Vaccaro is on Twitter @clstrfck 29:42 – Helge Fahrnberger is on Twitter @muesli 30:17 – Austrian bloggers discuss the differences and similarities between US and Austrian bloggers. 32:45 – The state of the newspaper business in Austria, whether or not Austrian’s are becoming less interested in newspapers, and the reach and impact of mainstream news media. 34:43 – How Michael Vaccaro started securing MP3s from labels that he could make available at clstfck. 35:48 – Matthias Wurz gives us the state of the news media business in Vienna, from the perspective of an officially accredited Austrian journalist who has been writing at a magazine for many years. 39:12 – Which mainstream media channels are most under pressure from advertiser’s defections in Austria and how the advertising spend is changing in Austria. 40:34 – German start-ups developing products that involve search engine optimization and mapping: People123, TripWolf, Bikemap (Helge’s) and soup.io. 43:42 – How people find clstfck. 45:30 – Michael Vaccaro shares the hottest three (3) Austrian recording artists he’s blogged in the last three months: MMM Matthias, Database and Micro Trauma. 46:23 – Matthias Wurz on whether Austrian journalists are considering writing for search and Steve Lohr’s article “The Boring Headline Is Written for Google.” 50:07 – Austrian bloggers discuss the recent student protest that completely clogged the streets in central Vienna, which was organized entirely through Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #unibrennt. The demonstration was estimated to be 20 to 40 thousand students large. 59:02 -- End Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is an independent new media and social media communications consultant, the creator of the top-rated New Media and Social Media Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of social media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills, as well as social media strategy and campaign support. Schwartzman is also the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom. On the Record…Online returns as the Official PR Podcast of the 2009 PRSA International Conference, which will be in San Diego, Oct. 7-10, 2009. We’ll be talking to other conference keynoters in the weeks leading up to the event, and interviewing many of the presenters and panelists on site.

Social Media Investor Relations Special with former SEC Attorneys

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:09:16 GMT

This is a special episode on investor relations in the age of social media, releasing corporate disclosures on Facebook company pages and via Twitter, the legal risks that CEO bloggers pose to public companies, Regulation Fair Disclosure compliance with company websites and more. Featured guests are Brain Lane, a partner at Gibson Dunn and Crutcher and the former Director of the Division of Corporate Finance at the US Securities and Exchange Commission and Broc Romanek, the Editor of TheCorporateCounsel.net and a former counselor to SEC Commissioner Laura Unger. Special thanks to Dominic Jones of the IR Web Report and Mark Story, director of new media at the SEC for providing supporting information and research that was instrumental in the development of this podcast. Michael Decker who is the disclosure expert at BusinessWire, a press release distribution service, was also scheduled to appear on this podcast, but was dropped from the call. He will be invited to appear on another podcast. Request for Feedback: This podcast breaks from the program’s original format. There is no sound bite or set up. Instead, it moves straight from the opening main title to the interview. What do you think about this format change? Should we keep it, or revert to the previous format? 2:46 – An explanation of what Regulation Fair Disclosure is, whisper numbers, why the regulation was enacted and how public relations and investor relations officers at publicly traded companies comply with it. 4:56 – An explanation of what selective disclosure and insider trading are, and why it is considered unfair for a publicly traded company to disclose material information in a way that could give some investors an unfair trading advantage over others. 5:55 – How the NASDAQ bubble of the 1990s lead to enactment of Reg FD. 7:40 – Addressing the question of whether or not press release distributions services are the only sure way to satisfy Regulation FD in light of new guidance issued by the SEC. 8:09 – How the SEC’s view of push technology, like email, versus pull technology, like company websites has changed over the last nine years , which channel dominates today, and the use of pull technology to satisfy Reg FD. 10:21 – How to comply with the SEC’s new Reg FD guidance and how to satisfy Regulation Fair Disclosure with the use of company websites, or online newsrooms. “When the SEC first adopted Regulation FD in mid-2000, it acknowledged that companies may be able to rely on the web to disseminate disclosure at some point in the future, but emphasized it was not likely to be considered sufficient yet. Now, that day has come.” 11:01 – The eight factors for companies to consider when they want to go the online only route for releasing material information that could affect their trading value, and the challenge and irony of satisfying those factors for large and small companies. 11:55 – An explanation of what SEC Commission guidance is and a discussion about the August 7, 2008 Commission Guidance on the Use of Company Websites for Corporate Disclosures [PDF]. 13:27 – A confirmation that public companies can satisfy Reg FD by introducing material information first on their own website, as long as they comply with SEC’s guidance. 14:05 – Considering the following language (which appears on page 18, paragraph 2 of the guidance in the above PDF link) what determines whether or not a company’s website is a recognized channel of distribution. “In order to make information public, it must be disseminated in manner calculated to reach the securities marketplace in general through recognized channels of distribution and public investors must be afforded a reasonable waiting period to react to the information. Thus in evaluating whether information is public for the purposes of our guidance, companies must consider whether and when (1) the company website is a recognized channel of distribution…” 15:05 – Whether or not search engine optimization can play a role in helping companies comply with Reg FD. 16:03 – The shortcomings of investor relations website outsourcing services and the NYSE’s decision in May 2009 eliminate requiring listed companies to announce corporate disclosures with press releases. 17:32 – A second confirmation that companies can sequence the release of corporate disclosures on their own website first, if they follow it up with push technology release as well, and the commission’s guidance that “if you put something on your website, even if it wasn’t deemed to be public disclosure, they wouldn’t deem it to be a violation of FD if that’s what you did.” 20:08 – Using the press release to alert investors in advance that a company intends to release earnings information on its website at a specific time. 20:36 –The rationale for moving press releases on corporate websites first: search engine optimization specialists Danny Sullivan and Lee Odden agree that companies are best situated to improve the search visibility of their corporate website by collecting inbound links, and therefore, it’s in a company’s best interests to encourage inbound links to press releases at its own domain, versus links to a paid or legit newswire, which may have distributed or aggregated that press release. 22:30 – The growth of shareholder activism and how that may put pressure on public companies to more actively manage the investor relations section of their corporate website. 24:35 – The importance of accessibility from the SEC’s standpoint, and whether or not regulators are coming after companies with sloppy, difficult to navigate websites. 24:54 – SEC staff guidance that reference hyperlinks must lead directly to the pertinent content, rather than to the homepage or directory of the IR website. Permalinks are required. 26:31 – The use of Facebook company pages as IR websites, and a blog post by Dominic Jones of the IR Web Report about companies that are actually using Facebook pages for general business purposes, and IR specific purposes and which business sectors are the early adopters. 27:42 – Whether or not it’s legal to release corporate disclosures first on a company Facebook page. 29:25 – Whether or not Sun Microsystems Chairman Jonathan Schwartz, who pushed the limits of Reg FD on Jonathan’s Blog, would meet the same degree of resistance today. 31:26 – The legal challenges of public companies whose CEO blogs such as tipping off investors selectively, the duty to update and why nonselective disclosure means nonselective engagement in social media communications. Also, the type of corporate disclosures that belong in a press release rather than a blog post. 34:55 – The risk of blogs at company websites: “If you sponsor a blog on your website, there’s an inherent belief that somehow you’re endorsing that what’s on the blog is accurate.” 36:39 – Circumventing risk by blogging about nonmaterial corporate information. 37:39 – The risk of corporate blogs being seen as semi-private conversations by the regulators, and as such, selective disclosures, and just how easy it is to break the law under Reg FD. 39:10 – The opinion that all CEOs and all IR Officers should be blogging, as long as they are properly trained in what to say and what not to say. The Dell Shares blog is used as a good example of an effective IR blog that did not result in any regulator violations. 40:25 – The number of companies twittering about financial issues and a study by Q4 Web Systems about showing that 8 public companies have Twitter accounts 4 of those use Twitter for IR. (Seems to be the number must be considerable higher). 40:43 – The challenge of putting financial information in proper perspective in just 140 characters. The example of EBay live Twittering earnings calls. 41:57 – A confirmation that public companies bear greater responsibility for the accuracy of content situated at their own web domain than they would for content they create on a third party social network. 43:08 – Whether or not investors relations officers and attorneys are really ready to act on this guidance. The legal department at Microsoft’s blog as an example of a public company that’s comfortable with social media. 44:56 – An explanation of XBRL, an XML classification scheme for financial information. 46:43 -- Whether or not XBRL can be used to fulfill regulation FD, the real value of XBRL and the risks of serving up financial information out of context. 48:49 -- End Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is an independent new media and social media communications consultant, the creator of the top-rated New Media and Social Media Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of social media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills, as well as social media strategy and campaign support. Schwartzman is also the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom. On the Record…Online returns as the Official PR Podcast of the 2009 PRSA International Conference, which will be in San Diego, Oct. 7-10, 2009. We’ll be talking to other conference keynoters in the weeks leading up to the event, and interviewing many of the presenters and panelists on site. Register here.

US Army Public Affairs Social Media Strategy and Tips on Speaking Truth to Power

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:32:54 GMT

US Army Public Affairs Staff Sgt. Joshua Salmons, who coordinates internet-based capabilities training at the Defense Information School (DIFNOS) on getting the United States Army public affairs staff up to speed on social media public relations, speaking truth to power and advocating decentralized communications in the command and control world. On the Record…Online returns as the Official PR Podcast of the 2009 PRSA International Conference. We’ll be talking to a good number of military public affairs officers who handle public relations for the US Armed Forces at the upcoming event. Subscribe via email, RSS or Twitter to get all the 2009 PRSA International Conference podcasts. Or register to the conference attend the event here. 3:01 – Integrating social media training into the curriculum at the Defense Information School (DIFNOS). 4:28 – How the US Army’s senior leadership uses public affairs and information operations in battle to manage public perceptions, and the fundamental policy that every service member is a spokesperson for the US Armed Forces. 6:53 – How US Military senior leadership is responding in principal to the risks and opportunities of new media engagement, and how middle leadership is applying social media on a tactical basis. 8:52 – The seriousness with which General Berger and General Casey, as well as the US Air Force, US Navy and US Coast Guard’s senior leadership are acting to make sure that the US Armed Forces gets social media right. 9:34 – Specifically what the US Armed Forces are doing at this point in time with social media. 10:09 – How the media and blogosphere got the news about US Marines Corps social media policy all wrong. 10:23 – Select US Dept. of Defense social media communications programs by the numbers (as of Oct. 15, 2009): • US Marine Corps Facebook Followers – 98,945 • US Army Facebook Followers – 65,268 • US Air Force Facebook Followers – 8,125 • US Coast Guard Facebook Followers – 7,420 • Pentagon Channel YouTube Subscribers –140 11:20 – Social media as an information battlefield tool where public opinion is won and lost. 12:12 – Tia Nelson asks if the US Army is actively nurturing relationships gained in social, and if service members are having conversations with civilians? 14:16 – US Dept. of State foreign service officer and former US Army infantry reservist Don Kilburg III asks if the US Army is systematically listening, and if information coming in is being used to drive outgoing information. 16:40 – How Jack Holt, the US Army’s new media guy, is exploring the tactical value of social media tools. 17:37 – Theresa Christianson ask how the military monitors pictures that personnel post to social media services , given the potential security risks and the “grisly quotient.” 18:20 – How the US Army is using training and education to curtail and mitigate the security risk of social media, and why misuse should never be used as a justification for inaction. 20:08 – US President Barack Obama and Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen recognize the risks of social media, but they see the benefits of establishing a secure, trusted communications channel as well worth that risk. 21:11 – The US Army’s operational security (OPSEC) strategy and training to offset the risks of cyber warfare and cyber terrorism. 24:07 – Whether or not social media could be used as a tool for winning the trust and confidence of the Afghani people in the current conflict. 26:08 – The attitude inside the US Dept. of Defense about the social media review that is expected to conclude this month, and whether it will form the basis of an umbrella social media policy for al branched of the military sometime in the future. 27:12 – Mr. Price Floyd, asst Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs is a great advocate of social media and has talked about using past guidelines and widely moving forward. 29:37 – Tips on speaking truth to power. 32:13 – Advocating for a decentralized communications model inside the ultimate command and control organization. 33:51 – Balancing social media communications against national security. 37:00 – Will social media become a core component of the US Armed Force training regiment? 39:10 – The use of Twitter, possibly by the Basaji riot police during the recent electoral protests in Iran to trick Mousavi supporters into showing up at fake protest sites where they would be arrested. 40:58 – Will laptops and handhelds devices ever be standard issue for service members? 42:40 – Reclassifying “social media” and “internet-based operations” to better communicate it value to all facets of the military complex. 43:29 – Empowering all service members to tell the military story themselves directly to their peers via social media. 45:20 -- End Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is a new media and social media communications consultant, the creator of the top-rated New Media and Social Media Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of social media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills, as well as social media strategy and campaign support. Schwartzman is also the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom.

PR Measurement Best Practices with Mark Weiner

Eric Schwartzman — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:35:48 GMT

A discussion with Mark Weiner, CEO of PRIME Research in North America, about why PRSA formed the Measurement Working Group, measuring social media engagement and the pros and cons of advertising value equivalency (AVEs). Weiner will present a session at the 2009 PRSA International Conference entitled “Proving the Value of Public Relations” on Sunday, November 8, 2009 at 4:45 pm, and was a member of the PRSA Measurement Working Group with David Rockland of Ketchum, Pauline Draper-Watts of the IPR Measurement Commission Chair, Katie Paine of KD Paine & Partners and Don Wright of Boston University. Prior to PRIME, Mark Weiner was the Global Director and Senior Vice President of Ketchum Research where he led an international team of analysts. Before joining Ketchum, he Weiner was the CEO and president of Delahaye, a corporate communications and public relations research and consulting firm founded by Katie Paine, who has also appeared on this podcast, and who provided research support for this episode. On the Record…Online is the official podcast of the 2009 PRSA International Conference. Register to attend here. 1:01 - @ericschwartzman gives Mark Weiner’s background, a brief introduction to the PRSA Measurement Working Group and an overview of what Mark will cover in this podcast. 4:35 – How Mark Weiner will the help PR practitioners overcome the challenge of communicating the value of public relations at the 2009 PRSA International Conference. 5:50 – Mark Weiner on his participation in the PRSA Measurement Working Group, which brought together thought leaders to explore how public relations impacts business, and which published a “Business Outcomes” deck to help practitioners communicate the value of public relations to clients and managers. 7:05 – Why PRSA created a Measurement Working Group and a clarification for anyone who heard about this effort first on episode 484 of “For Immediate Release” The Hobson & Holtz Report.” 9:12 – PRSA’s intention of providing a solutions agnostic approach and the Measurement Working Group’s pooling of measurement intelligence. 11:14 – Based on his experiences traveling the globe consulting on public relations measurement, Weiner explains the common misconceptions about PR measurement outside the US. 12:32 – The purpose of public relations search and evaluation in business and translating public relations performance through data. 13:33 -- Whether or not communicating through numbers is more objective than communicating through language, as per 2009 PRSA International Conference keynote speaker Todd Buchholz’s appearance on this podcast. 14:29 – Minimizing misinformation through transparency. 15:23 – The percentage of PRSA Silver Anvil Award applications that are eliminated each year because of they lack measurement data and use purposely vague language. 18:06 – The pros and cons of using advertising value equivalency to communicate the value of public relations to managers and clients. 19:37 – The most meaningful measures of public relations value. 21:20 – Advertising value not as a dollar value, but as a measure of relative value. 22:12 – 2009 PRSA International Conference Keynoter Bob Garfield’s dire prediction on the future of ad-support media and building the business case for social media engagement. 24:20 – The importance of measurement standards, and how measurement standards for social media engagement will evolve. 26:57 – Overcoming the challenges associated with interpreting the sentiment of an avalanche of user generated content in real time. 30:59 -- End Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is a new media and social media communications consultant, the creator of the top-rated New Media and Social Media Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of social media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills, as well as social media strategy and campaign support. Schwartzman is also the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom.

Truth through Numbers with former White House Economic Policy Advisor Todd Buchholz

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:10:37 GMT

2009 PRSA International Conference Keynote Speaker, Former White House economic policy advisor Todd Buchholz talks about whether numbers are inherently more objective than language at communicating facts, communicating through raw data and number crunching truth in the digital age. On the Record…Online returns as the Official PR Podcast of the 2009 PRSA International Conference. We’ll be talking to other conference keynoters in the weeks leading up to the event, and interviewing many of the presenters and panelists on site in San Diego as well. You can register to attend the event here. 1:20 – Former White House economic policy advisor Todd Buchholz, who is confirmed to keynote the upcoming Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) International Conference in San Diego, November 7-10, 2009 shares a glimpse of what he’ll talk about in his presentation. 4:08 – How James Carville exploited what Buchholz said was a fairly mild recession in 1991 during US President H.W. Bush’s administration on behalf of the Clinton Campaign. 4:52 – How and why US Federal Bank Chairman Alan Greenspan’s monetary policy resulted in a global economic meltdown. 6:32 – How US Banks can regain the American people’s trust. 8:28 – The sustainability of outsourcing as a business strategy, and how it will impact the American economy. 9:50 – Todd Buchholz shares what worries him most about the health and welfare of the American economy. 11:36 – Why critical thinking skills and an understanding of statistics will be essential to the professional success of future generations. 12:42 – A recent New York Times cover story on the hot job for college graduates today. 13:05 -- How statistics are often used by government to mislead voters. 14:47 – Todd Buchholz responds to the following passage from Anand Giridharadas’s recent New York Times opinion piece “Athens on the Net,” “The headlines from Washington today blare of bailouts, stimulus, clunkers, Afpak, health care. But it is possible that future historians, looking back, will fixate on a quieter project of Barack Obama’s White House: its exploration of how government might be opened to greater public participation in the digital age, of how to make self-government more than a metaphor.” 15:21 – Whether or not numbers are inherently more objective than language at communicating facts. 15:45 – How Washington budget cuts result in the release of inaccurate, financial market driving information, and why we need to upgrade our statistics capabilities. 17:11 – Todd Buchholz’s responds to another passage from Anand Giridharadas’s piece: “If the Internet needed a further nudge from its pedestal, the health care debate obliged. From the administration’s point of view, the Web arguably proved better at spreading deceptions about “death panels” than at spreading truth, and at turning town halls into brawls than at nurturing the unfettered deliberation that some imagine to be the hallmark of the Internet.” 18:03 – Number crunching truth in the digital age. 21:08 -- End Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is a new media and social media communications consultant, the creator of the top-rated New Media and Social Media Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of social media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills, as well as social media strategy and campaign support. Schwartzman is also the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom.

The Death of Marketing with Ad Industry Pundit Bob Garfield

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 23:42:31 GMT

2009 PRSA International Conference Keynote Speaker Bob Garfield, author of “The Chaos Scenario” and co-host of NPR’s “On the Media” talks about the imminent fate of the mass media business, why the insatiable quest for quarterly profits spells death for the old media guard and what the collision of our TV sound bite culture and the Net means for so many Americans who are chronically disengaged from credible sources of news and information. On the Record…Online returns as the Official PR Podcast of the 2009 PRSA International Conference, which will be in San Diego, Oct. 7-10, 2009. We’ll be talking to other conference keynoters in the weeks leading up to the event, and interviewing many of the presenters and panelists on site in San Diego as well. You can register to attend here. 3:12 – Bob Garfield on what he’ll discuss (*explicative*) at the 2009 PRSA International Conference. 3:34 – How the web empowers those of us formerly known as the customer, the electorate or the congregation to make life miserable for organizations. 4:39 – Why the digital revolution, which allow us to aggregate the energies and combined passions of the entire world, means utter catastrophe for the media and marketing industries. 6:02 -- The imminent fate of the fabled symbiosis between advertising and media as a result of the digital revolution. 7:02 – Why the public financial ownership model, which demands increased quarterly net profits, promotes status quo by restricting the mainstream media business from experimenting with new media and social media channels that could have long term benefits at the expense of short term gains. 10:03 – Stakeholder relations as the future of marketing and advertising online. 13:40 – The dangers of living in a US without a vibrant mainstream news media complex serving as a proverbial fourth estate, offering another set of checks and balances against the executive, legislative and judicial branches. 14:34 – The difference between the psychology of the crowd and the aggregated wisdom of the crowd. 16:35 – Cable news puts sensationalism before journalism by serving up a continuous feed of lies, half-truths and demagoguery that corresponds with the world view of its target audience, but the Internet hosts an endless number of points of views, so there will always be a greater number of moderate, rational thinkers on the web then in the polarized world of cable news, says Garfield. 20:01 – Whether or not trusted journalism brands will ever enjoy their day on the sun again. 21:17 – How and why unchecked power, as demonstrated by the careers of Kevin Costner and Eddie Murphy, rarely results in quality products. 21:55 – The severity of the digital revolution will not allow old media to adapt to the new media landscape. Garfield says this shift is on the scale of the industrial revolution, collapsing entire business models. Shel Holtz take note. 22:31 – Why the advertising industry cannot and will not adapt to the digital revolution. 24:39 –Transferring one’s knowledge of mass media to the business of new media engagement and what the convergence of the sound bite and the internet means for a large number of American who are chronically disengaged from accurate, balanced news and information. 26:38 – Some journalism brands will survive, but while the imminent “Chaos Scenario” that Garfield predicts is underway, many purveyors of mainstream news media will disappear. He shares what the media and democracy landscape might look like in 20 years. 28:04 – The impact of the rise of social media on television spot advertising, Madison Avenue’s mad dash to reinvent itself in the digital world and why online display advertising is so ineffective. 29:54 – Garfield’s investment advice to shareholders of Interpublic Group [NYSE: IPG] and Omnicom [NYSE:OMC]. Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is a new media and social media communications consultant, the creator of the top-rated New Media and Social Media Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of social media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills, as well as social media strategy and campaign support. Schwartzman is also the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom.

Social Media Crisis Communications Strategy Deep Dive with FEMA Public Information Officer John Shea

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:29:08 GMT

Public information officer John Shea goes On the Record…Online about strategically leveraging social media for crisis communications, the credibility gap between social media communications and your own website, and why press releases are ineffective for direct communications during times of crisis. FEMA Public Information Officer John Shea talks about how the Federal Emergency Management Agency is using social media to conduct crisis communications. FEMA is currently using Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Widgets and RSS to amplify potentially lifesaving information on a local and incident basis that may be available at FEMA.gov. 1:39 – How online newsrooms from iPressroom help public relations practitioners us the web as a primary stakeholder relations channel. For more information tweet @ipressroom, send email to info at ipressroom dot com or register for a demo. 2:47 – Why FEMA sees social media as an effective crisis communications channel. 3:41 – How FEMA is leveraging social media regionally and geographically by working with state and local partners during emergencies like earthquakes, fires and tornados and to provide disaster relief and promote disaster preparedness. 6:01 – FEMA’s Regional Twitter (Example: Region 9) and RSS strategy, social media account management policy, who decides what information moves via Twitter on a region by region basis, and coordinating the national and regional message. 10:12 – How FEMA is using an automated, decentralized social media crisis communications model to empower experts, state and local officials with preconfigured social media footprint, standard operating procedures, and training and support to integrate social media into existing job processes and minimize staffing requirements. 11:12 – How FEMA external affairs -- which includes public affairs, congressional affairs, intergovernmental affairs and community relations -- uses tool-based standard operating procedures as guidelines for experts, state and local officials who may be using FEMA’s social media websites during a disaster or to promote crisis readiness. FEMA has standard operating procedures for using Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. 14:17 – How FEMA is leveraging off-network solutions (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc.) to extend the reach of its on-networks resources (information available through FEMA.gov), as well as to navigate IT security, privacy and legal issues. 15:06 – Why creating and hosting content on-network is critical to maintaining the credibility of FEMA’s off-network social media communications efforts. 15:33 – How FEMA sequences the release of information during a crisis incident on-network and off-network. 17:22 – How and why social media has marginalized the effectiveness of press releases. The benefit of amplifying on-network information via Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites to reach individuals with potentially live saving information. 18:05 – Making social media status updates more credibility by back-ending them with links to on-network information, so recipients can verify information by means of the authority of the FEMA.gov domain. 19:08 – Instead of only pushing out safety alerts, FEMA is using social networking sites to search for and connect people looking for disaster relief, safety and security information with links to potentially lifesaving information at FEMA.gov. The sequencing of on-network versus off network information distribution, and the value of presenting content at your own domain versus a third-party social media site. 20:53 – Managing information security concerns when communicating about potentially vulnerable communities during times of crisis. 22:56 – The tools FEMA is using to crowd source the kind of crisis communications people need most during emergencies, and natural disasters, as well as the benefits of using web-based tools or software as a service at organization’s with stringent network security demands. 24:16 – What skill sets and staffing levels are required to manage media monitoring during a crisis, and how FEMA is using social media to listen proactively as a way of indentifying and distributing the information people need most. 26:24 – Why compatibility is critical to the effectiveness of America’s disaster response systems, and why interoperability and compliance are critical to FEMA’s social media communications strategy. 28:16 – What FEMA is doing to make disaster relief information available via mobile devices, and the notion of FEMA evolving into the public steward of raw disaster relief data, which could be repurposed and visualized by the public with open source tools like Google Maps. 30:42 – The network infrastructure required to respond to significant spikes in traffic, which customarily arise during times of crisis, and the content delivery network FEMA uses to help respond to increases in page requests. 33:05 – The legal guidelines that mandate what types of features government agencies can and can’t take advantage of when setting up and customizing various social media accounts. 35:11 – How FEMA is using internal communications to replace command and control style communications, with a more scalable model that lets the center of the organization inform the edges, and the edges inform the world. 37:02 – End Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is a new media and social media communications consultant, the creator of the top-rated New Media and Social Media Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of social media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills, as well as social media strategy and campaign support. Schwartzman is also the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom.

Public Affairs and Public Diplomacy is at Odds with Social Media and What to Do about It

Eric Schwartzman — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 01:43:54 GMT

Public affairs blogger Matt Armstrong of Armstrong Strategic Insights Group, LLC discusses U.S. Public Diplomacy, repairing America’s image abroad and whether or not the U.S. Department of State will ever be adequately resourced to lead the nation’s global engagement efforts through social media. Mountain Runner is a blog on the practice and structure of public diplomacy, public affairs and public relations. It is read by senior government officials, practitioners, trainers, academics, and analysts from the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Defense, the United States Congress, related institutions, think tanks, and government agencies around the globe. 1:46 – How an online newsroom from iPressroom can be used to help public relations practitioners generate more news coverage for their clients. How to use iPressroom to distribute press releases, biographies, fact sheets, publicity stills, video, audio, and more, and how to measure downloads and generate activity reports. For more information tweet @chrisbechtel or contact cbechtel at ipressroom dot com. 2:09 – Public diplomacy definition from Mountain Runner blogger Matt Armstrong. 4:05 – Why social media is a critical component of public policy, public affairs and public relations. 4:54 – How public policy can be used to dispel inaccurate information being promulgated by extremist groups online, by highlighting the differences between what an organizations says and what it actually does. 6:06 – Matt Armstrong’s gives his report on how the U.S. Department of State is doing in the area of social media engagement and web-based communications, relative to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Department of Defense, and what could be done to improve the State Department’s global engagement strategy. 8:20 – Matt Armstrong opines on how the U.S. Dept. of State is using Dipnote as an extension of their public diplomacy, public policy and public affairs efforts. 9:30 – Matt Armstrong shares has strategic communications approach to Facebook for U.S. Embassies. 10:31 – Matt Armstrong talks briefly about Exchanges Connect, which was set up by the U.S. Department of State on the Ning white label social networking platform. 13:54 – Matt Armstrong gives his advice to Secretary of State Clinton on how the U.S. Department of State can effectively achieve global electronic engagement in the age of social media, cutting the red tape between public affairs and public diplomacy and the problem with the Smith-Mundt Act. 17:18 – How the U.S. Department of State International Information Program website America.gov defies the Smith-Mundt Act, according the Matt Armstrong. 18:15 – Why broadcasting in Spanish in the United States is one of the easiest, most effective ways to convey public policy and conduct public affairs with Latin America, by leveraging foreign nationals and foreign media operating within the United States. 21:25 – Why open and honest online communications that acknowledge bad news as much as good are the only way to win what Presidents Truman and Eisenhower called the “struggle for the minds and wills” of the global populace. 21:47 – The origins of public affairs, public diplomacy and public relations, and why openness, honesty and the frequency of engagement is even more important in the online communications and social media space. Why web-based communications frustrate segmentation. 24:25 – Social media engagement for government communicators debunked by Matt Armstrong. 26:40 – Whether or not the U.S. Department of State will ever be adequately resourced to lead in global engagement online. Matt Armstrong grades the performance of senior advisor on innovation to secretary Clinton Alec Ross and the institutional hurdles that the U.S. Dept. of State will need to clear to practice successful global engagement in the social media age. 29:10 -- End Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is a new media and social media communications specialist and founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom (www.ipressroom.com), and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of social media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills.

Online Reputation Management on Twitter with #journchat Founder Sarah Evans

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:27:43 GMT

Corporate reputation management, identity management and social networking on Twitter with public relations pro Sarah Evans, who established #journchat, a popular, weekly, three-hour chat that occurs on Twitter every Monday at 6pm Pacific Time – 8pm Eastern Time between journalists, bloggers and PR professionals. To participate in #journchat on Twitter, all you have to do is follow the conversation, which Sarah moderates, by monitoring the keyword #journchat in Twitter search or using Twitter apps Tweetdeck, Tweetchat or Tweetgrid. By posting comments with the #journchat keyword, or hashtag as they are known by Twitterers, you can add your remaining 129 characters (140-11 to accommodate the hastag) into the online conversation. In this interview, Sarah talks about why #journchat took off, the Twitter apps she likes best for moderating her weekly chat on Twitter, best online reputation management practices for tweeting on behalf of brands and how early adopter brands can use micro blogging for corporate reputation management, crisis communications, social media optimization and lift search engine rankings. 1:46 – How an online newsroom from iPressroom can be used to help public relations practitioners generate more news coverage for their clients. How to use iPressroom to distribute press releases, biographies, fact sheets, publicity stills, video, audio, and more, and how to measure downloads and generate activity reports. Plus, how to get free access to iPressroom’s online newsroom SEO wizard. For more information tweet @chrisbechtel or contact cbechtel at ipressroom dot com. 2:49 – Sarah Evans on Twitter apps Tweetchat and Tweetgrid, two online social networking services designed for participating in group discussions on Twitter, which one she likes better and why? 3:42 – Sarah Evans on using Twitter apps for group messaging to block spammers from Twitter chats. 4:15 – Sarah Evans reveals her biggest surprises about moderating her weekly Tweet chat. 5:34 – Sarah Evans on the size of the community she’s built from moderating #journchat weekly. 6:43 – Sarah Evans on how and why #journchat grew so quickly on the Twitter instant messaging platform. 8:02 – Sarah Evans’ top three tips for leveraging social media to launch a successful, recurring online social media PR event. 9:15 – Sarah Evans on the level of support she received through the Twitter social networking platform when she first introduced #journchat, and how it served to validate her social networking event. 10:21 – Sarah Evans on social media strategy considerations for organizational communicators, branded Twitter accounts and personal Twitter accounts. 12:37 – Sarah Evans on best online reputation management practices for disclosing who the organizational communicator(s) behind a branded Twitter account are. 13:48 – Sarah Evans on the risks associated with letting an employee build their personal brand at the expense of a corporate brand. Eric mentions a previous episode in which Toyota revealed their social media strategy for putting their brand first on Twitter, while still acknowledging each employee’s contribution. 15:40 – Sarah Evans on pitching news stories to journalists and other media relations techniques via Twitter. 16:52 – Sarah Evans on her role as a guest writer at Mashable, the social media marketing tactics, social media SEO and social media marketing blog. 17:05 – Sarah Evans discusses Media On Twitter, a free, user-generated contact record database of journalists on Twitter which provides Twitter IDs for reporters and bloggers, much as Vocus PRWeb. 18:42 – Sarah Evans on social media PR strategy and social media engagement. 19:45 – Sarah Evans names the companies she thinks are doing a good job leveraging social media for communications. 21:15 – Sarah Evans on where we’re headed and future growth prospects for social media and online social networking. 22:57 – Sarah Evans gives out her Twitter ID and shares the best way to reach her. 24:04 -- End Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is a new media and social media communications specialist and founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom (www.ipressroom.com), and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of social media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills.

Crisis Communications Online - Social Media Usage during the VT Shootings with Leysia Palen

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:59:50 GMT

Crisis communications used to be the handled exclusively through official channels like press releases, spokespeople and media relations. But today, through the power of socially distributed problem-solving, a first draft of history more nuanced and accurate than ever before is emerging from social media, and increasingly, people are turning to unofficial sources first, particularly in times of crisis. In this episode, social media crisis communications researcher at the ConnectivIT Lab at the University of Colorado at Boulder Leysia Palen shares what she has learned about social media usage during a crisis, assessing the credibility of citizen journalism and user generated media during a crisis, and how organizations might align with unofficial back channels in the future. Show Notes: 1:45 – How an online newsroom from iPressroom can be used to help public relations practitioners generate more news coverage for their clients. How to use iPressroom to distribute press releases, biographies, fact sheets, publicity stills, video, audio, and more, and how to measure downloads and generate activity reports. Plus, how to get free access to iPressroom’s online newsroom SEO wizard. For more information tweet @chrisbechtel or contact cbechtel at ipressroom dot com. 2:56 – Social media crisis communications researcher Leysia Palen, an assistant professor of the Department of Computer Science at the College of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Colorado at Boulder and lab director of her research group, ConnectivIT, which focuses its research on social media crisis communications, shares her social science perspective on the differences between crisis, disaster, and emergency. 6:02 - Social media crisis communications researcher Researcher Leysia Palen on how accurate social media research is conducted, on the potential problems in social media crisis communications research, and on how these potential problems in social media communications research are tackled. 7:55 – Social media crisis communications researcher Leysia Palen shares her experience on the use of software tools for measuring conversations. She shares her knowledge on what tools are most useful and productive and what tools are being built. 9:58 - Social media crisis communications researcher Researcher Leysia Palen gives her insight on which of the readily available tools like Google are the quickest in indexing and delivering the most useful information during times of crisis. 12:37 - Eric Schwartzman comments about social media crisis communications researcher Leysia Palen’s report, “Crisis in a Networked World: Features of Computer-Mediated Communication in the April 16, 2007, Virginia Tech Event,” published by the Social Science Computer Review. 13:13 - Social media crisis communications researcher Leysia Palen shares crisis communications and emergency management advice on how to incorporate social media into how they manage emergencies. 15:45 - Social media crisis communications researcher Leysia Palen on what she learned about how people used social media during the Virginia Tech tragedy, on what she found surprising, on what the event shows from a social media emergency management point of view. She refers to the ethnographic work of one of her graduate students, Sarah Veiweg. 20:24 – Social media crisis communications researcher Leysia Palen on whether she thinks distributed problem solving is more reliable than top-down, commander control style problem solving during the inventory stage of a crisis. She talks about the difference between a disaster and an emergency. 22:42 - Social media crisis communications researcher Leysia Palen on how most Virginia Tech students were made aware of the shootings. 23:24 – Social media crisis communications researcher Leysia Palen on what students did once they were informed of the shootings, on Virginia Tech’s crisis communications throughout the day. She talks about how social media communications and online social networking sites were used for student-to-student communication and discovery of information throughout the day. 25:28 – Social media crisis communications researcher Palen on emergency management. She talks about backchanneling communications and the importance of frequent updates. 27:47 – Social media crisis communications researcher Leysia Palen on accuracy of information, on why we have to be critical consumers of information we receive, on making decisions with the information we are given, and on whether to trust pieces of information under uncertain situations. 29:56 - Social media crisis communications researcher Leysia Palen talks about whether or not a website is important for organizational communicators as source of crisis communications. She talks about whether or not she would advise that most websites be mobile-friendly as well 31:25 – Social media crisis communications researcher Leysia Palen on whether she thinks the violent nature of the Virginia Tech tragedy and helplessness of the victims is what compelled so many volunteers to accurately self-police their list-building activities. She talks about whether or not she thinks there would be a same level of accuracy in a political crisis. 34:45 - Social media crisis communications researcher Leysia Palen on what she thinks about timelines and visualizations of data and why their impact is appreciated. She refers to the research work of another one of her graduate students, Sophia Liu. 36:50 – Social media crisis communications researcher Leysia Palen on what type of policy changes she hopes her social media communications research on the use of social media during crisis will prompt. 39:04 – End. Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is a new media and social media communications specialist and founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom (www.ipressroom.com), and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of new media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills.

Online Newsroom Best Practices with Toyota Social Media Supervisor Scott Deyager

Eric Schwartzman — Thu, 21 May 2009 23:44:40 GMT

Online newsroom best practices, online newsroom design and social media communications with Toyota Social Media Supervisor Scott Deyager, who discusses online newsroom strategy, online newsroom software, online newsrooms and social media, online newsroom PR and the future of social media communications. Show Notes: 1:45 –Online newsroom services from iPressroom can be used to help public relations practitioners generate more news coverage for their clients. Insure online newsroom best practices by using iPressroom to distribute press releases, biographies, fact sheets, publicity stills, video, audio, and more, and how to measure downloads and generate activity reports. Plus, how to get free access to iPressroom’s online newsroom SEO wizard. For more information tweet @chrisbechtel or contact cbechtel at ipressroom dot com. 2:48 – Toyota Social Media Supervisor Scott Deyager shares his experience as a member of the Toyota family and his transition from traditional media relations to the social media communications team. 4:18 – Online newsroom access to the 2010 Pruis reveal at the Detroit Auto show which was simulcast live without password protection in Toyota’s online newsroom, and how live video streams are becoming an online newsroom best practice. 5:47 – The importance of maintaining open access as an online newsroom best practice, why Toyota chose not to use password protection for its online newsrooms, and why the loss of password protection has become an online newsroom best practice. 7:55 – How Toyota decides what press releases, press kits and other press materials goes in their online newsroom and what press kits and related content go on their social media sites and how Toyota uses different channels for different purposes. 9:17 – Toyota Social Media Supervisor Scott Deyager on people and process, on how Toyota decides who does what, and how the decisions to post content that insure online newsroom best practices are made. 10:20 – Note: At this point in the interview, the MP3 file ended abruptly and Scott Deyeger agreed to schedule a second interview, essentially rerecording the second half. Audiophiles may be interested to know that the first portion was recorded via Skype, the the second portion was recorded on a Telos One digital to analog bybrid device. 10:53 – How Toyota evaluates online newsroom best practices and the success of its social media outreach efforts. 11:47 – Toyota’s rationale for outsourcing its online newsroom to an online newsroom software provider instead of building a custom content management application or skinning an open source platform and having to instill online newsroom best practices autonomously. He talks about why Toyota selected the iPressroom online newsroom software. 12:57 –Toyota’s experience transitioning to the iPressroom online newsroom service 13:41 – Twitter integration in online newsrooms, Toyota’s communications objectives for Twitter, managing corporate and personal brands responsibly as communicators, and online newsroom best practices for Twitter integration. 16:28 – Putting the Toyota brand first, the use of signatures in tweets, and Toyota’s Twitter strategy of maintaining branded communications without sacrificing personal transparency. 18:00 – Toyota’s decision to establish branded Flickr and YouTube accounts instead of personal, employee accounts, and still maintain the peer-to-peer influencer advantage, and integrating these account into online newsroom best practices. 20:17 – The rules of engagement for social media interaction at Toyota. 21:10 – Eric Schwartzman brings up his past experience with podcasting and how thinks having last word as an interviewer is inappropriate. He asks whether or not Toyota is comfortable letting its critics have the last word in their online pressroom or social media sites. 22:20 – What’s next for Toyota in terms of social media communications. He talks about how the company is now “waking up” to social media technology. 23:01 – Eric asks for Scott’s job-seeking advice to Eric’s intern, Jessica Shu who wrote and search engine optimized these podcast show notes. Scott Deyager advises job-seekers who would like to secure a position in social media communications at a major organization like Toyota. 24:31 – The future of Toyota hybrids. He talks about the 2010 Toyota Prius and when it will be available. He gives insight on why now is a good time to buy a car. He mentions that more information can be found on Toyota’s online newsroom, youtube.com/toyotausa, Toyota Flickr and Toyota on Twitter. 25:56 – End. Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom (www.ipressroom.com), and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of new media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills. PROMO Get a 60-day free trial to online newsrooms provider iPressroom's Press Release SEO Wizard by calling 310-499-0544 ext. 504 and mentioning that you heard about it on this podcast. Or send email to info@ipressroom.com or tweet @ipressroom.

SEO for PR Tools and Tips from Search Engine Land editor Danny Sullivan

Eric Schwartzman — Thu, 14 May 2009 22:09:59 GMT

Online Newsroom SEO and Press Release SEO Best Practices Profiled SEO for PR is the subject of this interview with Search Engine Land editor-in-chief Danny Sullivan, who talks about online newsroom SEO, press release SEO, inbound links, his transition from traditional journalism to the internet, and what he thinks about Google and other tools. Show Notes: 1:45 – How an online newsroom from iPressroom can be used to help public relations practitioners generate more news coverage for their clients. How to use iPressroom to distribute press releases, biographies, fact sheets, publicity stills, video, audio, and more, and how to measure downloads and generate activity reports. Plus, how to get free access to iPressroom’s online newsroom SEO wizard to conduct SEO for PR. For more information tweet @chrisbechtel or contact info at ipressroom dot com. 3:01 – Search Engine Land editor-in-chief Danny Sullivan talks about what Search Engine Land is and what it covers. 3:47 – Search Engine Land editor-in-chief Danny Sullivan on his background and how he transitioned from traditional journalism to the internet and Search Engine Land. 5:02 – Search Engine Land editor-in-chief Danny Sullivan on what he knows about the Google algorithm and major search engines like Yahoo and Microsoft. He talks about what he thinks are the key factors that are important for most successful SEO for PR. 7:05 – Search Engine Land editor-in-chief Danny Sullivan on what he thinks is the order of importance of the different factors in SEO for PR. He talks about search on the Pinkberry website. 8:55 – Search Engine Land editor-in-chief Danny Sullivan on what his favorite tool is for measuring inbound links that are coming in. He talks about different tools and about what he likes and what he doesn’t like about the different tools that different companies use to cinduct SEO for PR. 11:25 – Search Engine Land editor-in-chief Danny Sullivan on the variety of strategies for building inbound links and the importance of having great content. 12:35 – Search Engine Land editor-in-chief Danny Sullivan on whether or not he agrees that some inbound links are more influential than others. He talks about the “secret formula,” about whether the domain of the link plays an important role, and about the two key things Google looks for in a link. 14:55 - Eric Schwartzman shares a story of how one power inbound link can play a huge role in either helping or hurting an individual and an organization’s reputation. 17:12 – Search Engine Land editor-in-chief Danny Sullivan on likely factors other than a powerful link that may come into play. He talks about Google’s Query Deserves Freshness initiative, what it does, and how it plays a role in SEO for PR. 19:41 – Search Engine Land editor-in-chief Danny Sullivan on whether he thinks Google is indexing news quicker than regular web content. He talks about Google’s dedicated news crawler system, what it is designed to do and what that means for SEO for PR practitioners. 20:11 – Search Engine Land editor-in-chief Danny Sullivan on what opportunities press releases sent over a newswire provides to companies that want to get news information about their products, brands, and services out there, on whether a certain format is necessary, on why he thinks the real opportuity oif press release SEO is not necessarily SEO for PR. 22:17 – Search Engine Land editor-in-chief Danny Sullivan talks about why he doesn’t use tools for benchmarking site rank and what he advises people doing SEO for PR to measure instead. 24:15 – Search Engine Land editor-in-chief Danny Sullivan on whether he thinks external key words or ad words tool are good indicators of clusters or themes and on whether or not he thinks these clusters are indicative of the types of words that would figure into Latent Semantic Indexing. 26:18 – Search Engine Land Editor-in-chief Danny Sullivan on whether or not he is concerned about the potential loss of investigative journalism, on the newspaper industry business models, on what he thinks the newspaper industry is wasting time on, and on what he thinks makes the online industry unique. He talks about the Digg tool. 29:23 – Search Engine Land editor-in-chief Danny Sullivan on what he thinks about Google, on whether he is worried that Google is the one company that is becoming a single point of failure for too many web activities. 32:33 – End. Related Episodes: • SEO maven Russell Wright goes On the Record...Online with Eric Schwartzman about the future of SEO services • On the Record...Online with SEO Guru Lee Odden • On the Record...Online with Expansion Plus President Sally Falkow, APR Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is the founder of online newsrooms software as a service provider iPressroom, SEO for PR advocate and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of new media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills. PROMO Get a 60-day free trial to online newsrooms provider iPressroom's Press Release SEO Wizard and conduct SEO for PR by calling 310-499-0544 ext. 504 and mentioning that you heard about it on this podcast. Or send email to info@ipressroom.com or tweet @ipressroom.

Wired Magazine Contributing Editor Frank Rose

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 08 May 2009 16:38:08 GMT

Wired Magazine contributing editor Frank Rose and author tips off media relations practitioners on how he decides what to write about, what he expects to find in the online newsrooms of the companies he visits online and whether or not the quest to write the great American novel or spec screenplay may someday be displaced by the quest to write the next great iPhone app. Show Notes: 1:45 – How online newsrooms from iPressroom can be used to help public relations practitioners generate more news coverage for their clients. How to use iPressroom to distribute press releases, biographies, fact sheets, publicity stills, video, audio, and more, and how to measure downloads and generate activity reports. Plus, how to get free access to iPressroom’s online newsroom SEO wizard. For more information tweet @chrisbechtel or contact cbechtel at ipressroom dot com. 3:22 – Wired Magazine contributing editor Frank Rose and author of West of Eden: the End of Innocence at Apple Computer gives insight into what he thinks makes a great magazine article. He talks about the necessary ingredients of a feature story in Wired Magazine. 4:22- Wired Magazine contributing editor Frank Rose talks about his interest in pop culture and what he has written about throughout his career. 5:25 - Wired Magazine contributing editor Frank Rose talks about how the internet has changed the way he covers and consumes news. He talks about his book called The Agency: William Morris and the Hidden History of Show Business on the William Morris Agency. 7:31 - Wired Magazine contributing editor Frank Rose on online newsrooms and on what he expects to find on a company’s website. He talks about how missing information and clumsy user interfaces in a company’s online newsroom can frustrate his efforts. 9:40 - Wired Magazine contributing editor Frank Rose on media relations and whether or not public relations professionals should be using social media to directly engage the public and the relationship of social media to online newsrooms. 11:00 - Wired Magazine contributing editor Frank Rose on the importance of ease of use in online newsrooms and why the user interface in your online newsroom directly impacts corporate reputation. 13:10 - Wired Magazine contributing editor Frank Rose on whether or not content is still king, and if it could be displaced by a good user interface. 15:15 – Wired Magazine contributing editor Frank Rose on the allure of the latest, greatest, shiny, new technology. 19:35 - Wired Magazine contributing editor Frank Rose on what makes Apple stand out from the rest. 21:25 - Wired Magazine contributing editor Frank Rose on the state of artificial intelligence, and whether or not we’ll every be able to build a computer that can truly mirror human behavior. 23:25 – End Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom (www.ipressroom.com), and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of new media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills. Another Interview with a Wired Magazine Journalist: On the Record...Online with Wired Magazine Senior Editor Jeffrey O'Brien PROMO Get a 60-day free trial to online newsrooms provider iPressroom's Press Release SEO Wizard by calling 310-499-0544 ext. 504 and mentioning that you heard about it on this podcast. Or send email to info@ipressroom.com or tweet @ipressroom.

Blip.TV Co-Founder Dina Kaplan on the Explosive Growth of Online Video

Eric Schwartzman — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 03:19:10 GMT

Blip.TV co-founder Dina Kaplan on the growth of online video, measurement challenges and how much her top showrunners earn from distributing their online video programs on her network. Show Notes: 2:10 – iPressroom, Trend Stream, Korn Ferry International and PRSA announce the 2009 Digital Readiness Report to determine what digital communication skills employers want and PR job candidates need in today’s competitive PR job market. If you’ve hired a PR or marketing employee in the last 12 months, or expect to in the next 12 months, please fill out the survey at http://www.ipressroom.com/ready by May 28, 2009. 4:00 – How an online newsroom from iPressroom can be used to help public relations practitioners generate more news coverage for their clients. How to use iPressroom to distribute press releases, biographies, fact sheets, publicity stills, video, audio, and more, and how to measure downloads and generate activity reports. Plus, how to get free access to iPressroom’s online newsroom SEO wizard. For more information tweet @chrisbechtel or contact cbechtel at ipressroom dot com. 5:45 – Blip.TV co-founder Dina Kaplan on what makes Blip.TV different from other online video, what kind of shows Blip.TV focuses on, mainstream television versus viral video, and how Blip.TV reaches its audience. 7:12 – Blip.TV co-founder Dina Kaplan talks about where Blip.TV’s traffic comes from. 9:28 – Blip.TV co-founder Dina Kaplan on whether or not Blip.TV shows cater to the Long Tail. 11:18 - Blip.TV co-founder Dina Kaplan on the importance of marketing to the different kinds of audiences, and the difference between reaching a large audience and reaching the right audience. 13:53 - Blip.TV co-founder Dina Kaplan on the cost of advertising on Blip.TV. She shares information about the CPM and discusses the different kinds of ways a brand can buy ads, the difference between advertising on web video and advertising on TV, and gives her rationale for the reason behind the price difference. 16:56 – Blip.TV co-founder Dina Kaplan on what should an independent producer should be looking for, on measurement options Blip.TV provides to its showrunners. 20:27 – Blip.TV co-founder Dina Kaplan on how much show content creators are making, on which kinds of web videos do best with advertisers, and what top earners can make running online video programs on her network. 23:40 – Blip.TV co-founder Dina Kaplan on what it took for Blip.TV to win the support of investors. 26:55 – Blip.TV co-founder Dina Kaplan on recent news about Youtube’s impending site redesign. She talks about how people’s online viewing habits are changing, and how the line between web and TV is blurring. 30:41 – Blip.TV co-founder Dina Kaplan on audio versus audio content. She talks about the importance of marketing in building audience for video content and gives examples of successes such as Gary Vaynerchuck’s Wine Library TV. 33:03 – Blip.TV co-founder Dina Kaplan on the production value of web shows, the culture of authenticity, and why feedback is so important. 36:09 – Blip.TV co-founder Dina Kaplan on recent the comSCORE Top U.S. Online Video Properties rankings, the challenges of tracking views, the different ways of measuring online viewership, and why it’s tough to compare views on one video platform to another. 38:04 - End Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom (www.ipressroom.com), and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of new media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills. PROMO Get a 60-day free trial to online newsrooms provider iPressroom's Press Release SEO Wizard by calling 310-499-0544 ext. 504 and mentioning that you heard about it on this podcast. Or send email to info@ipressroom.com or tweet @ipressroom.

Social Media Marketing and PR using Facebook Company Pages with CC Chapman

Eric Schwartzman — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 03:31:02 GMT

Social media marketing, social media optimization and social media PR using the newly upgraded Facebook Company Page features with co-founder and managing partner of The Advance Guard, C.C. Chapman, who recently released the free white paper “About Face [PDF],” which discusses how new changes in Facebook increase the social media marketing and social media PR capacity of the popular social network, and how a organizations can leverage social media optimization to achieve tangible business goals. Show Notes: 1:45 – How an online newsroom from iPressroom can be used to help public relations practitioners generate more news coverage for their clients. How to use iPressroom to distribute press releases, biographies, fact sheets, publicity stills, video, audio, and more, and how to measure downloads and generate activity reports. Plus, how to get free access to iPressroom’s online newsroom SEO wizard. For more information tweet @chrisbechtel or contact cbechtel at ipressroom dot com. 4:09 – Social media marketing is changing the ways brands interact. New media maven C.C. Chapman shares his thoughts on how the changes in Facebook impact social media optimization. 5:45 – Social media PR can be practiced on Facebook, says new media maven C.C. Chapman, who discusses the new ways that brands, businesses, and organizations use the social network for online PR. 6:40 – New media maven C.C. Chapman explains how to create Facebook pages and shares which companies he thinks are the most effective in using Facebook as a social media marketing tool. 8:15 – New media maven C.C. Chapman discusses specific Facebook changes and how organizations are utilizing the new features and applications for social media optimization. 12:49 – New media maven C.C. Chapman discusses which Facebook tools and applications he thinks still have room to grow. 14:20 – New media maven C.C. Chapman shares his insight on whether or not he thinks Facebook could replace online newsrooms. 16:38 – New media maven C.C. Chapman stresses why it is so important in today’s world to use Facebook as a social media marketing tool. 19:28 – New media maven C.C. Chapman discusses the relationship between a Facebook page and a company’s online newsroom or corporate website. He also shares his tips as to how The Advance Guard uses Facebook as a social media optimization tool, how the company determines the effectiveness of tools and applications, how the company figures out what is working and what is not. He reveals the easiest Facebook social media optimization application to use. 23:25 – New media maven C.C. Chapman tells us what an “fmbl” is and gives guidance to where to find out more information about them. 27:03 – New media maven C.C. Chapman discusses the differences between managing a personal brand and managing a company brand and how to use Facebook as a social media marketing communications tool for each. 29:13 – New media maven C.C. Chapman talks about why it is important to build trust with the Facebook community and shares his insight on whether or not it is tougher for social media marketers to build trust on Facebook fan pages or their online newsrooms. 30:37 – New media maven C.C. Chapman talks about dealing with potential challenges that may arise with Facebook and social media PR. 33:20 – New media maven C.C. Chapman shares what he thinks is the two most important pieces of advice for being building a successful online community. 35:35 – New media maven C.C. Chapman shares what personal sacrifices he makes to be the social media marketing and social media PR specialist. He talks about the importance of prioritizing and being passionate about social media and how this passion can help a company be the most successful in social media optimization. 38:13 – New media maven C.C. Chapman discusses why he thinks not all companies are ready for social media and what all companies should do before committing to social media. 40:00 – End Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom (www.ipressroom.com), and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of new media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills. PROMO Get a 60-day free trial to online newsrooms provider iPressroom's Press Release SEO Wizard by calling 310-499-0544 ext. 504 and mentioning that you heard about it on this podcast. Or send email to info@ipressroom.com or tweet @ipressroom.

Former Director of Online Communications for the Democratic National Convention Committee Jason Rosenberg

Eric Schwartzman — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:12:08 GMT

Former Director of Communications of the Democratic National Convention Jason Rosenberg Online newsroom and blogger relations advocate Jason Rosenberg, Director of Communications at the 2008 Democratic National Convention discusses his involvement in changing the dynamics of online media relations at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, setting up the DNC’s online newsroom, and establishing criteria for credentialing bloggers. Show Notes: 1:45 – Online newsrooms from iPressroom help public relations professionals leverage new media to generate more news coverage. Use iPressroom to distribute press releases, biographies, fact sheets, publicity stills, video, audio, and more, and how to measure downloads and generate activity reports. For a free trial of iPressroom’s online newsroom SEO wizard tweet @chrisbechtel or email info at ipressroom dot com. 3:18 – Jason Rosenberg on handling online communications at the Democratic National Convention. He talks about being hired as the second online communications director in the party’s history and working to build the most open convention in the Democratic party’s history. 4:00 – Jason Rosenberg discusses how he worked on leveraging online newsrooms and other online communications tools so that users would be able to get a view of the convention as if they were present. He talks about the impact of blogging during the convention and the challenges of convincing other communications staffers that bloggers should be credentialed to cover the event. 6:45 – Jason Rosenberg describes what the qualification process was for selecting bloggers for the national convention. He talks about the two different pools bloggers were selected from and about what he looked for in determining a bloggers’ credibility. 9:00 – Jason Rosenberg gives his perspective on how 2008 has changed the view of the online community’s role in media relations and discusses whether or not he thinks DNC’s online newsroom strategy was successful. He talks about how he called on the history news media to build a business case for blogger relations among senior level party communications staffers. 12:00 – Jason Rosenberg further describes his goals as director of online communications, using their online newsroom to dis-intermediate the mainstream media’s previous lock on distribution, and on making the national convention as open as possible. He talks about how making the maximum use of online resources and tools such as Twitter, Blip.tv, Flicker, and YouTube helped him in accomplishing these and other online communications goals. 16:00 – Jason Rosenberg further describes the challenges he faced with his role as director of online communications. He talks about how he was able to deal with the difficulties and about the evidence he found that helped convince skeptical national convention lawyers and communications staff that despite potential problems that may arise, the online community and bloggers were “ready to play the game.” 19:55 – Jason Rosenberg discusses the changing dynamics in media relations and how despite their novelty, blogs are now increasingly accepted and considered as an important channel for political strategists. He talks about how the results of the DNC have become instrumental in cementing these changes and why he believes they forever change the future of media relations. 21:17 – End Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom (www.ipressroom.com), and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of new media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills. PROMO Get a 60-day free trial to online newsrooms provider iPressroom's Press Release SEO Wizard by calling 310-499-0544 ext. 504 and mentioning that you heard about it on this podcast. Or send email to info@ipressroom.com or tweet @ipressroom.

Korn/Ferry International EVP of Corporate Affairs Don Spetner Advises PR Job Seekers on Job Hunting in a Recession

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 15:28:56 GMT

Korn/Ferry International Executive Vice-President of Corporate Affairs Don Spetner talks about today’s job market for public relations and corporate communications professionals, the new media communication skills you need to compete in today’s job market, and strategies for job-seekers to cope with the current down economy. Spetner is among the prestigious presenters at the upcoming PRSA Digital Impact Conference April 30-May 2009 in NYC. Show Notes: 1:50 - Online newsrooms from iPressroom help public relations professionals leverage new media to generate more news coverage. Use iPressroom to distribute press releases, biographies, fact sheets, publicity stills, video, audio, and more, and how to measure downloads and generate activity reports. For a free trial of iPressroom’s online newsroom SEO wizard tweet @chrisbechtel or email info at ipressroom dot com. 3:49 – PR jobs expert Don Spetner gives a preview of what he’s planning on talking about at the PRSA Digital Impact Conference April 30-May 1, 2009 in NYC. 4:25 – PR jobs expert Don Spetner on current executive hiring trends in PR and corporate communications, which communication skills are becoming less important, which communication skills are becoming more important, and what business wants from a new media specialist. 5:49 – PR jobs expert Don Spetner on the new media training communication skills employers themselves often lack, the importance of new media training, and effective job interviewing skills for public relations, corporate communications and marketing professionals. 7:25 – PR jobs expert Don Spetner on hiring trends, the new media training gap between junior and senior job-seekers, the new media communications skills prevalent among junior and senior job-seekers and why improving communication skills in the area of new media and social media are critical in today’s PR job market. 8:43 – PR jobs expert Don Spetner gives insight into how the quickly-developing new media world is redefining the specific business communication skills that Korn/Ferry International is looking for in executive recruitment today. 9:45 – PR jobs expert Don Spetner on how different kinds of organizations are integrating new media into their public relations campaigns and who generally controls mew media communications in the organization today. 10: 37 – PR jobs expert Don Spetner on best practices for new media communications management. 11:15 – PR jobs expert Don Spetner on what he thinks are the best sectors to be working in from a hiring standpoint and on which fields are staying strong and which fields are suffering in today’s economy. 12:21 – PR jobs expert Don Spetner on where he thinks the new media world is in relation to today’s government, Obama’s new media communications campaign, and PR job opportunities for government communicators. 13:25 – PR jobs expert Don Spetner on the impact of the US government bailout on the PR job market. 14:12 – PR jobs expert Don Spetner advises senior level communicators on learning from younger generations on new media communications and driving change within their organizations. 16:11 - PR jobs expert Don Spetner on philanthropist and financial services titan Eli Broad, Eli Broad’s art collection, and working with Eli Broad. He shares his experiences working with him and about whether or not Eli Broad is as difficult as his reputation suggests. 19:07 - End Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom (www.ipressroom.com), and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of new media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills. PROMO Get a 60-day free trial to online newsrooms provider iPressroom's Press Release SEO Wizard by calling 310-499-0544 ext. 504 and mentioning that you heard about it on this podcast. Or send email info@ipressroom.com or tweet @ipressroom.

Benefits of social media and the benefits of blogging with John Cass

Eric Schwartzman — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 01:05:54 GMT

Benefits of social media, the benefits of social networking and the benefits of blogging explained by Strategies and Tools for Corporate Blogging author John Cass, who talks about building profitable online communities, the differences between Linkedin and Facebook for business to business marketing, mapping objectives to social media channels and more. Show Notes: 1:45 – How an online newsroom from iPressroom can be used for new media marketing to help public relations practitioners better engage their publics. How to use iPressroom to leverage the benefits of social media and the benefits of blogging, and how to measure downloads and generate activity reports. Plus, how to get free access to iPressroom’s online newsroom SEO wizard. For more information tweet @chrisbechtel or contact cbechtel at ipressroom dot com. 3:25 – Strategies and Tools for Corporate Blogging author John Cass shares why he originally started blogging, how he discovered the benefits of blogging. 4:35 – Strategies and Tools for Corporate Blogging author John Cass discusses the quantitative benefits of blogging, the benefits of social media, and how corporate blogs can help businesses engage with their community. 6:25 – Strategies and Tools for Corporate Blogging author John Cass gives insight into the benefits of social media, and the strategy that was used for building an online community at Forrester Research. He talks about the benefits of social media tools such as blogs, Twitter, and interactive marketing forums. 7:50– Strategies and Tools for Corporate Blogging author John Cass explains how online communities for business to business users are different than online communities for consumers and why users are more concerned about privacy in a B2B setting. John also reveals the specific benefits of social networking for business-to-business marketing. 8:51 – Strategies and Tools for Corporate Blogging author John Cass on how online communities do not necessarily have to be free to be successful. He talks about the Blog Council and how other successful subscription-based online communities can actually be easier for people to get involved with, despite the fee. 11:50 – Strategies and Tools for Corporate Blogging author John Cass discusses more ways to make an online community profitable. He talks about how the pharmaceutical drug-safety regulators leveraged the benefits of social media by using social networks for stakeholder relations. 15:30 – Strategies and Tools for Corporate Blogging author John Cass discusses how to match the benefits of social media to specific communications objectives, the benefits of social media research, the benefits of online community management, and why he likes the book Building Community on Web by Amy Jo Kim. 20:00- Strategies and Tools for Corporate Blogging author John Cass discusses the benefits of social networking by brand. He shares his thoughts on what changes he thinks would be of benefit to the social networks. 22:40 – Strategies and Tools for Corporate Blogging author John Cass gives a preview of what he will be talking at the Digital Impact Conference presented by PRSA like sustainable online communities, how to be successful in social media networking and how online communities can be built with blogs, forums and other emerging social media channels. 24:05 – End Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom (www.ipressroom.com), and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of new media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills. PROMO Get a 60-day free trial to online newsrooms provider iPressroom's Press Release SEO Wizard by calling 310-499-0544 ext. 504 and mentioning that you heard about it on this podcast. Or send email to info@ipressroom.com or tweet @ipressroom.

Los Angeles Times Veteran, Author and LAObserved.com Blogger Kevin Roderick

Eric Schwartzman — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 00:51:54 GMT

Veteran reporter and author Kevin Roderick goes On the Record…Online about saving the Los Angeles Times, how daily newspapers can leverage social media and how institutions are grappling with the news media vacuum created by the Web. Native Angeleno Kevin Roderick spent 25 years as a reporter at the Los Angeles Times, authored two books about Los Angeles, publishes LAObserved.com and serves as the editor-in-chief of the UCLA online newsroom. Disclosure: The UCLA online newsroom is host on the iPressroom online newsroom management service. Show Notes: 1:47 – How an online newsroom from iPressroom can be used in concert with social media to help organizations reach broader audiences online. Plus, how to get free access to iPressroom’s new online newsroom SEO wizard. For more information tweet @chrisbechtel or contact info at ipressroom dot com. 3:17 – Kevin Roderick discusses the challenges facing The Los Angeles Times, how the only daily newspapers in the US nation’s second largest market might regain its relevancy and community-based journalism as an alternative to ad-supported media. 7:07 – Kevin Roderick on which editorial news beats at the Los Angeles Times have the greatest likelihood of success, competing with the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and Nikki Finke on the entertainment business news beat and the challenges of providing depth of coverage in the future. 11:38 – Kevin Roderick on how newspapers can compete with Wikipedia and news aggregators, the differences between news and feature coverage, The Los Angeles Times recent efforts to map the geography of the city and what that says about the newspaper’s grasp of Los Angeles. 16:36 -- Kevin Roderick compares the data desk at the Los Angeles Times to the newspaper’s now defunct political polling department. 20:42 – Kevin Roderick on hyper local media. 22:44 – Kevin Roderick on the Michael Hiltzik sock puppeting scandal, how The Los Angeles Times dealt with it, and whether or not that decision was just. 25:51 – Kevin Roderick on Pasadena Now, their outsourcing reporting to India via Craigslist Bangalore [correction] and whether or not the current economy represents an opportunity for news media upstarts to displace entrenched brands. 27:34 – Kevin Roderick on niche new media outlets like DailyCandy.com and the dangers of a polarized news media landscape. 31:21 – Kevin Roderick on the lessons institutions are learning with respect to negotiating their way through the world of new media and social media communications, and how UCLA specifically is integrating these emerging channels into their outreach efforts. 33:39 – End More Interviews with LA Times Staffers: On the Record...Online with Los Angeles Times Editorial Writer Jon Healey On the Record...Online with LA Times Entertainment Writer John Horn On the Record...Online with Los Angeles Times Columnist Joel Stein On the Record...Online with Los Angeles Times Interactive General Manager Rob Barrett Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom (www.ipressroom.com), and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of new media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills. PROMO Get a 60-day free trial to online newsrooms provider iPressroom's Press Release SEO Wizard by calling 310-499-0544 ext. 504 and mentioning that you heard about it on this podcast. Or send email to info@ipressroom.com or tweet @ipressroom.

NY Times Sunday Styles Reporter Allen Salkin

Eric Schwartzman — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 21:41:40 GMT

NY Times styles reporter Allen Salkin on what he expects to find in your online newsroom, why he trusts your online pressroom more than your Facebook page and why you need to Google whatever it is you’re pitching before you contact him. Show Notes: 0:49 – Online newsroom specialist Eric Schwartzman discloses his partiality for The New York Times. He offers his perspective on why he likes the daily print news format better than online news for broader fare, and echoes EPIC 2014’s concerns regarding the internet’s impact on media and democracy in the US. 1:45 – Eric Schwartzman characterizes the Sunday Styles section of the newspaper and the Thursday Styles section, with was more recently introduced. He also talks a bit about the types of stories Allen Salkin has written in the past. 3:10 – Chris Bechtel of online newsroom provider iPressroom on why job security for PR people today means securing a reliable way to post text, images and video to your organization’s online newsroom without requiring the help of IT. For info on iPressroom’s online newsroom service, tweet @ipressroom or email info at ipressroom dot com. 4:36 – Allen Salkin on best media relations practices for public relations professionals looking to submit news for editorial consideration to The New York Times style section. 5:23 – Allen Salkin shares his favorite magazine and television news programs for trend spotting. 7:12 – Allen Salkin on how Google helps him distinguish actual news trends from hype, and why you need to search whatever it is you’re pitching before you call or email journalists, and consider how those search results weigh in on your argument. 8:06 – Allen Salkin on “PR websites,” what he likes about him, what he dislikes about them, and his bias against public relations agency websites that post reviews and other editorial coverage about their own clients online. 9:14 – Allen Salkin discusses social networks, and why he finds them even less credible than PR agency websites as a credible information source. He also shares his disdain for street teams who stage “happenings” and any other marketing tactics that attempt to co-opt the “organic” to stir up word of mouth. 10:43 – Allen Salkin’s attitude toward “PR websites” that he perceives as being transparent about their mission. 11:26 – Allen Salkin on what he expects to find first in a company’s online newsroom and how a poorly designed user interface can negatively affect your reputation. 12:59 – Allen Salkin on why ease-of-use and user experience are central to effective online newsrooms, and what to avoid putting in them at all costs. 13:22 – How a media person’s experience in an organization’s online newsroom affects their ability to do their jobs, best practices for showcasing media contact information and why flash online pressrooms and PDFs are less useful to reporters. 14:30 – Allen Salkin on the difference between advertising photography and photojournalism, and the type of photography he finds most useful in a company’s online newsroom. 14:57 – Allen Salkin on having video in a company’s online news room versus on YouTube, where he’d tend to trust it most, as well as the type of video content he’s most likely to watch. 15:35 – Allen Salkin on why it’s a good idea to make sure your photos are in the online newsroom section of your organization’s website, rather than somewhere else. 16:01 – Allen Salkin responds to Eric Schwartzman’s claim that the more control an organization exercises over the content on its website, the less credibility it has, by likening one-sided websites to PR people who only tell reporters the rosy side of a story. Both, in his view, are unethical and untrustworthy. 17:50 – Allen Salkin talks about social media, acknowledging that while services like Twitter and Facebook have personal benefits, they pose challenges for reporters, because they could be seen by others as representatives of their employer even though they’re using them for social purposes. 20:27 – Allen Salkin on where The NY Times sits in the larger new media ecosystem, and the difference between primary news sources and the online news echo chamber. 22:49 – Allen Salkin points out NY Times Executive Editor Bill Keller’s recent Talk to the Newsroom feature and discusses the economics of the newspaper business. 24:28 – Allen Salkin on staff cuts at The New York Times, what makes The New York Times different from other online news websites, the challenges of news content deliver in the digital age and why he thinks The New York Times is more relevant today than ever before. 31:46 – End Other New York Times podcasts: On the Record...Online with New York Times Columnist David Carr On the Record...Online - David Carr of NYT's Keynote at PRSA On the Record…Online with New York Times Exec. Dir. Customer Insight Jeffrey Graham On the Record...Online with NY Times Technology Editor Steve Lohr On the Record...Online with John Markoff of the New York Times On the Record...Online with New York Times Personal Technology Columnist David Pogue Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom (www.ipressroom.com), and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of new media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills. PROMO Get a 60-day free trial to online newsrooms provider iPressroom's Press Release SEO Wizard by calling 310-499-0544 ext. 504 and mentioning that you heard about it on this podcast. Or send email to info@ipressroom.com or tweet @ipressroom.

Daily Candy Editor-in-Chief Dany Levy goes On the Record…Online

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 19:37:36 GMT

Email newsletter publisher and adored public relations target DailyCandy.com’s founder and Editor-in-Chief Dany Levy and CEO Pete Shienbaum discuss getting acquired by Comcast for $125 million, using email newsletters as a new media distribution channel, why their email newsletters are a valuable new media marketing opportunity and how public relations professionals looking to score coverage should approach their editorial staff. Show Notes: 1:45 – How an online newsroom from iPressroom can be used to help public relations practitioners generate more news coverage for their clients. How to use iPressroom to distribute press releases, biographies, fact sheets, publicity stills, video, audio, and more, and how to measure downloads and generate activity reports. Plus, how to get free access to iPressroom’s online newsroom SEO wizard. For more information tweet @chrisbechtel or contact cbechtel at ipressroom dot com. 2:59 – New media mogul Dany Levy shares where she was raised, where she went to school, where she lives and whether she’s single or taken. 3:54 – New media executive Pete Shienbaum on how he thinks a down economy will impact the lifestyle news beat and dealing with consumer’s changing media consumption habits. 5:09 – Dany Levy on the unique advantages of email newsletters as a distribution vehicle versus other new media channels, and how to adapt news and information to take best advantage of bulk email as a communication vehicle. 7:17 – Dany Levy on balancing the needs of marketers against the expectations of subscribers by helping marketers develop messages most likely to resonate with their nearly 2.8 million subscribers. Pete Shienbaum discusses the relationship between editorial and advertising at DailyCandy.com. 8:51 – New media mogul Dany Levy talks about her background in mainstream print news journalism, and how she governs the relationship between editorial and advertising at DailyCandy.com. 9:54 – Dany Levy on the impact of aesthetics on the DailyCandy.com brand, and just how far she’ll go to help a new media marketer engage her subscribers. 10:46 – How new media mogul Dany Levy uses the domestic and international mainstream news media to keep DailyCandy.com relevant, but not repetitive. She also tips off media relations specialists on which European and Asian countries she’s watching closest to trend spot. 11:25 – New media executive Pete Shienbaum talks about Twitter, and the importance of emerging technologies on staying relevant to consumers in today’s news media marketplace. Dany Levy shares her Twitter ID, which you’ll never be able to guess. You can find Pete’s Twitter ID by checking Dany’s followers. 14:46 – Dany Levy reveals how her editorial strategy for her city editions differs from that of the Everywhere, Deal and Travel editions. She tips off public relations people on which ones she needs something cool to hyperlink to, which ones she doesn’t, and the relationship of a website to what makes cool lifestyle news. 16:22 – Pete Sheinbaum on the future mainstream print news media brands, the importance of trust and credibility, and whether or not perennial the fashion magazine category is impervious to online delivery. 18:57 – Pete Sheinbaum on why new media marketers pay a premium to run display ads with DailyCandy.com. 20:50 – Pete Sheinbaum reveals DailyCandy.com’s advertiser attrition rates over the last several quarters. 21:58 – Pete Sheinbaum talks about email open rates and email click-through rates in relation to industry averages for traditional internet media. He also discusses the impact of the creative, the subject line and promotional incentives on the numbers. 23:37 – Eric Schwartzman shares the name and number of the hot new Chanel lip gloss color, according the make-up specialist at the Chanel store on Robertson in Los Angeles, and where actress Scarlett Johansson recently spotted him lunching. 24:21 – Dany Levy on how the economy’s impacting the jet setters, and DailyCandy.com’s target audience. 26:01 – Pete Sheinbaum on how they grew DailyCandy.com, how their business plan differed from a typical Silicon Valley start up and how the timing of the last dotcom bust affected their efforts. 27:34 – Pete Sheinbaum on whether or not the economic downturn represents an opportunity for start-ups to displace entrenched, category leaders. 28:49 – Dany Levy on the formula for the perfect PR pitch to DailyCandy.com, and the best email address to send pitches to. 30:03 – Dany Levy talks about the Daily Candy Dossier, which reports on the fashion runways of the world, where the DailyCandy.com editors sit in the fashion news media pecking order, the old guard fashion media’s attitude towards DailyCandy.com, and why. 31:46 – End Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom (www.ipressroom.com), and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of new media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills. PROMO Get a 60-day free trial to online newsrooms provider iPressroom's Press Release SEO Wizard by calling 310-499-0544 ext. 504 and mentioning that you heard about it on this podcast. Or send email to info@ipressroom.com or tweet @ipressroom.

Social Media Marketing Expert Tom Smith on Why We Trust the Opinions of Strangers More than the Media

Eric Schwartzman — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:15:20 GMT

Social media marketing expert Tom Smith on global social media penetrations rates, what types of products and services are most talked about online and why we trust the opinions of total strangers more than the mainstream news media on the Net. Trend Stream CEO Tom Smith is author of “When We Start Trusting Strangers [PDF],” a global social media study quantifying adoption and trust level by channel, country and product category. Tom will present new social media research at The Digital Impact Conference in NYC April 30 – May 1. Show Notes: 1:28 – How to use the iPressroom to host and engage in online conversations. With the iPressroom you can easily and reliably add and manage RSS feeds, blogs, streaming video or a custom online pressroom to your organizational communications efforts. For more information tweet @chrisbechtel or email cbechtel at ipressroom dot com. 3:56 – Tom Smith on his Power to the People Social Media Tracker, a global web usage tracking program he devised for Universal McCann, and how that led to the Strangers Report. 5:46 – Tom Smith on the methodology of the Strangers Report, which involved interviewing 17,000 people around the world, and on the differences between conducting online and offline research, and the statistical relevancy of his data. 6:50 – Tom Smith’s new online market research company Trend Stream, which offers global research studies on web usage trends to corporate clients. 8:09 – Tom Smith on the global trends revealed by the Strangers Report, including higher levels of adoption and content contribution in Asia and India, the explosive growth of online video and the widespread international growth of social media. 9:49 – Tom Smith on the global and regional levels of trust people have for consumer opinions online, whether they know the person responsible for posting those opinions or not, and the fallacy that social media is popular primarily among younger audiences. 10:45 – Tom Smith on how cultural traits impact social media trust levels and the correlation between adoption rates and trust levels region by region. 11:54 – Tom Smith ranks online passive consumption channels and online content creation channels by popularity. 12:38 – Tom Smith on how the average size of an individual’s personal online social network varies worldwide, which user groups by country have the biggest and smallest networks, and the impact of Facebook on average network size in those markets where it has achieved penetration. 15:14 – Tom Smith contrasts social media marketing against mainstream marketing, likening the former to direct marketing, and lists the defining criteria by which successful social media marketing programs should abide. 16:36 – Tom Smith on digital friendships and how the internet has expanded the number of connections people have, albeit in a digital format, and how the opinions of digital friends impact corporate reputations. 18:36 – Tom Smith on the myriad of ways people are sharing opinions online and how self publishing tools have lowered the barriers to entry for influencing opinions via the Net. 19:54 – Tom Smith on peer reviews as the most trusted source of information for consumers making purchasing decisions. 20:31 – Tom Smith defines the levels of trust people have for different sources of consumer opinion, ranking Amazon and other consumer rating sites against blogs and online media sites, and describing how user generated content hosted by branded online offerings is considered more trustworthy than content hosted by unbranded online sites. 22:00 – Tom Smith on the product and service categories that are most talked about online, the biggest surprises his research revealed about discussion levels by product and service category and the excessive online chatter he found about products that are not ecommerce purchases. 25:25 – Tom Smith defines “super influencers” and their role in creating online social phenomena. 27:18 – Tom Smith on why marketers need to be very wary about how they approach social media channels, and the importance of using transparency to govern their social media strategies. 29:32 – Tom Smith on selling social media marketing initiatives to organizations through research and the danger of not participating in online conversations about the categories in which you compete. 31:46 – End Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom (www.ipressroom.com), and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of new media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills. PROMO Get a 60-day free trial to online newsrooms provider iPressroom's Press Release SEO Wizard by calling 310-499-0544 ext. 504 and mentioning that you heard about it on this podcast. Or send email to info at ipressroom dot com or tweet @ipressroom.

On the Record...Online with Marketing Over Coffee

Eric Schwartzman — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 04:50:22 GMT

Christopher Penn, Eric Schwartzman and John Wall present a special mash-up episode of Marketing Over Coffee and On the Record…Online about online PR, social media communications and the upcoming Digital Impact Conference in NYC April 30 – May 1 organized by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). Show Notes: 1:07 – Digital Impact Conference co-chair Eric Schwartzman on how this year’s event is designed to equip public relations professionals with the knowledge and tools to advocate for PR-led social media communications. 2:56 – John Wall on Korn Ferry CMO Don Spetner’s upcoming presentation on the skills public relations professionals need in the current job market, and Christopher Penn asks about the state of PR job market. 3:44 – Eric Schwartzman shares where the job opportunities are for PR people and what types of jobs recruiters are still trying to fill, according to Don Spetner. 4:23 – John Wall asks what percentage of a public relations program should be digital, and what part should be old guard. 4:43 – Eric Schwartzman on the downside of being an early adopter, and his view on where PR practitioners who can’t communicate autonomously online and who don’t develop new media communication skills may be headed. 5:15 – John Wall and Christopher Penn discuss the importance of keeping track of everyone you interact with through social media, and whether or not PR is making use of the same tools as marketers to build stronger relationships with larger networks via the web. 7:42 – Eric Schwartzman on the economic drivers that lead to PR shoot gun distribution tactics, and his discussion with PR Week editor Keith O’Brien about whether or not this will change anytime soon. 9:19 – Christopher Penn on the importance of building your own personal network and making sure you don’t mismatch communications and contacts. 10:12 – Eric Schwartzman talks about the new Toyota online pressroom that iPressroom recently launched for the world’s largest automaker so they could live stream the reveal of the new Prius at the Detroit Auto Show to the news media, automotive enthusiasts and the public simultaneously, in their own, branded online newsroom. 12:14 – Christopher Penn wonders how organizations are going to acquire the necessary content creation skills to populate their online newsrooms with compelling content and Eric Schwartzman predicts where companies may find them. 12:51 – Eric Schwartzman on the hidden risks of using Web 2.0 services like YouTube, Blogger and Facebook for organizational communications campaigns, and where he thinks market demand for new media services will come from. 13:56 – Eric Schwartzman talks about the online newsrooms his PR software as a service company iPressroom built for UCLA, which is more than just a media relations resource, and the online newsroom iPressroom built for Target, which he says demonstrates best practices for online PR. 14:23 – John Wall talks about Tom Smith, author of “When We Start Trusting Strangers [PDF],” who will be flying in from London to present a special session with all kinds of valuable, quantitative research on why new media communications should play a role in any integrated marketing or public relations plan. 15:04 – Christopher Penn on the market dynamics of social media communications and why you can’t cost effectively generate your own momentum. For listeners with no macroeconomic training, he recommends Economics for Dummies. 16:22 – Eric Schwartzman on why PR is more about what you do then what you say in the digital age of transparency and authenticity. He discusses the challenge of confronting serious product or service issues with communications alone, citing examples from Comcast and AOL. 17:01 – Eric Schwartzman on how commonly asked questions at his New Media PR Boot Camp training courses led to the idea to invite Trend Stream CEO Tom Smith to present at the Digital Impact Conference in NYC. 18:39 – Eric Schwartzman on super influencers online, word of mouth marketing, and the dangers of judging new media by old media standards. 19:52 – Disney’s podcasting strategy, and why Duncan Wardle says he considered their initial 80,000 downloads a success, despite the fact that the reach of mainstream media dwarves that number. 20:57 – Christopher Penn on the multiplier effect of social media, and how an online newsletter of a blog can reach much further than you might think. 21:31 – Search engine optimization expert Lee Odden, Edelman futurist Steve Rubel, social media expert Brian Solis and many others will also be presenting their latest findings and on best practices for new media communications at The Digital Impact Conference April 30 through May 1 in NYC. 22:14 – Eric Schwartzman on why online newsrooms, email newsletters and search engine optimization are the meat and potatoes of online PR. 23:34 – The Digital Impact Conference as an opportunity for social media PR gurus looking for new business, and for public relations pros looking to develop new media communication skills. 24:24 – Christopher Penn on the digital marketing opportunities social media presents public relations agencies. 25:10 – John Wall and Christopher Penn talk about their session on avoiding PR disasters, which will be presented with Eric Schwartzman at The Digital Impact Conference. 27:42 – End Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom (www.ipressroom.com), and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of new media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills.

On the Record…Online with MediaBistro.com founder Laurel Touby

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 01:05:43 GMT

New media communication skills and training courses aren’t all that MediaBistro.com offers. Listen in as MediaBistro.com founder and cyber hostess Laurel Touby goes On the Record…Online about the importance of social media lingo, how to build a profitable, sticky online community and what color to paint your nails in a down economy. Show Notes: 1:23 – New media communication skills and training courses are important. But effective online communications require appropriate infrastructure. Online newsroom management services provider iPressroom gives nontechnical personnel an easy way to manage content inside a custom internet pressroom. With integrated social media outreach components, the iPressroom online newsroom platform can also be used to execute any social media campaign you can dream up. No technical training is required to master the iPressroom online newsroom content management service. 3:09 – Laurel Touby discusses how she guided MediaBistro.com from start-up in 1994 through its acquisition by Jupitermedia Corporatation [NASDAQ: JUPM] in 2007 for $23 million. 3:36 – Communication skills, training courses and job listings, and how they helped make MediaBistro.com profitable. 4:37 – Why marketing, PR, corporate communications, advertising, graphic design, photography and news media professionals come to MediaBistro.com, according to Laurel Touby. 5:05 – Laurel Touby on how MediaBistro incorporate word of mouth marketing into its new media business strategy 5:50 -- Laurel Touby on sticky websites, consumer trust, customer loyalty, staying close to the customer, maintaining an air of exclusivity and providing services like training courses to news media clientele. 6:34 – Training courses offered by MediaBistro.com, the communication skills they help members develop, and why the last recession in 2001 created a favorable market environment for launching career training courses, writing training courses and other professional training courses. 7:26 – Online training courses are also now available through MediaBistro.com, and Laurel Touby explains how using online training digital solutions fit into her broader business strategy. 8:55 – Laurel Touby advises professional organizations and trade associations on how to effectively migrate their legacies online through networking opportunities, training courses, ways for people to develop the critical new media communication skills they need in the network age, offline events like the upcoming MediaBistro Circus 2009 this June 2009 in NYC and up to date job listings and news. 9:47 – New media communication skills, social media training courses and press release search engine optimization are the types of skills people are most interested in developing now, according to Laurel Touby. 10:43 – Digital skills and online fluency Laurel Touby looks for when considering new hires at MediaBistro.com, and why getting your new media lingo right is critical. 12:02 -- Laurel Touby on the right color to paint your nails in a down economy. 13:01 – End Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom (www.ipressroom.com), and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of new media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills.

On the Record…Online with Jon Greer: PR Agency Buyer Guide

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 22:19:58 GMT

Online Newsroom specialist Eric Schwartzman presents a special episode of On the Record…Online: Client’s Guide to Hiring a PR Firm with Jon Greer of Catching Flack, interviewed at the PRSA International Convention 2008 in Detroit. Jon Greer is a senior communications strategist with more than 20 years in media and communications, including over 12 years in public relations, who has been an independent consultant since 1997. Before that, he served as a vice president of Edelman Public Relations Worldwide. He began his career as a business news reporter and columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and the San Jose Mercury News. Show Notes: 2:17 – How to use the iPressroom online pressroom management service to easily and reliably manage, distribute and measure audio and video podcasts. Sample online podcast centers include the LA Opera and the California Endowment. For more information tweet @chrisbechtel or email info at ipressroom dot com. 3:31 – Jon Greer discusses the level of trust people have for PR firms, and how that impacts the PR Agency hiring process. 4:59 – Jon Greer reveals the most important questions to ask a PR firm when they’re pitching you their services. 5:41 – Jon Greer on the most important thing to look for in any PR firm you’re considering hiring. 6:22 – Jon Greer on what clients want most from PR Agencies. 7:05 – Jon Greer on how to deduce the health and well being of any public relations agency by asking a few, simple questions. 8:09 – Jon Greer on how to secure senior level counsel. 8:59 – Jon Greer on what to look for in a PR Agency retainer agreement, and the types of changes to negotiate to strike the best deal. 10:08 – Jon Greer on what client’s need to do to get the highest level of service from a PR Agency and how to become the client that PR practitioners want to spend their time on. 11:39 – Jon Greer tells future PR Agency clients what they should and shouldn’t expect from a PR Agency. 13:24 – Jon Greer talks about pricing PR services and how to make sure you are charged a fair price by a public relations agency. 14:57 – Jon Greer walks us through price ranges for retaining boutique PR firms, mid-size PR firms and large PR firms. 17:24 – Jon Greer on the number of press releases a client should expect to receive for varying monthly retainer levels. 19:09 – The economic challenges of PR measurement, what makes it relatively expensive and how to manage those costs. 21:04 – End Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom (www.ipressroom.com), and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of new media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills.

On the Record...Online with Sound Bite Specialist Andy Gilman

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 01:05:28 GMT

Online Newsroom specialist Eric Schwartzman presents a special episode of On the Record…Online: The Public Relations Practitioner’s Guide to Crafting Effective Sound Bites, featuring Commcore Consulting Group CEO Andrew Gilmam, who was interviewed following his master class at the PRSA International Convention 2008 in Detroit. Mr. Gilman is also author of the book “Get to the Point” and also post a sticky message of the month.. Show Notes: 1:59 – How to use the iPressroom online pressroom management service to easily and reliably manage, distribute and measure online public relations and corporate communications campaigns with a branded online newsroom inside your corporate website. For more information tweet @chrisbechtel or email info at ipressroom dot com. 3:57 – Andrew Gilman on the objective of the sound bite, and on what it takes to craft a sound bite that gets picked up. 4:22 – Andrew Gilman discusses weaving sound bites into difficult interviews. 4:40 – Andrew Gilman on the best sound bite to come out of the recent US Presidential Election. 5:40 – The importance of analogies and visualizations in crafting memorable sound bites. 6:30 – Andrew Gilman shares one of the best sound bites he ever created. 7:57 – Andrew Gilman uses the WIIFM messaging factor to craft a memorable sound bite on the benefit of car doors that open wider. 9;30 – Andrew Gilman on how the LAPD, LAFD, Teacher’s Union and other California State Employees used carefully tested sound bites to defeat Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s attempt to eliminate Defined Benefit Contribution Plans. 10:39 -- Referencing Wired Magazine’s June 2008 cover story on The End of Science, Eric Schwartzman asks Andrew Gilman whether or not the availability of data will change the way sound bites are created. 11:29 – Andrew Gilman discusses the shortcomings of data and the importance of tapping emotional sentiment when designing a sound bite. 12:20 – Andrew Gilman on putting a sound bite to the “Hey Marge” test. 12:58 – Andrew Gilman on the optimal duration of the quintessential sound bite, and why effective sound bites are always longer than what actually get picked up. 14:45 – Andrew Gilman on the impact of sound bites on our collective IQ as a populace. 15:09 – Leveraging sound bites to drive web traffic. 15:41 – Andrew Gilman on the impact of the sound bite on media and democracy, and some of the most damaging political sound bites of modern history. 16:20 – Andrew Gilman on advocating for your interests with sound bites. 17:05 – In addition to his book “Get to the Point” and his online sticky message of the month, Andrew Gilman’s recommends the book “Made to Stick” about how to create memorable sound bites. 17:36 – Andrew Gilman on how top political messaging gurus on the left and the right use sound bites to frame debates of national and international interest, and the power of well chosen words in striking popular sentiments. 18:10 – Karl Rove’s use of sound bites to promote policy. 19:33 – End

On the Record...Online with Seesmic Founder Loic LeMeur

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 18:35:27 GMT

Seesmic founder and popular blogger Loic LeMeur talks about how he mobilized the blogosphere in support of President Nicolas Sarkozy’s election campaign, how social media has changed public relations and the impact of transparency on personal privacy. Seesmic recently entered a closed Beta on a new version of the Twitter social media client Thwirl. Show Notes: 2:36 – Loic LeMeur talks about how he became one of the most widely read blogs in France. 3:24 – Loic LeMeur on the cultural differences between writing a blog that resonates with the European community versus the American online social media community. 4:37 – Loic LeMeur discusses the blogosphere’s and news media’s reaction to his podcast interview with Nicolas Sarkozy. 5:41 – Loic LeMeur shares the biggest lesson he took away from his work on the Sarkozy campaign. 7:03 – Loic LeMeur talks about how the Sarkozy campaign was able to leverage the blogosphere to drive news media coverage. 9:14 – Loic LeMeur on why disagreed with Brian Solis’s guest post on TechCrunch about the secrets of PR. 11:20 – Loic LeMeur’s opinion of Seth Godin’s newest book Tribes and the concept of managing communities instead of brands. 12:57 – Loic LeMeur on how organizations that provide necessary products that don’t always breed enthusiasm should approach social media communications. 14:02 – Loic LeMeur on why cell phone providers and utilities should be on Twitter, and how customer service can propel positive word of mouth. 16:01 – Loic LeMeur on Twitter’s response, or lack thereof, to hacked celebrity accounts. 18:04 – Loic LeMeur on the expectation management trap of over transparency. 19:42 – Loic LeMeur on the single, biggest challenge government communicator’s face with respect to social media engagement. 22:29 – Loic LeMeur on sustaining the momentum of social media communications campaigns beyond an election cycle. 23:52 – Loic LeMeur on how he used social media to solicit input for his session on privacy at the World Economic Summit (#davos). 24:43 – Loic LeMeur on personal privacy and the prospect of segmented communications in the social media age. 27:47 – Drawing a question from an interview by Brooke Gladstone’s with Nicolas Carr, author of The Big Switch on the NPR program On the Media, Eric Schwartzman asks Loic LeMeur if he is concerned that companies may someday use personal information to manipulate behavior. 32:15 – Loic LeMeur on the potential cultural threats of a world without physical media. 35:04 – Loic LeMeur on the social benefits of MMOGs 36:25 – Loic LeMeur on his online video social networking service Seesmic. 41:24 – Loic LeMeur on how video can be used to build more meaningful relationships online. 43:53 – Loic LeMeur on how genders dress their Seesmic shots differently. 46:08 – Loic LeMeur on how Chris Pirillo and Leo LaPorte are using video to create a personal brand online. 50:14 – End Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom (www.ipressroom.com), and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of new media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills.

On the Record...Online with PIER Sytems Founder Gerald Baron

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 21:42:22 GMT

Online newsroom specialist Eric Schwartzman puts PIER Systems Founder & CEO Gerald Baron On the Record...Online at the PRSA International Conference 2008 in Detroit about trends in online crisis communications, public relations software and the insatiable quest for speed in the media relations business. Like public relations software provider iPressroom, PIER Systems is on-demand, information management software. PIER systems differentiates their software by tailoring their offering specifically to the crisis communications objectives of public relations and media relations. PIER unifies innovative technology and tools in one web-based application to help organizations maintain business continuity, while making organizational communications simple and easy. SHOW NOTES: 1:23 -- How to SEO press releases using iPressroom’s SEO wizard with trackable hyperlinks, part of the iPressroom online newsroom public relations software package. For more info tweet @chrisbechtel. 2:54 -- Gerald Baron outlines his presentation on handling crisis communications with public relations software titled “Building Trust in a Threatening Media Environment,” which was delivered at the PRSA International Conference 2008 in Detroit. 3:42 -- Gerald Brown on the disappearance of news cycles in a hyper competitive environment based on immediacy. Gerald talks about a reporter who broke news about Hurricane Ike, a Los Angeles Fire Department distributing fire safety information on Twitter and what it all means for crisis communications. 4:49 -- Gerald Baron on the impact of the news media, and people’s insatiable quest for up-to-the-second information, on the business of crisis communications, public relations, and media relations and the inherent risks associated with letting others tell your story for you. 5:43 -- Gerald Baron shares his for “Ps” of effectively online communications, which are: Policy, Plans, People and Platform. He also discusses why communicating with incredibly speed, and directly to constituents, are critical components to telling your own story in a world without news cycles. 6:36 -- Gerald Baron uses the Virginia Tech massacre as an example of why organizations need the ability to handle direct to the public crisis communications with incredible speed, and the role of public relations software in that process. 7:23 -- Gerald Baron reveals the key features that a public relations software package should have: single online control platform; be entirely web-based; exist independent and outside of the organizations IT infrastructure; and be completely controlled by public relations professionals. 8:35 -- Gerald Baron discusses the lessons he learned from the Virginia Tech Shootings, one of which is raised expectations for rapid communications directly from organizations. He says the VT shootings underscore that we no longer live in a world in where people can depend on the media for urgent information during an emergency. 9:39 -- Gerald Baron explains why stand alone text notification systems that are not integrated public relations software platforms are potentially dangerous to PR professionals, because they attempt to substitute notifications for communications. He cites research [PDF] from PIER Systems that he says show outbound notifications drive demand of inbound requests for additional information. 10:53 -- Gerald Baron lists the additional modes of communications, like your website or online newsroom, RSS and email, which are just as important as the instant notifications people now expect to receive from organizations during a catastrophe. He paints a hypothetical crisis scenario where students get a text message to their phones about some kind of disaster or emergency, jam up the phone lines in search of more information and then go to the school’s website, which is hopefully built to handle huge numbers of simultaneous incoming requests. He says the system breaks down when organizations deploy a notification system without fortifying their ability to respond to the increased incoming requests for additional information. 12:02 -- Gerald Baron talks about the importance of integration when selecting public relations software to support external communications, and on the need for effectiveness and efficiency, particularly at a time when staffing level are being reduced, and individuals are being asked to do more with less. He also discusses the cost benefits of an integrated public relations software platform. 15:49 -- End Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is the founder of online newsroom public relations software as a service provider iPressroom (www.ipressroom.com), and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of new media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills. He created the On the Record...Online podcast in April 2005 with the support of the iPressroom content development team.

On the Record...Online with Event Marketing Specialist Keith Green

Eric Schwartzman — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 00:31:44 GMT

Synergy Events Vice President Marketing and Communications of Keith Green goes On the Record...Online at the 2008 PRSA International Conference about event planning, event marketing and landing a job at an event planning company. According to their LinkedIn company page, “Synergy Events is an independent, full service event marketing agency specializing in mobile marketing tours, pr stunts / product launches and sponsorship activation platforms.” Show Notes: 3:00 – Keith Green on strategic event planning and event marketing. 3:50 – Keith Green on the core elements of providing successful event marketing services. 4:37 – Keith and single most important component in any event marketing campaign. 6:15 -- Keith Green reveals an experiential marketing campaign he executed for Wachovia, one of the most difficult campaigns he ever planned, in which the bank used a wind money machine to entice new customers with the promise of free money. 7:32 – Keith Green on word of mouth marketing. 8:26 – Keith Green on what you need to know to accommodate the news media at a consumer marketing event. 9:27 -- Keith Green on staging the ultimate publicity photo opportunity. 10:12 – Keith Green discusses a recent publicity photo that Synergy Events set up for Vitamin Water. 11:55 – The most unexpected publicity stunt Keith Green ever organized called KFC Face from Space, which was the most downloaded video on YouTube for 10 days. 13:30 – Keith Green on accurately costing event marketing initiatives. 14:10 – Keith Green on typical profit margins in the event marketing agency businesses. 16:16 – For listeners looking to secure event marketing agency jobs, Keith Green talks about the Synergy Events internship program, and the types of people who do the best in event marketing. 18:32 – What Keith Green looks for when he’s interviewing a candidate for an event marketing company job. 20:51 – Keith Green on the average number of hours event marketing companies tend to work each week. 22:20 – Keith Green on what entry-level staffers earn at event marketing agencies. 23:10 – Keith Green gives his advice to event marketing agency staffers to be. 23:58 – End Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom (www.ipressroom.com), and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of new media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills.

On the Record...Online...once more with Steve Rubel, SVP, Edelman Digital at PRSA Digital Impact 2008

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 22:20:00 GMT

In this special episode, Micro Persuasion Blogger Steve Rubel’s lunch keynote from the 2008 PRSA Digital Impact Conference in New York City goes On the Record...Online. SVP and Director of Insights at Edelman Digital, Rubel is a well known online public relations advocate who also writes the popular public relations blog Micro Persuasion. He is a recognized online communications expert who excels at identifying key insights, trends and emerging digital platforms that can be applied to public relations, marketing and corporate communications campaigns. Steve Rubel has also gone On the Record…Online about how he became the most popular PR Blogger and why he decided to join Edelman. Show notes: 1:13 - Intro to Rubel’s speech at the Digital Impact Conference. 2:51 - Rubel online public relations responsibilities at Edelman Digital. 3:46 - Rubel on the erosion of mass reach media. 5:21 - Rubel on the Twitter and FriendFeed of tomorrow. 5:58 - Rubel on the 53 percent of people not engaged with online media. 6:33 - Rubel on Google. 8: 47 - Rubel on today’s think signals. 19:02 - Rubel on breaking down the web using the example of the NBA widget strategy. 12:38 - Rubel on today’s attention crash. 14:13 - Rubel on Will it Blend from Blendtec. 16:13 - Rubel on high interest niches using the example of Popurls. 18:47 - Rubel on using Google Trends to track data. 22:06 - Rubel on how to employ collaboration in marketing communications using the ideas of controlled and open communication. 26:33 - Rubel on his idea of living room 2.0, where branded content like Flickr will be transported directly into the living room. 29:37 - Rubel on geek marketers. 31:19 - Rubel on hallucinations for the future like the bloggers behind, Anywired, some of the new digital nomads. 33:36 - Rubel on today’s corporate data leaks occurring through Facebook, Gmail or Yahoo conversations. 36:30 - Rubel takes a question on how to keep social media simple and still sustain the depth of the message. 39:36 - Rubel on corporate blogs and how they can and can’t work. 41:00 - Rubel takes a question on whether organizations should have their agencies ghost write blogs. 43:45 - End This podcast is hosted by Eric Schwartzman who is the founder of online newsroom management service iPressroom and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by over a thousand public relations and marketing executives from private, public, government and nonprofit sectors.

On the Record...Online with Ketchum VP Joanne Puckett

Eric Schwartzman — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 01:11:47 GMT

Ketchum Vice President Global Research Network Joanne Puckett goes On the Record...Online at the 2008 PRSA International Conference about viral buzz and discussing ROI with PR agency clients. Ketchum is one of the nation's leading public relations firms. A unit of advertising giant Omnicom, the company operates through more than 20 offices in the Americas, Asia, and Europe. Its practices include brand marketing, corporate, food and nutrition, health care, and technology. Clients have included FedEx, Delta Air Lines, and Johnson & Johnson. Manuel organizes the Bay Area’s Third Thursday meet up for PR and marketing professionals interested in new media. He’s also best practices chair for called the Society of New Communications Research (SNCR), a global think tank. Show Notes: 3:00 – Dr. Pepper’s Guns ‘n Roses Chinese Democracy Challenge. 4:35 – Joanne Puckett discusses the relevancy of Internet meme tracking to the practice of PR. 5:33 – Manufacturing viral content. 7:22 – Eric Schwartzman asks Joanne Puckett if she agrees with BusinessWeek Columnist Jon Fines’ prediction that social networking and marketing don’t mix. 10:20 – Joanne Puckett on leveraging Internet phenomena for marketing and PR. 12:14 – Joanne Puckett on the challenges of achieving social media ROI. 14:15 – The difference between measuring new media and social media in public relations campaigns. 15:53 – Top line summary findings of Ketchum’s 3rd Annual Mediums, Myths and Reality Survey 22:30 – End Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom (www.ipressroom.com), and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of new media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills.

On the Record...Online with Blogger Mike Manuel

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 23:22:37 GMT

Media Guerilla Blogger and Voce Communications social media consultant Mike Manuel goes On the Record...Online at the 2008 PRSA International Conference about the "all I want for Christmas is a PSP" astroturfing campaign, responding to blog storms and effective corporate blogging strategy. Manuel organizes the Bay Area's Third Thursday meet up for PR and marketing professionals interested in new media. He's also best practices chair for called the Society of New Communications Research (SNCR), a global think tank. Show Notes: 2:37 -- How to easily upload, manage and distribute podcasts as part your PR program using the iPressroom online newsroom service. 4:45 -- Mike Manuel discusses the presentation he delivered with Patrick Seybold and Jeff Rubenstein of Sony Computer Entertainment, which covered the now fabled "All I Want for Christmas is a PSP" astroturfing fiasco. 7:15 -- Mike Manuel discusses the fallout and what happened behind the scenes when the fake blog developed by the branding team and Zipatoni was outed on somethingaweful.com. 8:23 -- Mike Manuel on Sony Computer Entertainment's crisis response plan. 10:51 -- Eric Schwartzman shares a sinister tactical response plan suggested by an attendee at a recent New Media PR Boot Camp. 12:38 -- Mike Manuel on dealing with negative comments on company blogs. 13:41 -- Mike Manuel on feeding back valuable research from company blogs back to HR, sales and product marketing. 15:10 -- Mike Manuel on Sony Playstation Facebook PR strategy. 16:11 -- Mike Manuel on the unique challenges of creating social media communications campaigns for gamers. 17:35 -- Mike Manuel on the basics of corporate blogging for community engagement. 18:27 -- Mike Manuel on estimating resources required to launch and maintain a successful corporate blog. 19:22 -- Mike Manuel on indentifying and allocating staff for social media engagement initiatives. 19:53 -- Mike Manuel on the "messy middle" of social media marketing. 21:03 -- Mike Manuel on the public relations industry's readiness for online engagement programs. 23:01 -- Mike Manuel on innovation, open source software and homegrown content management systems. 24:19 -- Mike Manuel on Google's Open Social. 25:35 -- End Eric Schwartzman (@ericschwartzman) is the founder of online newsroom software as a service provider iPressroom (www.ipressroom.com), and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by more than a thousand public relations and marketing executives from the private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. In addition to advising clients on best practices for online newsroom design, deployment and management, Schwartzman offers a portfolio of new media training courses to accelerate the acquisition of social media communication skills.

On the Record...Online with PRSA Chair and CEO Michael Cherenson

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 08:01:00 GMT

Michael Cherenson, APR goes On the Record...Online at the 2008 PRSA International Conference about his plans for serving as chair-elect of Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the world's largest organization for public relations professionals, with more than 32,000 members, 109 Chapters nationwide, and 19 Professional Interest Sections. Cherenson’s expertise extends to all disciplines of public relations, including corporate, marketing, internal and crisis communication, government relations, event management, and interactive public relations. At Success Communications Group, he serves as the senior public relations counselor and strategist, and is involved with all public relations activities for the firms' diverse clientele. Show Notes: 1:31 – How to measure, manage and distribute online video and audio inside an online newsroom with iPressroom. 2:35 – Cherenson discusses attendance and sentiment at the PRSA International Conference 2008 in Detroit. 3:40 – Cherenson is the youngest incoming PRSA chair and CEO, and the first second generation PR practitioner to hold the office. 4:15 – Cherenson discusses what the PR industry needs to do to improve its image. 4:58 – Cherenson recaps the controversy surrounding Andrew Cohen’s harsh words about the PR trade. 5:28 – Cherenson on the importance of advocacy, professional development and the New Media Boot Camp. 6:31 – Cherenson on retooling the public relations trade with social media and on gaining the confidence to set boundaries for clients and managers 7:05 – Cherenson on the importance of assembling, organizing, and making accessible quantitative research and data that reinforces the value of public relations to organizations. 8:10 – Wired Magazine’s End of Science cover story and Newsweek International’s The First Disaster of the Internet Age. 9:32 – Cherenson on how a nontechnical trade like PR gets its arms around a technical task like data visualization. 9:56 – Cherenson on PRSA’s plans to launch a new website with better search functionality, expanded online resources including RSS, online video, wikis and other features to help PR practitioners find actionable data they can use to secure budget. 10:20 – Cherenson on the upcoming MyPRSA virtual community, which is currently under development and increased advocacy efforts to make the business case for public relations. 11:32 – Cherenson’s plans for working closer with local PRSA chapters through training courses and leadership development opportunities. 12:43 – Cherenson on the importance of networking, sharing knowledge and acquiring new communication skills 13:26 – Cherenson on how to build your personal professional brand through PRSA, and the single, greatest pportunity PRSA offers. 15:03 – Cherenson on balancing his PRSA responsibilities against the management of his own agency. 16:15 -- End Eric Schwartzman is the founder of online newsroom management service iPressroom and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by over a thousand public relations and marketing executives from private, public, government and nonprofit sectors.

On the Record...Online...Again with Verizon Communications SVP Eric Rabe

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 23:54:31 GMT

Verizon Communications SVP Media Relations Eric Rabe goes On the Record...Online at the Digital Impact Conference in New York, June 9 & 10, 2008. Rabe counsels senior management, including day to day contact with COO and CEO of this Fortune 12 business and manages the national network of PR professionals in major markets served by Verizon [NYSE:VZ]. He has deep experience in crisis management including union-related issues. Rabe has also gone On the Record…Online about what it’s like serving as SVP media relations at Verizon. Show notes: 7:13 - Introduction to Eric Rabe. 7:45 - Rabe on crisis communications at Verizon. 8:37 - Rabe on how Verizon takes advantage of online communications.. 10:02 - Rabe on influential blogs like Gigaom. 11:30 - Rabe on online communications tools of the future like Twitter and Facebook. 13:17 - Rabe on the practice of blogger relations. 15: 07 - Rabe on how a company can use an “information leak” that Steve Rubel spoke on to their advantage. 16:44 - Rabe on the convergence of personal and professional communications in the mobile space. 18:41 - Rabe on the impact of the accessibility and affordability of social media on advertiser supported media. 22:41 - Rabe on Jason Falls’s recommendation of stepping up to the proverbial online water cooler. 28:28 - Rabe on taking sides on controversial issues, like those involving NARAL. 33:38 - Rabe on a future fourth generation carrier like AT&T. 37:05 - Rabe on deploying fiber optics and speed to Verizon customers. 39:11 - Rabe on when people will be able to use cell phones on an airplane. 40:47 - Rabe on how Verizon identifies blogs to follow using tools like Technorati. 42:20 - Rabe on building visibility and credibility through social media. 47:28 - End This podcast is hosted by Eric Schwartzman who is the founder of online news room management service iPressroom and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by over a thousand public relations and marketing executives from private, public, government and nonprofit sectors.

On the Record...Online with Bausch & Lomb Dir. Corp Comm & Public Affairs Michael McDougall

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 19:05:41 GMT

Director of corporate communications & public affairs at Bausch & Lomb [NYSE: BOL], Michael McDougall, goes On the Record...Online at the 2008 PRSA International Conference about the fall of the house of Kodak, the online video explosion and the accessibility of social media channels for business to business and niche communicators. Michael McDougall is a seasoned communications and marketing professional, with broad-based experience in technology (consumer and B2B) and healthcare sectors. He is an expert in marketing some of the world's top brands on a global basis. Show Notes: 3: 28 - McDougall on his panel presentation at the 2008 PRSA International Conference. 5:17 - McDougall on how to make sure web videos will play to worldwide viewers without the frustration of buffering. 7:07 - McDougall on NBC’s inability to provide easily downloadable video content like Saturday Night Live to worldwide viewers online. 9:14 - McDougall on how he was viewed at Kodak. 10:44 - McDougall on the future of Kodak with other players like Sony, Canon and Nikon. 12:27 - McDougall on the solutions recall at Bausch & Lomb. 14:11 - McDougall on today’s frenzy over social media like Facebook, YouTube, Bebo and Twitter. 17:58 - McDougall on how he uses social media for niche online opportunities. 18:52 - End Eric Schwartzman is the founder of online newsroom management service iPressroom and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by over a thousand public relations and marketing executives from private, public, government and nonprofit sectors.

On the Record...Online with Vocus Executive Kye Strance

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 22:01:23 GMT

Kye Strance, Director of Product Management at online PR software provider Vocus goes On the Record...Online at the 2008 PRSA International Conference about the online press release, a slow economy’s effect on online communications and how the PR industry regards technology. Kye Strance is responsible for the overall product strategy and roadmap of the Vocus [VOCS: NASDAQ] on-demand public relations software suite. Additionally, he heads the company’s industry research, providing both analysis of the competitive landscape and identifying strategic opportunities for the company. Show Notes: 3:00 - Strance on his presentation at the PRSA International Conference. 4:05 - Strance on the growth of the online press releases. 5:16 - Strance on PR’s response to online media. 6:18 - Strance on the most frequent questions PR pros ask him about emerging social media networks like Twitter. 7:21 - Strance reveals the most commonly asked questions PR practitioners have about the Vocus online PR platform. 8:13 - Strance on online PR software as a service providers like Vocus and iPressroom. 8:95 - Strance on selling online PR software to marketing departments instead of PR departments. 10:29 - Strance on the clichés of PR people like Samantha Jones in Sex and the City and Colin Farrell in the Phone Booth and their aptitude for appreciating new technologies. 12:00 - Strance on PR’s fear of change. 13:15 - Strance on PR spam and the Chris Anderson and Gina Trapani PR blacklists. 15:02 - Strance on whether mainstream media will have its place in the sun once again. 15:49 - Strance on being a former FBI analyst. 18:36 - End Eric Schwartzman is the founder of online newsroom management service iPressroom and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by over a thousand public relations and marketing executives from private, public, government and nonprofit sectors.

On the Record...Online with Mark Haas, CEO of Manning Selvage & Lee

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 18:06:58 GMT

Manning Selvage & Lee CEO Mark Hass goes On the Record...Online at the 2008 PRSA International Conference about MS&L’s strategy for penetrating China, his acquisition strategy for buying new firms and what it takes to be a managing director at MS&L. Mark Hass, CEO of Manning Selvage & Lee has held this position since April 2005. In this role, Hass leads MS&L and its global leadership team, and acts as a strategic counselor to the firm's largest clients, including General Motors, Philips and Procter & Gamble. Hass joined MS&L in 2002, when his public relations agency, Hass Associates, was acquired and merged into MS&L. As CEO of Hass Associates, then Michigan’s largest PR firm, he was a senior counsel to GM, and a key consultant for Chrysler Corp. Show Notes: 2:42 - Hass on his keynote speech at the 2008 PRSA International Conference. 3:46 - Hass on how new media is changing the public relations industry. 5:50 - Hass on how to convince board rooms that social media is important. 8:41 - Hass on the relationship between stock price and new media adoption rates. 9:13 - Hass on Google’s big secret. 11:07 - Hass on the future of media relations as a PR agency revenue driver. 12:42 - Hass on reinventing the business of public relations. 14:09 - Hass on the economic future for MS&L. 17:07 - Hass on emerging PR markets. 18:51 - Hass on penetrating emerging markets like China and India. 22:38 - Hass gives advice on what he looks for in a new PR hire. 24:26 - End Eric Schwartzman is the founder of online newsroom management service iPressroom and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by over a thousand public relations and marketing executives from private, public, government and nonprofit sectors.

On the Record...Online with Globe and Mail Communities Editor Mathew Ingram

Eric Schwartzman — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 22:45:25 GMT

Globe and Mail Communities Editor Mathew Ingram goes On the Record...Online about how he used Twitter, Flickr and Wikipedia to follow the recent terrorist incident in Mumbai, the role he sees these tools playing in the news gathering process and why Twitter is just as good as mainstream media at creating a first draft of history. Mathew Ingram is a blogger and the communities editor at The Globe and Mail, a national daily newspaper in Canada, where he blogs about new media and the Web. His position is aimed at helping make it easier for readers to interact with the paper, its writers and content. Ingram is a former technology writer and columnist, and started blogging as a way of pursuing his interest in new media. Show notes: 3:15 - Ingram on his recent blog post referencing Om Malik and immediate media like video camera reports through Qik. 4:29 - Ingram on his co-workers adoption of new media and emerging tools like TweetDeck and tag clouds. 5:35 - Ingram on whether Twitter is a good way for an organization spread the word about itself. 6:44 - Ingram on what mainstream media can do that social media cannot. 8:30 - Ingram on how he consumes new media content through Blog Search, Wikipedia, Flicker and YouTube. 10:02 - Ingram on whether different social media channels are best for different information. 11:48 - Ingram on the opinion of Shel Holtz of For Immediate Release regarding whether or not old media adapts. 13:25 - Ingram on whether he tracks the paid PR newswires in addition to social media. 16:04 - Ingram on whether or not daily newspapers should get out of the breaking news business. 18:06 - Ingram on how journalism can take the time to verify the news coming out of Twitter and publish it in a timely manner. 21:05 - Ingram on the accuracy of mainstream media and the immediacy of new media. 23:07 - Ingram on passion in journalism vs. passion in blogging. 24:48 - End Eric Schwartzman is the founder of online newsroom management service iPressroom and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by over a thousand public relations and marketing executives from private, public, government and nonprofit sectors.

On the Record…Online with blogger Jason Falls

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 18:00:20 GMT

Social media explorer blogger Jason Falls goes On the Record...Online at the 2008 PRSA International Conference about social media as the proverbial virtual water cooler, who should own social media within an organization and how negativity can benefit the reach and appeal of a social media campaign. Falls is the director of social media at Doe- Anderson and has established himself by developing innovative outreach and communications strategies. He is a nationally-recognized expert on social media and online communications with 10 years of management experience and proven ability in public relations, marketing and corporate communications. Show Notes: 4:31 - Falls on how he uses social media for his client Maker’s Mark. 6:42 - Falls on the wine and spirits industries appetite for social media. 8:50 - Falls on the biggest mistakes organizations make when launching social media initiatives. 9:43 - Falls on technographic profiling. 10:45 - Falls on the key elements of a successful blog. 12:44 - Falls on moderating blog comments. 15:05 - Falls on where to blog. 16:36 - Falls on how social media is changing public relations. 18:02 - Falls on why PR should embrace social media. 19:26 - Falls on the impact of a slow economy on social media adoption. 21:40 - Falls on bloggers from the south: Connie Reece, Kami Huyse, Ike Pigott and Mack Collier. 23:39 - End Eric Schwartzman is the founder of PR software and online news room management service iPressroom and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp and other new media training courses which have helped over a thousand public relations and marketing executives from private, public, government and nonprofit sectors develop practical social media communication skills. On the Record…Online is the official podcast of the 2008 PRSA International Conference.

On the Record…Online with New York Times Exec. Dir. of Customer Insight Jeffrey Graham

Eric Schwartzman — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 00:06:43 GMT

Graham leads a 30-person corporate research team at The New York Times and nytimes.com, which includes advertising, online marketing, strategic research, web analytics, and database marketing. Previously he was SVP, Strategic Research & Accountability Director for Starcom MediaVest, where he led communication research for Procter & Gamble, as well as research for P&G’s television and digital investments. Show Notes: 2:33 - Graham on his “Online and Offline Word of Mouth” session at the 2008 PRSA International Conference. 3:23 - Graham on the influence that word of mouth has on internet marketing and online advertising. 4:00 - Graham on how marketing and public relations professionals can leverage word of mouth. 5:02 - Graham speaks about how he got involved in word of mouth marketing. 6:01 - Graham on the origins of word of mouth marketing. 6:47 - Graham on tactical word of mouth marketing. 9:12 - Graham on the future of the daily news. 10:50 - Graham discusses how the New York Times maintains its depth and scope. 13:12 - Graham on InfoWorld’s decision early on to web publish only. 14:37 - Graham on The New York Times readership. 15:20 - Graham on the social media at The New York Times. 18:00 - Graham describes and the digital strategy of The New York Times under Arthur Sulzberger. 19:23 - Graham shares advice to people like Sam Zell on how to save newspapers. 20:38 - Graham on the dissertation he’s currently writing on rumor control. 20:46 - Graham describes some of what he’s learned so far on rumor control. 21:33 - Graham explains the relationship between rumor and crowd control. 22:24 - Schwartzman asks about crowd control online with examples like the uncovering of Marie Digby. 25:12 - Graham gives advice to the public relations agencies moving forward. 26:16 - Graham on what he’s found surprising while researching The New York Times readers. 28:32 - End Eric Schwartzman is the founder of PR software and online news room management service iPressroom and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp and other new media training courses which have helped over a thousand public relations and marketing executives from private, public, government and nonprofit sectors develop practical social media communication skills. On the Record…Online is the official podcast of the 2008 PRSA International Conference.

On the Record...Online with Los Angeles Times Editorial Writer Jon Healey

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 17:00:00 GMT

Los Angeles Times editorial writer Jon Healey goes On the Record...Online on how opinion journalism is adapting to the blogosphere, how to get a meeting with the editorial board at the LAT and the LAT's political leanings. Healey focuses on intellectual property, technology, the economy, regulation and general business issues. Also, his Bit Player blog concentrates on the bridging of entertainment and technology. Show notes: 2:58 - Healey on the political stance of the Los Angeles Times. 5:45 - Healey on the purpose and outcome of the Wikitorial experiment. 7:19 - Healey on media ownership caps. 8:53 - Healey on the present influence of the Los Angeles Times. 10:43 - Healey discusses the Los Angeles Times’ social media policy or lack there of. 12:41 - Healey on the advantage newspapers have over nonprofessional sources. 13:41 - Healey discusses the blogosphere’s level of influence on the Los Angeles Times. 16:10 - Healey on how to request a meeting with the board. 17:02 - Healey shares how to reach the op-ed side. 18:46 - Healey on the future market for journalism. 23:06 - Healey on market’s demand for copy. 25:10 - Healey on the Los Angeles Times’ opinion of the 2008 election. 26:53 - Healey reveals the new publisher’s political views. 28:13 - End Eric Schwartzman is the founder of online news room management service iPressroom and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by over a thousand public relations and marketing executives from private, public, government and nonprofit sectors.

On the Record...Online with NFL Detroit Lions Spokesperson Tim Pendell

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:21:14 GMT

Detroit Lions Spokesman Tim Pendell is in his eighteenth year in sports PR. Pendell talks about being the hardest working man on sports PR and marketing. Show Notes: 4:31 - Pendell talks about working PR for the Detroit Lions. 6:10 - Pendell on sustaining interest in this challenged NFL Football team during a tough season. 9:26 - Pendell reveals how changes in the media business have affected his position in sports PR. 10:10 - Pendell on how he’s using social media to publicize the Detroit Lions. 11:45 - Pendell describes how fantasy football has affected the business of sports PR. 13:27 - Pendell on how he publicizes the Detroit Lions to people outside of the football fan base. 16:21 - Pendell explains why NFL football isn’t an international phenomenon. 19:28 - Pendell speaks about handling media relations during the dismissal of Detroit Lions General Manager Matt Millen. 21:38 - End Eric Schwartzman is the founder of online news room management service iPressroom and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by over a thousand public relations and marketing executives from private, public, government and nonprofit sectors.

On the Record...Online with Former FEMA Director of External Affairs Pat Philbin

Eric Schwartzman — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:58:42 GMT

Former Director of External Affairs for FEMA, John "Pat" Philbin goes On the Record...Online with Eric Schwartzman about his role in the notorious "Fake Press Conference" regarding the 2007 California wildfires, about dealing with the fallout of bad PR, and about overcoming negative bias with both the media and public. Show Notes: 3:26 - Philbin summarizes what happened in the now infamous press conference 5:25 - Philbin further summarizes the problems with press conference in regards to alleged plants 6:45 - Philbin on how to have an intelligent social media policy and deal with high profile debacles 8:40 - Philbin on what he would do if he had a second chance at the FEMA situation 10:30 - Philbin on overcoming pre-existing media bias 13:15 - Philbin on the persistence of bias and how to deal with it 14:15 - Philbin on the importance of communicating well 15:30 - End Schwartzman is the founder of online press room management service iPressroom.

On the Record...Online with Craig Newmark - Founder of Craigslist.org

Eric Schwartzman — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 00:36:48 GMT

Founder of Craigslist.org, Craig Newmark goes On the Record...Online with Eric Schwartzman about the success of Craigslist.org and his personal business style. He was interviewed last month during the PRSA International Conference where he gave a keynote on Social Media and Democracy. Craig Newmark is the internet entrepreneur who founded the popular San Francisco based website Craigslist.org, a non-commercial community bulletin board with classifieds and discussion forums. A site that gets 12 billions hits a month. Show Notes: 2:57 - Newmark on the reach and rank of Craigslist.org. 3:40 - Newmark on where the mainstream news media is headed. 5:06 - Newmark on whether news media is or is not a social service. 6:36 - Newmark on the waning media’s roll in acting as a check in balance against government. 7:54 - Newmark on the ideas behind the look and feel of his site. 10:11 - Newmark on his personal financial situation. 11:56 - Newmark shares some advice on what makes social media work. 13:34 - Newmark describes Craigslist.org’s impact on the classified sections in newspapers 14:33 - Newmark on the impact of the economic crisis on Craigslist.org. 14:59 - Newmark on his favorite Craislist.org posting. 15:50 - Newmark on shutting down Craigslistfinder.com. 17:32 - End Schwartzman is the founder of online press room management service iPressroom.

On the Record...Online with Lou Capozzi - Chairman Emeritus of Publicis Public Relations and Corporate Communications Group

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 00:05:57 GMT

Chairman Emeritus of Publicis Public Relations and Corporate Communications Group, Lou Capozzi goes On the Record...Online with Eric Schwartzman about his upcoming luncheon keynote at the PRSA International Conference on restoring America’s connections with the world . Lou Capozzi manages Publicis Public Relations and Corporate Communications Group's public relations and corporate communications businesses. He also is president of ICCO, the International Communications Consultants Organization, which represents more than 1,000 firms in 27 countries around the world. Show Notes: 3:22 - Capozzi on what he will discuss during his keynote at the PRSA International Conference in Detroit, MI Oct 25-28. 4:12 - Capozzi on the issues behind America’s declining reputation in the world. 6:21 - Capozzi on the PR trade’s future regarding the current economic crisis. 7:15 - Capozzi on the possibility of outsourcing PR jobs overseas. 8:15 - Capozzi on why there has been a cooling of American culture around the world. 8:53 - Capozzi on the impressive opening ceremony at the Beijing Olympics. 9:28 - Capozzi on the next president’s influence on the perception of America abroad. 10:20 - Capozzi on whether Obama or McCain would improve America’s international reputation. 12:58 - Capozzi on what keeps him up at night. 14:50 - Capozzi on Malcolm Gladwell’s idea of genius. 15:34 - Capozzi on the percentage of his client seeking media relations services. 17:57 - Capozzi on the threat of interactive agencies. 19:03 - Capozzi on mergers and consolidations in the agency business. 19:33 - Capozzi on where he’s looking to grow his service portfolio. 20:20 - Capozzi gives a message to public relations professionals. 23:03 - End Schwartzman is the founder of online press room management service iPressroom.

On the Record...Online with Emmanuel Tchividjian - Ethics Officer of Ruder Finn

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 22:59:34 GMT

Emmanuel Tchividjian has served as the ethics officer at Ruder Finn for a number of years and is also in charge of the new Ruder Finn Ethic Consulting practice. Show Notes: 3:37 - Tchividjian on what he plans to discuss at the upcoming PRSA International Conference. 4:30 - Tchividjian describes his role at Ruder Finn. 5:33 - Tchividjian on the common ethical issues he deals with. 6:05 - Tchividjian gives an example of an ethical issue that he has to make with a client. 8:29 - Tchividjian describes how he battles the perception of PR when dealing with major corporations. 13:25 - Tchividjian on social media policies for employees in large corporations. 17:00 - Tchividjian gives a recommendation to Henry Paulson on the ethics of the current economic crisis. 17:30 - Tchividjian gives an ethical solution to remedy the errors made during the economic crisis. 18:38 - Tchividjian on who should be compensated for the economic crisis. 20:12 - Tchividjian on whether tax payers are owed something for the bailout. 21:17 - Tchividjian on the biggest ethical lapse in judgment he’s ever made. 23:07 - End Schwartzman is the founder of online press room management service iPressroom.

On the Record...Online with David Armon - Chief Operating Officer of PR Newswire

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 23:20:52 GMT

Chief Operating Officer of PR Newswire, David Armon goes On the Record...Online with Eric Schwartzman about press releases and how frequent press releases get picked up by the news media. David Armon is a former wire reporter and public relations executive now leads PR Newswire’s global sales, marketing and distribution operations throughout 41 bureaus in 14 countries. Show Notes: 5:46 - Armon on PR Newswire before the birth of the internet. 7:03 - Armon reveals the difference between the types of wires in the world and their meanings. 7:57 - Armon on the different channels of distribution on PR Newswire. 12:25 - Armon on what channels of information on PR Newswire are most popular. 14:14 - Armon on the way press releases are re-posted on other websites. 15:40 - Armon on how to best take advantage of the free distribution to online trade publications. 18:32 - Armon on hyperlinks in press releases and whether other sites are removing the links. 21:16 - Armon on the FCC's ruling to include news on a company’s website. 26:00 - Armon on why people go to a public relations firm. 27:55 - Armon on how PR as an industry is reinventing itself against clicks rather than clips. 33:00 - Armon speaks on a study they did about media pick-ups for press releases online. 36:25 - Armon on skepticism regarding PR Newswire’s recent study on press releases. 39:51 - End Schwartzman is the founder of online press room management service iPressroom.

On the Record...Online with John Horn, LA Times Entertainment Writer

Eric Schwartzman — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 22:50:03 GMT

John Horn is an entertainment reporter with the Los Angeles Times, who writes about movies, agencies and Hollywood. Show Notes: 4:50 - Horn discusses the sustainability of the newspaper business. 6:13 - Horn speaks about what he finds surprising in the talent agency business. 7:57 - Horn on how agencies attempt to promote themselves and influence his coverage. 10:35 - Horn on how talent agencies are able to avoid the online information age. 12:45 - Horn on how talent agents continue to make themselves valuable. 15:54 - Horn on whether agencies are good or bad for the creative process. 18:40 - Horn on what he does and doesn’t want to hear from PR people. 21:25 - Horn on his access people in the industry. 23:09 - Horn on the paranoia of the entertainment industry. 25:03 - End Schwartzman is the founder of online press room management service iPressroom.

On the Record...Online with Keith O'Brien, Editor in Chief PR Week

Eric Schwartzman — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:23:54 GMT

Editor of PR Week, Keith O'Brien goes On the Record...Online with Eric Schwartzman about today's PR industry. Keith O'Brien is editor-in-chief of PR Week, and is responsible for the strategic editorial direction of the title, including the print, Web site, PR Week Contact, and other extensions including events. Show Notes: 5:08 - O’Brien discusses the elements of the media’s frustration with PR professionals 7:32 - O’Brien gives advice to the PR industry on how to manage its own reputation 9:10 - O’Brien on what case the PR industry needs to make to their clients and boss 10:08 - O’Brien on today’s primary revenue drivers for the PR industry business 13:29 - O’Brien on ineffective push distribution and that’s effect on media relations 18:49 - O’Brien on whether push PR is part of the industries problem 21:55 - O’Brien on the FCC’s effect on newswires 25:00 - O’Brien on the push towards social media 27:33 - O’Brien on which presidential candidate is running a better PR campaign 30:43 - End Schwartzman is the founder of online press room management service iPressroom

On the Record...Online with NPR All Things Considered Booker Carol Klinger

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:54:16 GMT

Carol Klinger is the associate editor and a booker for NPR’s All Things Considered; the first worldwide news broadcast on NPR that combines news, analysis, commentary, interviews and special features. She has been booking the show for close to fifteen years. Show Notes: 3:14 - Klinger describes a typical day of booking 4:00 - Klinger on how she receives pitches 6:00 - Klinger on the pitches she is tired of getting 7:05 - Klinger on what makes a winning pitch 8:30 - Klinger on blind pitches 10:30 - Klinger on the growth of feature generated podcast stories on NPR 11:40 - Klinger on web coverage 12:00 - Klinger on how blogs have affected her job 13:07 - Klinger on future hot news trends of interest to NPR 14:58 - Klinger on the politics of news 16:40 - Klinger gives pre-interview tips 26:00 - End Schwartzman is the founder of online newsroom management service iPressroom.

On the Record...Online with Russell Wright, SEO Maven

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 21:17:08 GMT

SEO maven Russell Wright goes On the Record...Online with Eric Schwartzman about the future of SEO services Russell Wright is the co-founder of ThemeZoom, an online marketing intelligence platform that takes a radical approach to search engine optimizing online content. Wright, better known as “the keyword guy,” is a search engine optimization auditor and is known as an expert in finding profitable keywords. Show Notes: 3:07 - Wright gives tips on how to conduct SEO services with little to no budget. 3:37 - Wright recommends free tools to monitor web traffic for beginners. 4:28 - Wright reveals the most valuable information Google Analytics provides. 5:42 - Wright on the possible vulnerabilities of Google and the new engine Cuil. 16:47 - Wright on the social keywords versus business keywords. 24:44 – Wright’s guidelines for using social media sites for business applications. 25:39 - Wright talks about using keywords in URLs versus using Tinyurls. 34:09 - Wright on the profitability of online content. 35:09 - Wright on Google Connect and how that will affect the future of SEO services. 37:14 - Wright on the affects of Google’s recent release of the social graph API. 41:42 - Wright on the future of local mobile search. 43:27 - Wright on the conversion of social networking and mobile networking for business owners 44:41 - Wright on social search and algorithmic search.e 52:59 - End Schwartzman is the founder of online newsroom provider iPressroom, which also provides SEO services for PR practitioners.

On the Record...Online with Fame Formula author Mark Borkowski

Eric Schwartzman — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:21:28 GMT

Mark Borkowski is author of the new book “The Fame Formula” and one of Brittan’s top publicists who has hosted some of the most noteworthy PR photo opps in Great Britain including: stuffing a record number of people into a Smart Car and marching a line of elephants into a restaurant to promote Trivial Pursuit. His new book “The Fame Formula,” which includes a mathematical formula for fame, examines the culture of celebrity in this modern age and how many publicists shape and mold fame. Show Notes: 3:30 - Borkowski describes the background of “The Fame Formula.” 6:15 - Borkowski on how fame is different today from how it was pre 24/7 news cycle. 7:30 - Borkowski breaks down specifically how to sustain fame in today’s media market place. 8:05 - Borkowski on how to make someone without talent famous. 8:28 - Borkowski on the value of the soap opera lives of celebrities to the media. 9:00 - Borkowski on how our expectations of celebrity’s lives have changed. 10:20 -Borkowski on the evolution of personal PR and fame. 11:50 -Borkowski on the role of mainstream media coverage in the manufacture of fame. 13:19 -Borkowski on whether or not any press is good press. 14:05 -Borkowski reveals his insights on how to cope with consumer generated media in the evolving PR environment. 15:23 - Borkowski on his tactics for controlling the message in the social media world. 17:42 - Borkowski on transparency and authenticity in PR today. 21:33 - Borkowski gives PR advice for Barack Obama. 23:24 – Borkowski’s PR advice to the John McCain presidential bid. 26:00 - End Schwartzman is the founder of online press room management service iPressroom.

On the Record...Online with PR Tactics & Strategist Editor John Elsasser

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 07:00:00 GMT

On the Record...Online with PR Tactics & Strategist Editor-in-Chief John Elsasser Editor-in-Chief of PR Tactics & Strategist John Elsasser goes On the Record...Online with Eric Schwartzman of online PR service provider iPressroom to discuss PRSA’s publications and how new media technology has impacted PR. This podcast was recorded at the 2007 Public Relations Society of America International Conference in Philadelphia. John Elsasser is the Editor-in-Chief for PRSA's award-winning monthly newspaper, PR Tactics. The publication provides PR professionals with practical how-to information that will help improve their job performance and advance their careers. The Strategist, PRSA’s quarterly print publication, examines changing concepts and occasionally challenges current wisdom about the practice of public relations. Show Notes: 3:42 - Elsasser on his tenure as editor-in-chief of PR Tactics and The Strategist. 4:15 - Elsasser on how he got into journalism. 4:56 - Elsasser on how he wound up at PRSA. 6:05 - Elsasser on the negative connotations and usage of the term “public relations” int he mainstream news media. 7:52 - Elsasser on the challenge of overcoming preconceived notions. 8:58 - Elsasser on effective PR strategies. 11:06 - Elsasser on the rise of new media. 13:00 - Elsasser on the impact of transparent and authentic new media communications. 14:52 - Elsasser on the evolution of social media. 15:43 - Elsasser reveals a surprising fact about today’s PR industry. 16:45 – How to pitch Elsasser story ideas 17:19 - End Schwartzman is founder on online press room managemnt service iPressroom.

On the Record...Online with New York Times Columnist David Carr...Again

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:30:17 GMT

1:21 - Entertainment Beat Reporter John Horn at the Los Angeles Times on the types of stories he is interested in today, Special Features Editor Kevin Cassidy at The Hollywood Reporter on the news media’s online migration, and Entertainment Beat Reporter Bill Keveney at USA Today on incorporating multimedia into his coverage. 6:59 - Intro to Carr’s keynote speech at the Digital Impact Conference. 8:31 - Carr on the ever-changing advancements in media. 11:01 - Carr relates his 9/11 experience to the paradigm shift in mass media. 13:44 - Carr on the impact of electronic clutter. 13:21 - Carr on the best way to pitch him a story. 17:17 - Carr shares his amazement with Wikipedia. 17: 53 - Carr on the new push vs. pull media world. 19:02 - Carr reveals the importance of “the list.” 20:38 - Carr on the mainstream media change in matrices. 23:11 - Carr on the strategies Dell Inc. took to gain a favorable shift in the blogosphere. 27:10 - Carr on the significance of search engine optimization. 31:56 - Carr on his opinion of podcasts. 32:52 - Carr on which e-mail account he personally uses and strongly recommends. 36:00 - Carr on why the small fries need attention, too. 42:55 - Carr on the time commitment that comes with starting a blog. 52:18 - Carr on the practices some PR professionals exercise that will no longer work. 55:51 - Carr on the types of videos that are best for publication Web sites. 1:00:25 - Carr on why conversation--rather than content--is king. Carr writes The Media Equation column for the Monday Business section of the NYT that focuses on media issues including print, digital, film, radio and television. He also works as a general assignment reporter in the Culture section of NYT covering all aspects of popular culture. 1:02:17 - Carr on what Clay Shirky, author of Here Comes Everybody, means by “narcissism doesn’t know any special demographic.” 1:12:00 - End

On the Record...Online with PRSA Fellow Ira Yellen

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 21:51:35 GMT

PRSA Fellow Ira Yellen goes On the Record...Online with Eric Schwartzman of online PR service provider iPressroom to discuss the challenges of efficiently managing a PR agency. This PR podcast was recorded at the 2007 Public Relations Society of America International Conference in Philadelphia. Ira Yellen is President/CEO of First Experience Communications, a full service marketing, communications and public relations company. Recently, Mr. Yellen was elected into Public Relations Society of America College of Fellows, a select group of public relations professionals who have contributed to the profession. He is also chairman of Glastonbury Education Foundation, a foundation committed to raising money for a variety of community education initiatives. Show Notes: 3:10 - Yellen on the biggest challenges PR firms faces. 4:15 - Yellen on how PR agency managers can improve profitability. 6:10 - Yellen on understanding client goals, and managing client expectations. 7:29 - Yellen on the three most common problems that he finds at PR agencies. 8:45 - Yellen on the PR manager's ability to periodically reevaluate the direction of their agency in order to maintain profitability. 9:49 - Yellen gives practical examples on how agency owners can increase their profit margins. 10:59 - Yellen on the key indicators he uses the measure client deliverables. 11:53 - Yellen on delegating campaign responsibilities. 12:26 - Yellen on the traits he looks for when recruiting account managers. 13:14 - Yellen on recruiting individuals with the right communications skills. 16:41 - Yellen on what makes an optimal PR agency client. 17:35 - End Schwartzman is also the managing director of Los Angeles PR firm Schwartzman & Associates.

On the Record...Online with BusinessWeek Computers Dept. Editor Spencer Ante

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 15:38:31 GMT

BusinessWeek computers department editor Spencer Ante goes On the Record...Online to discuss his new book Creative Capital: Georges Doriot and the Birth of Venture Capital on the birth of venture capital in the United States. Ante will be attending the Digital Impact Conference in New York, June 9 & 10, 2008, to deliver a strategic recap alongside Eric Schwartzman on how to optimize the right tools at the right time for a successful equilibrium between traditional and new media. Show notes: 0:28 - Intro 4:54 - Ante details a typical day at the office. 6:17 - Ante on his new book recently published by Harvard Business Press in April, 2008. 7:42 - Ante on what is currently going on with venture capital and how the economy is playing a part. 10:32 - Ante on the importance of PR and communications. 11:10 - Ante reveals why certain Web 2.0 companies reign more successful than others. 12:26 - Ante's thoughts on FutureWorks PR practitioner and PR 2.0 blogger Brian Solis' TechCrunch article entitled, "PR Secrets for Startups," and Seesmic CEO Loic Le Meur's response on why you do not need PR to get the word out. 14:40 - Ante on his thoughts on data portability migration. 19:04 - Ante reveals what surprises him most on where technology is headed. 21:06 - Ante on what he discovered studying the history of technology. 23:15 - End This podcast is hosted by Eric Schwartzman of Schwartzman & Associates, one of the best Los Angeles Public Relations Agencies. Eric is also founder and chairman of PR Software as a Service provided by iPressroom.

On the Record...Online with Opinion Page Journalists

Eric Schwartzman — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:21:28 GMT

San Jose Mercury News Opinion Page Editor Barbara Marshman and Orange County Register Opinion Page Senior Writer and Columnist Steven Greenhut go On the Record...Online to discuss the personality of their newspapers opinion sections and their predictions for where opinion journalism is heading in the age of citizen journalism and social media. Show notes: 4:03 - Marshman on her daily responsibilities at the SJ Merc. 4:48 - Greenhut on his daily responsibilities at the OC Register. 5:27 - Marshman on the key to a successful PR pitch, and the best way to reach her. 8:10 - Greenhut identifies the OC Register's editorial philosophy. 9:41 - Greenhut on what warrants an editorial board meeting and the process of coordinating one. 12:12 - Marshman reveals some typical mistakes PR practitioners tend to make when attempting to coordinate editorial board meetings. 16:31 - Greenhut on the SJ Merc editorial section's "off the record" policy. 17:30 - Marshman discusses the value of going off the record with the opinion page. 20:50 – Marshman's future outlook on the influence of editorial opinion. 24:51 - Greenhut on the challenges of being a part of the newspaper business today. 25:50 - Greenhut discloses the mistakes the newspaper business has made in response to today's changing media landscape. 29:24 - Marshman on the pressure blogs impose on mainstream opinion journalism. 31:14 - Marshman on what newspapers have that user-generated sources don't. 35:53 - End This podcast is hosted by Eric Schwartzman of Schwartzman & Associates, one of the best Los Angeles Public Relations Agencies. Eric is also founder and chairman of PR Software as a Service provided by iPressroom.

On the Record...Online with Coca Cola Comm. Dir. Ray Crockett

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 16 May 2008 23:07:33 GMT

Coca Cola Director of Communications Ray Crockett goes On the Record...Online with Eric Schwartzman of online PR service provider iPressroom to discuss Coca Cola’s adoption of new media and challenges facing the company’s communication strategy. This podcast was recorded at the 2007 Public Relations Society of America International Conference in Philadelphia. Ray Crockett is the Director of Communications for Coca Cola, the world’s largest beverage company. He acts as the key spokesman for the company. Show Notes: 3:13 - Crockett on reaching consumer audiences, which have become fragmented. 3:58 - Crockett explains integrating new media channels into Coca Cola’s marketing/communications campaign. 4:20 - A day in the life of a Director of Communications at Coca Cola. 5:00 - Crockett on how he sees social media impacting his responsibilities as director of communications. 5:29 - Crockett on whether social media outreach should be the responsibility of public relations. 5:57 - Crockett reveals the single-greatest challenge of working for Coca Cola. 6:58 - Crockett on his greatest PR achievement at the Coca Cola. 8:02 - Crockett on how Coca Cola responds to claims that soft drinks are unhealthy. 8:49 - Crockett shares his perspective on negative publicity about high-energy drinks. 10:18 - Crockett on the challenges of marketing Coca Cola to the international community during this period of war. 11:31 - Crockett on what Coca Cola’s iconic logo symbolizes. 12:10 - Crockett on targeting regional consumer interest in order to maintain global dominance. 13:26 - Crockett on allegations of racial discrimination within the company. 15:01 - Crockett on multi-cultural communications. 16:34 - Crockett gives advice to aspiring PR professionals on scaling the corporate pyramid. 17:45 - Crockett on the key character traits he looks for when recruiting employees for PR jobs at the Coca Cola Company. 18:24 - End Schwartzman is also the managing director of Los Angeles PR firm Schwartzman & Associates.

On the Record...Online with Forrester Analyst and Groundswell Co-author Josh Bernoff

Eric Schwartzman — Wed, 07 May 2008 17:38:46 GMT

Forrester Research Vice President & Principal Analyst and Co-author of Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies Josh Bernoff goes On the Record...Online to discuss his book as well as the messages he will by keynoting on at The Digital Impact Conference on June 8 & 9 in New York City. Show Notes: 1:16 - Digital Impact Conference in NYC, June 9-10 4:11 - Bernoff defines a Groundswell. 7:04 - Bernoff reveals how social technologies challenge institutional power. 9:05 - Bernoff categorizes social media participants. 10:53 - Bernoff defines the acronym P.O.S.T., and how it is spliced into an ideal marketing strategy. 12:21 - Bernoff on the Social Technographics Profile. 13:25 - Bernoff shares the mistake most organizations make participating in groundswells. 15:23 - Bernoff's biggest surprise from evaluating social media research data. 17:30 - Bernoff on how corporate culture affects a company’s adoption of social media. 23:20 - Bernoff on achieving social media objectives and effectively measuring awareness and ROI. 26:01 - Bernoff on whether or not organizations should create a forum for dissent on their company website. 29:19 – End This podcast is hosted by Eric Schwartzman of Schwartzman & Associates, one of the best PR Agencies Los Angeles has to offer. Eric is also founder and chairman of PR Software as a Service provided by iPressroom.

On the Record...Online with Cisco Sr. Corp. Comm. Director Maureen Kasper

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:30:44 GMT

Show notes: 0:28 - Intro 4:25 - Kasper on how social media impacts her job responsibilities. 6:35 - Kasper discusses her biggest challenge to getting Cisco's internal team to adopt new media and social media tools and technologies. 9:34 - Kasper reveals two big opportunities that social media gives internal communicators. 13:59 - Kasper shares Cisco's objectives when using social media. 15:14 - Kasper on Cisco helps its employees blog responsibly. 16:46 - Kasper's biggest surprise about how organizations are using social media. 18:50 - Kasper on the separation between internal and external communications. 20:58 - End

On the Record...Online with BusinessWeek Media Centric Columnist Jon Fine

Eric Schwartzman — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 07:00:00 GMT

0:29 - Intro 3:10 - Fine on the PR/reporter relationship. 5:17 - Fine on the digital distribution of the news. 7:26 - Fine describes his BusinessWeek column "Media Centric." 8:26 - Fine's policy on embargoes. 12:40 - Fine on whether or not newspapers will survive. 15:30 - Fine on whether or not video on demand poses a challenge to cable and broadcasting. 26:23 - Fine on corporate adoption of new media. 28:40 - Fine on the appeal of social networks. 30:15 - Fine shares his opinion on the credibility of mainstream media blogs. 33:28 - End

On the Record...Online with Slate.com reporter Chris Wilson

Eric Schwartzman — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 00:26:02 GMT

Show notes: 4:55 - Wilson shares his secret about user-generated content websites that is little known among the general readership. 7:51 - Wilson on the pros and cons of social media websites. 9:49 - Wilson on the public’s perception of these websites. 10:43 - Wilson explains his views on Wikipedia from a journalistic standpoint. 17:43 - Wilson shares the models he finds successful (Slashdot and Helium). 24: 16 - Wilson on the survival of print, commercial publications and how that fares with website like Wikipedia and Digg. 27:30 - End

On the Record...Online with Disneyland VP PR Duncan Wardle

Eric Schwartzman — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 08:00:00 GMT

On the Record...Online with VP Global PR Disney Parks & Resorts Duncan Wardle Vice President of Global PR at Disneyland Resorts Duncan Wardle goes On the Record...Online to discuss the impact social media has had on marketing Disneyland Resorts in the digital era. This podcast was recorded at the 2007 Public Relations Society of America International Conference in Philadelphia. Duncan Wardle is Vice President of Walt Disney World and Global PR for Disney Parks. His current role encompasses the strategic development and execution of PR campaigns designed to raise awareness and increase intent to visit Disney Parks worldwide. Mr. Wardle’s team launched the company’s first word-of-mouth and online social network campaign, enlisting thousands of evangelists and leveraging their passion for the brand to convert new audiences. He also oversaw the first global PR campaign conducted by Disney Parks in celebration of Disneyland’s 50th Anniversary. Prior to his current role based in Orlando, Fla., Wardle has served in an executive PR capacity for the Walt Disney Company in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, London and Paris. Show Notes: 3:25 - Wardle discusses his role in the launch of Disneyland’s podcast. 3:51 - Wardle on the promotional benefits of podcasting. 5:12 - Wardle on increasing transparency without destroying suspension of disbelief. 6:17 - Wardle on appealing to younger generations who are impervious to traditional media. 8:10 - Wardle on the current challenges of marketing Disney, an iconic American symbol, to the international community. 9:18 - Wardle on the future strategy of Disneyland Parks evolving in order to maintain the standard of excellence for theme parks worldwide. 10:03 - Wardle shares words of advice for PR professionals moving forward in the digital era. 11:25 - Wardle on his presentation at the PRSA 2007 International Conference. 11:47 - Wardle explains how people can subscribe to the Disneyland podcast. 11:53 - End Schwartzman is also the managing director of Los Angeles PR firm Schwartzman & Associates.

On the Record...Online with SEO Guru Lee Odden

Eric Schwartzman — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 00:07:38 GMT

On the Record...Online with SEO Guru Lee Odden CEO of TopRank Online Marketing Lee Odden goes On the Record...Online with Eric Schwartzman of online PR service provider iPressroom to discuss value of search engine optimization marketing. This PR podcast was recorded at the 2007 Public Relations Society of America International Conference in Philadelphia. Lee Odden is CEO of TopRank Online Marketing, a leading Internet marketing agency that specializes in helping companies improve sales and brand visibility online. Based in Minneapolis, TopRank has been recognized as a leading search engine optimization firm by TopSEOs.com and PromotionWorld and has been included in Marketing Sherpa’s guide to SEO firms for the past 3 years. An internet marketing veteran and recognized expert on search and blog marketing, Mr. Odden is executive editor of MarketingBlog.com. He is a regular contributor to industry leading publications including BusinessBlogConsulting.com, WebProNews and Search Engine Guide. Show Notes: 3:16 - Odden gives examples of the benefits of SEO. 4:07 - Odden on the role of SEO in a media relations. 5:52 - Odden on the search engine optimized press release. 7:00 - Odden on keyword placement within a press release to secure an optimal search rank. 7:58 - Odden on the usefulness of mentioning competitors in press releases to increase page rank. 8:50 - Odden on the impact of media data for search rank. 9:56 - Odden on developing separate press releases SEO and media relations. 11:55 - Odden reveals the strategy for managing a client's reputation by placing positive content as the primary link on a search rank. 13:50 - Odden on the ethical considerations of using inbound links to determine page rank. 15:54 - Odden on Google's shortcomings. 17:50 - Odden on recommending SEO to clients more interested in traditional public relations. 19:27 - Odden on developing an SEO marketing strategy to increase client visibility. 20:15 - Odden on why his PR strategy appeals to clients. 21:18 - Odden shares his single, biggest SEO mistake. 22:13 - Odden on his single, greatest SEO accomplishment. 23:09 - Odden on the challenges of learning to SEO content. 25:10 - End Schwartzman is also the managing director of Los Angeles PR firm Schwartzman & Associates.

On the Record...Online with Harvard Scholar Kevin Lewis

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 08:00:00 GMT

On the Record...Online with Harvard Scholar Kevin Lewis who's study on friendships on Facebook was featured on page A1 of the New York Times. Detailed Show Notes to Follow.

On the Record...Online with PRSA Chairman Jeff Julin

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 18:05:56 GMT

PRSA Chairman and President of MGA Communication Jeff Julin goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman of online PR service provider iPressroom to discuss how he became PRSA Chairman. This PR podcast was recorded at the 2007 Public Relations Society of America International Conference in Philadelphia. Jeff Julin is the 2008 Chairman of the Public Relations Society of America. Mr. Julin is also president of MGA Communications, Inc. with 30 years experience in public relations, community affairs, communication strategies and marketing communication programs. He has worked with numerous controversial projects, from product liability to regulatory and labor situations, and has acquired strong skills in issues and crisis management. Show Notes: 3:24 - Julin on being elected to Chairman of PRSA. 5:30 - Julin on his PR firm MGA Communications. 6:12 - Julin on balancing his schedule to meet the needs of PRSA and MGA Communications simultaneously. 6:48 - Julin on what led him to become an active PRSA member. 7:54 - Julin on how he got into public relations. 9:24 - Julin on becoming President of PRSA. 10:44 - Julin reveals the biggest challenges currently facing the PR industry. 11:44 - Julin on what he plans to do as PRSA President. 13:19 - Julin on the impact of PRSA on his professional development. 14:12 - Julin shares his biggest surprise on how things work inside the PRSA. 15:09 - Julin discusses laying the groundwork for his imminent term at the PRSA 2007 International Conference. 16:58 - Julin talks about the benefits of being an active PRSA member. 18:01 - End Schwartzman is also the managing director of Los Angeles PR firm Schwartzman & Associates.

On the Record...Online with CIPR Director Colin Farrington

Sat, 08 Dec 2007 01:03:29 GMT

General Director of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations Colin Farrington goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman of new media marketing service provider iPressroom to discuss the current international policies between the U.S. and England, as well as the impact of globalization has had on public relations. This podcast was recorded at the 2007 Public Relations Society of America International Conference in Philadelphia. Farrington is principal advisor to the Institute’s Council and is responsible for the delivery of the Institute's modernization strategy. Today, CIPR is regarded as one of the world’s leading public relations and communications organizations. He is also the Secretary General of the European Confederation of Public Relations Associations (CERP), and Chairman of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management (GA), which he helped found in 2000. Show Notes: 3:14 - Farrington explains his mandate as General Director of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations. 4:50 - Farrington on how the UK perceives the United States during this time of war. 6:16 - Farrington on how Great Britain’s sentiment toward the U.S. has changed since Tony Blair’s departure as prime minister. 7:52 - Farrington on the policies he would pursue if he was the current U.S. Secretary of State. 12:02 - Farrington on why he is not an advocate of blogs. 13:58 - Farrington on how social media has changed the way organization’s respond to a crisis. 15:39 - Farrington on identifying target audiences for social media communications. 18:26 - Farrington on how global communications impact traditional media relations. 20:05 - Farrington on how people interested with CIPR or the Global Alliance can get involved. 20:44 - End Schwartzman is also managing director of Los Angeles PR firm Schwartzman & Associates.

On the Record...Online with Hyku blogger Josh Hallett

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 23:29:02 GMT

Social media consultant Josh Hallett goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman of new media marketing service provider iPressroom to discuss the challenges of integrating social media into external communications campaigns. This podcast was recorded at the 2007 Public Relations Society of America International Conference in Philadelphia. Josh Hallett is internationally recognized as a thought leader in the convergence of social media, corporate public relations and marketing. Mr. Hallett is the founder of Hyku, LLC, who recently joined technology PR firm Voce Communications. He has provided support to Fortune 500 firms, the traditional media, and some of the world’s largest public relations and marketing firms. Mr. Hallett is also a highly sought-after public speaker on social media and has presented at numerous workshops, seminars, and conferences in a wide variety of marketing segments. He participated in the official conference blog at the 2007 PRSA International Conference. Show Notes: 3:30 - Hallett on his role as a conference blogger at the 2007 PRSA International Conference. 5:15 - Hallett on his introduction to social media. 6:25 - Hallett on his transition into new media consulting. 7:14 - Hallett on why he became involved in a “communication-driven” industry. 8:19 - Hallett on how much time he dedicates to learning new media technologies. 9:21 - Hallett on understanding the business application of new media services. 11:19 - Hallett on the challenges of open source technology. 12:26 - Hallett on determining what social media application will provide the best support for a client. 15:33 - Hallett on the challenge of implementing new media technology in order to positively impact the client’s communication campaign. 17:47 - Hallett on educating clients to perceive their website as a live communications vehicle between the company and its customer. 20:18 - Hallett on how his non-traditional background has helped him build a unique vision as a PR professional. 22:21 - End Schwartzman is also managing director of Los Angeles PR firm Schwartzman & Associates.

On the Record...Online with WagEd Chief Innovator Marianne Allison

Thu, 22 Nov 2007 04:00:10 GMT

Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer of Waggener Edstrom Worldwide Marianne Allison goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman of new media marketing service provider iPressroom to discuss the challenges of promoting innovative technology and Waggener Edstrom’s role in developing the reputation of Microsoft. This podcast was recorded at the 2007 Public Relations Society of America International Conference in Philadelphia. Marianne Allison is the Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer for Waggener Edstrom Worldwide, an agency that provides public relation services using innovative communication methods for global organizations impacted by change. As CIO, Marianne is responsible for the agency’s intellectual property strategy, as well as promoting ideas and innovation internally through cultural and educational initiatives. She was integral to the development and design of Waggener Edstrom Worldwide flagship Innovation CommunicationSM system, which helped ground the agency’s reputation for deep and substantive work in public relations. Show Notes: 3:20 - Allison describes her role at Waggener Edstrom Worldwide. 4:10 - Allison on how she became the Chief Innovation Officer. 5:23 - Allison explains how she advise clients on promoting early adoption of new, innovative products and services. 6:59 - Allison reveals the challenge of introducing a new technologies to consumers. 8:44 - Allison on what can be done to accelerate the adoption of new technologies. 10:02 - Allison elaborates on steps to alleviating consumer anxiety toward new technologies and consumer electronics. 10:57 - Allison gives examples of how consumer dissent can positively impact product innovation. 13:53 - Allison on the importance of trust when introducing new technology products and services. 16:44 - Allison talks about whether philanthropic endeavors can actually work to build consumer confidence in new technology. 18:54 - Allison on the launch of Microsoft Vista and the future of the software giants. 22:05 - End Schwartzman is also the managing director of Los Angeles PR firm Schwartzman & Associates.

On the Record…Online with the Chairman of W2 Group Larry Weber

Sat, 17 Nov 2007 04:55:46 GMT

Larry Weber goes on the On the Record…Online with host Eric Schwartzman of new media marketing service provider iPressroom to discuss the impact that social media has on news today and his experience building one the world’s largest PR firms, Weber Shandwick Worldwide. This podcast was recorded at the 2007 Public Relations Society of America International Conference in Philadelphia. Larry Weber is author of the new book “Marketing the Social Web” and the Chairman of W2 Group a global marketing services ecosystem that helps CMOs in their new role as builders of communities and content aggregators. Prior to W2 Group, Mr. Weber founded The Weber Group, which within a decade became the world's largest public relations firm, Weber Shandwick Worldwide. In early 2000, Mr. Weber became chairman and CEO of Interpublic's Advanced Marketing Services Group, where he built and oversaw an $800 million group that included the world's top public relations, healthcare communications, branding, research, and entertainment and experiential marketing firms. Show Notes: 3:33 – Weber talks about his start in PR and how he grew one of the largest PR agencies in the world. 7:00 – Weber on his transition from practicing public relations to the C suite of a global firm. 8:23 – Weber discusses the culture of Weber Shandwick Worldwide. 9:53 – Weber shares the key character traits he looks for when recruiting employees for PR jobs. 11:20 – Weber explains how he found success with his first PR firm, The Weber Group. 11:45 – Weber reveals how he was able to grow the staff at Weber Shandwick Worldwide to meet agency demand, without losing sight over the firm’s existing client account load. 12:50 – Weber on appealing to third-parties to secure media coverage. 15:04 – Weber on managing client expectations. 16:11 – Weber on why meeting expectations is more important than developing a friendship with the client. 16:59 – Weber discusses why social media is compelling companies to shift dollars from advertising to public relations. 18:19 – Weber reveals why he thinks the business community has only just begun to use social media as a promotional tool. 20:17 – Weber explains how to promote new media content by strategically using paid media. 22:52 – Weber on why the evolution social media compels PR professionals to dig deeper into where people get their news and what issues influence them. 24:44 – Weber on why there will always be a need for traditional media. 25:38 – Weber on how social media improves the credibility of mainstream news. 25:52 – Weber reveals what sets him apart from other PR pros. 27:19 – End Schwartzman is also the managing director of Los Angeles PR firm Schwartzman & Associates.

On the Record...Online with World Bank Senior Advisor of External Relations Edith Wilson

Eric Schwartzman — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 02:10:18 GMT

Edith Wilson goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss the integration of new media at the World Bank and how the organization has responded to recent controversial issues. This podcast was recorded at the 2007 Public Relations Society of America International Conference in Philadelphia. NOTE: This is not a political podcast. We are interested in how technology is changing the way organizations communicate, and the way people consume media and information. This interview focuses on getting at the lessons Wilson has learned as a communications professional. We take no position on the issues or policies of the World Bank. Edith Wilson is Senior Advisor on Corporate Communications in the External Relations office of the World Bank, where she has worked since 1998. She assists the Director on special projects and policy documents, and lends technical assistance and training to Bank projects on strategic communications issues. As a project manager at the World Bank in 2002-2004, she led a team integrating public affairs and communications components in World Bank Loans and projects, providing technical assistance and designing strategic communications and opinion research programs for client countries. Prior to joining the World Bank, Ms. Wilson served as Senior Fellow and Director at the Progressive Policy Institute, and as Chief of Staff for Senator Carol Moseley-Braun (D-IL.). Before working in government, she was Senior Vice President of International Affairs at the public affairs firm Burson-Marstellar, working on NAFTA implementation and environmental issues. Show Notes: 3:38 - Wilson on why the World Bank is seen by some as a controversial organization. 4:26 - Wilson reflects on her rise to Senior Advisor of External Relations at the World Bank. 6:54 - Wilson on protest that have occurred at the World Bank Meetings. 10:45 - Wilson on the challenges she faces as a communicator for the World Bank. 12:37 - Wilson reveals the lessons she learned as a spokesperson during Paul Wolfowitz’s controversial resignation as World Bank President. 16:02 - Wilson on the World Bank’s position concerning leveraging the internet to increase transparency of the organization. 17:52 - Wison discusses common what she believes are common misperceptions of the World Bank. 20:02 - Wilson on the World Bank‘s relevancy at a time when countries can get loans from other financial institutions and the fight against poverty has proven to be a difficult task. 22:43 - End

On the Record...Online with Former White House Communications Director Karen Hughes

Eric Schwartzman — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 20:55:35 GMT

Former US President George W. Bush's director of communications Karen Hughes goes On the Record...Online with iPressroom founder and chairman Eric Schwartzman about strategic communications messaging, promoting American values at this time of war and the challenges of publicizing unpopular US policies abroad. NOTE: This is not a political podcast. We are interested in how technology is changing the way organizations communicate, and the way people consume media and information. This interview focuses on getting at the lessons Hughes learned as a communications professional. We take no sides on the issues or policies of George W. Bush Administration. Karen Hughes is the former undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, with the rank of ambassador. Her objective was to lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive public diplomacy plan. Previously, Hughes was the director of communications while George Bush was governor of Texas, from 1995 to 2000. Later she was counselor to president George W. Bush from 2001 to 2002. In July 2002, Hughes moved back to Texas for two years before rejoining the Bush Administration in August of 2004 as a campaign consultant. This podcast was recorded on Oct. 22, 2007 at the PRSA International Conference 2007 in Philadelphia, the week before Ms. Hughes resigned from the position of undersecretary. The episode was released on Oct. 31, 2007, the same day Hughes resigned from the US Department of State. Show Notes: 3:58 - Hughes on the challenges of promoting American values abroad at this time of war. 5:48 - Hughes discusses communicating unpopular US policies that are unlikely to change. 8:40 - Hughes on the single most important part of a strategic messaging campaign. 10:33 - Hughes on the real value of research to political campaigns. 12:06 - Hughes contemplates the internet’s role on the upcoming 2008 Presidential Election. 13:46 - Hughes on the opportunity new media presents corporate communications and public relations professionals. 14:23 - Hughes on her future political aspirations. 15:13 - End

On the Record...Online with Blogger Kami Huyse at the PRSA International Conference 2007

Sun, 21 Oct 2007 23:58:21 GMT

On the Record...Online with Author and Ethicist Dov Seidman

Eric Schwartzman — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 17:05:36 GMT

Dov Seidman goes "On the Record...Online" with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss the “How” in a hyper-connected, transparent world of communication and business. Dov Seidman is the author of the new book “How” which explains why “how” we do anything means everything in business. He created his highly successful company LRN from the living room of his apartment which has now grown to include some high profiled clientele such as Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Trump Entertainment, and more than 250 others. LRN’s objective is to help companies share their corporate cultures and build strong, principled organizations that are successful in the marketplace. Seidman is very busy giving presentations about the importance of being both profitable principled to likes of The National Press Club, the Outstanding Directors Exchange, the Defense Industry Initiative’s Best Practice Forum, Council of State Governments, and the Corporate Board Member Magazine Boardroom Summit to name a few. Seidman’s view on business behavior has also been quoted in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Forbes, CNBC, ABC’s Good Morning America, and BBC News. Seidman obtained a philosophy degree from UCLA, a politics and economics degree at Oxford, and studied law at Harvard Law School. SHOW NOTES: 06:40- The world has changed from an outdoing/outperforming oriented society to a how we do what we do matters the most society. 07:29- “We no longer live in a glass house, but on glass microscope slides.” 08:53- Seidman explains how reputations are no longer controlled, but uncontrolled in this hyper-connected, transparent world. 11:11- Seidman discusses that in this connected world we have to find new ways to relate to customers and clients. 15:37- Seidman explains that innovation in “how” is a way to differentiate from the others which allows you to connect with your customers on a deeper level. 17:44- Instead of thinking of what we can and cannot do, in a “how” world we think of what we should and should not do. 20:45- Seidman describes the benefits of out behaving versus out performing. 23:42- Seidman reveals that in this connected world you cannot manage your reputation you just earn it. 26:20- Seidman shares his reasoning and thoughts behind his new book and his website www.howsmatter.com 28:09- Seidman describes how fostering a new corporate culture leads to success. 30:20- Seidman elaborates on how creating a deeper connection with your customer through inspiration and motivation are beneficial to your business. 32:25- Seidman explains how principle and profit reinforce each other. 36:19- End

On the Record...Online with BusinessWeek Chief of Correspondents Joseph Weber

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 22:40:44 GMT

Joseph Weber is chief of correspondents for BusinessWeek, based in Chicago. Previously, he was Chicago bureau manager. Weber joined BusinessWeek in June, 1987, as a correspondent in Dallas. He was Philadelphia bureau manager from January, 1988, until August, 1997. He then managed Canadian coverage from Toronto until December, 1999. Among his many awards are an Excellence in Financial Journalism Award from the New York State Society of CPAs, two Peter Lisagor Awards from the Headline Club of Chicago, and a Distinguished Editorial Achievement Award from McGraw-Hill. Weber is a graduate of Rutgers University and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. SHOW NOTES: 04:44 - Weber describes his role at BusinessWeek and reveals the details behinds a typical day at work. 06:15 - Weber responds to the question, “How does the news break down in terms of the news cycle?” 07:25 - Weber goes in-depth about the process of putting timely news online. 08:00 - Weber elaborates on the hierarchy behind the decision making processes at BusinessWeek. 10:34 -Weber on the section editors at BusinessWeek and how particular sections break down in terms of content. 12:20 - Weber discusses what channels an idea goes through before it becomes an assignment. 16:30 - Weber describes whether he feels he can predict the fate of a pitch before it’s vetted. 19:50 - Weber on whether we are in danger of loosing print news media journalism. 26:00 - Weber talks about whether journalists are partially responsible for missing the story on Enron. 28:20 - Weber shares his viewpoint on the deal between Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal. 29:11 - Weber remarks on the newspaper business’ decline and whether this is only a passing phase or a new reality. 31:50 - Weber explains his view on how advertisers are moving their business online. 33:00 -Weber elaborates on the future of the bottom line and whether it will affect the integrity of journalism. 34:39 - End

On the Record...Online with Forbes.com CEO James Spanfeller

Eric Schwartzman — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 17:59:29 GMT

JAMES SPANFELLER serves as President & Chief Executive Officer of Forbes.com, a leading media Internet company, and as Executive Vice President of Electronic Publishing for Forbes, publisher of Forbes, the nation's leading business magazine. SHOW NOTES: 05:00 - Spanfeller describes his role at Forbes.com and his history in print magazines and online media. 06:10 - Spanfeller answers the question, "Is print advertising worth more than online advertising?" 07:17 - Spanfeller elaborates on the ways advertisers can use new media to reach a highly targeted audience. 08:30 - The advantages of tracking and measuring new media over mainstream media. 08:52 - How online advertising is becoming integrated into traditional marketing campaigns and public relations campaigns. 10:30 - Spanfeller shares his opinion on the future of the thirty-second spot. 11:42 - The launch of the Forbes.com Video Network. 14:37 - Spanfeller explains how the internet gives users control of the media they access. 15:08 - Forbes.com's partnership with Facebook. 16:25 - Spanfeller's advice to corporations seeking to manage their online reputations. 20:10 - The creation of the Forbes' Corporate Organizational Chart Wiki. 23:30 - Spanfeller's best advice for marketing and PR professionals looking to integrate new media into their corporate communications, marketing communications and public relations campaigns. 25.13 - End.

On the Record...Online with New York Times Columnist David Carr

Eric Schwartzman — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 23:05:14 GMT

On the Record...Online with New York Times Columnist David Carr David Carr goes “On the Record...Online” with Eric Schwartzman to talk about blogging, influence, and the newspaper industry. DAVID CARR has been writing about media as it intersects with business, culture and government, for the past 25 years. His column, “The Media Equation” appears in the Monday Business section of the New York Times, highlighting the latest news as it relates to print, digital, film, radio and television. Mr. Carr is also noted for his seasonal video blog, “The Carpetbagger” which runs November through March, giving readers a “behind-the-scenes” look at the road to the Academy Awards. SHOW NOTES: 04:58 - Carr describes how his job has changed since the introduction of the Internet. 06:58 - Carr explains a recent quote from his column, “When it comes to meta-analysis on breaking issues, the web seems better suited to Paris Hilton than patient safety.” 08:28 - Carr on applying journalistic standards to blogging. 11:28 - Carr shares his opinion on the role bloggers play in the food chain of media and the blogs he sees as influential. 11:59 - Carr reveals the one metric in which blogs have the most impact. Hear which blogs he says can move a story forward and get people talking. 13:35 - Importance of scoops in the age of the blog. 15:40 - The business of newspapers and how the audience has changed and continues to change. 17:19 - How newspapers battle to keep their share holders happy, the departments staffed and the community well-served. 19:10 - Carr on Rupert Murdoch’s controversial bid to purchase the Wall Street Journal. 21:40 - End.

On the Record...Online with Social Media Author Paul Gillin

Eric Schwartzman — Tue, 29 May 2007 19:19:59 GMT

Paul Gillin goes On the Record...Online with Eric Schwartzman to talk about new influencers of popular opinion. What motivates them, what they value and what marketers can do to engage with them. PAUL GILLIN has been reporting on the impacts of technology and media for 25 years. Before focusing full-time on social media, he was the founding editor-in-chief of Tech Target, one of the most successful new media entities to emerge on the internet. Prior to that, he was editor-in-chief of Computerworld. He now advises marketing executives and CEO's on how to turn the new social media to their advantage. Gillin's latest contribution to the business world is a book titled, "The New Influencers: A Marketer's Guide to the New Social Media." It is part of the "Books to Build Your Career By" series published by Quill Driver Books and profiles among others, the host of this podcast as a "new influencer." SHOW NOTES: 06:15 - Gillin describes his new book, The New Influencers: A Marketer's Guide to the New Social Media and explains how building credibility, audience and power in a market have changed with the proliferation of social media tools. 09:43 - Small markets count. Marketers should not underestimate the value of a small, focused audience in terms of click-through rates. 11:18 - Marketing to social media markets is not the same as marketing through the mainstream media. In the world of social media, the audience defines the message and marketers must engage the audience in a meaningful dialogue. Gillin illustrates how knowledge of this can make or break a company's reputation. 12:00 - Gillin highlights an important, "unstoppable trend" that every marketer needs to recognize. 13:22 - Gillin discusses last year's AOL customer service debacle and how the power of social media can turn one event into a PR crisis. 15:00 - The benefits of viral media through a brief case study of the Mommycast. 17:42 - Schwartzman points out that the new influencers aren't limited by geographical boundaries and their value to advertisers can be measured more by psychographics than demographics. 19:26 - Ethical considerations marketers should be mindful of when entering the world of social media marketing. 20:17 - Gillin discusses the ethical standards of the blogosphere. 22:35 - Gillin addresses the common complaints concerning the lack of journalistic standards in blogging but shows how marketers can become comfortable with the format by focusing on its strengths. 23:50 - Gillin explains why newspapers are failing and why he thinks most metropolitan dailies will be out of business in twenty years. 26:44 - Gillin opines on the shortcomings of traditional journalistic standards. 28.08 - About Gillin's own podcast series for PR professionals, Tech PR War Stories. 30:10 - End.

On the Record...Online with Social Media Authority Jimmy Guterman

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 11 May 2007 19:19:24 GMT

Jimmy Guterman goes "On the Record...Online" with host Eric Schwartzman to reveal his thoughts on the effectiveness of current Social Media business models, the misuse of the term conversation in "conversational marketing" and the Digg controversy. Jimmy Guterman has more than twenty years experience as a successful editor, magazine writer, book author, and consultant. He has excelled across a variety of editorial topics and publishing media, both as employee and entrepreneur. Guterman is currently the editor of Release 2.0, an O'Reilly Media online magazine that focuses on future trends in Social Media. Additionally, Guterman acts as the community editor for Harvard Business School Publishing, he is an avid blogger and he produced The Sandinista Project. In May of 2007, Guterman lent his expertise to the planning of the sold-out Economics of Social Media conference held in Beverly Hills, California. SHOW NOTES: 07:56 - Guterman describes the recent Economics of Social Media conference. Even as conference organizer and moderator, Guterman admits that he doesn't have all of the answers. Find out what information surprised him. 10:29 - Advice on being acquired. Guterman reveals what differentiates those companies that have been bought from those that have not and explores the changing nature of deal-making. 12:55 - On Social Media business models: the standard economic strategy utilized by industry leaders and why companies should look beyond this model. 15:05 - Guterman on the relation between real and virtual. Opines on whether or not live interaction will ever be fully replaced by engagement Online and how this affects a company's business model. 16:32 - Slams the term 'conversational marketing.' 17:33 - The importance of listening: why your audience knows more than you do about your own product or service and how this affects the future of your brand. 18:54 - Guterman discusses the ever increasing relevance of being legitimate. 20:24 - The most recent release of online magazine Release 2.0. The similarities between Web 2.0 and Wall Street and how these two markets can learn from one another. 22:37 - The delicate balance between maintaining an Ad-friendly online environment and fostering a vibrant web-based community. 23:48 - On the Digg controversy: why Digg founders re-posted material that allegedly infringes upon copyright and what this means for the future of the site. 25:12 - Schwartzman and Guterman discuss the nature of VC funded startups. 27:29 - Mob rule vs. Democracy. The qualitative effects of producing content for a mass audience. 30:03 - The concern behind PR and marketing professionals entering the blogosphere. How to avoid pitfalls that will lead to negative public opinion. 32:33 - End.

On the Record...Online with Avenue A-Razorfish President Dave Friedman

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 19:20:07 GMT

Dave Friedman goes On the Record...Online with Eric Schwartzman about the relationship between digital and traditional media, the future of interactive marketing and the fate of journalism. Throughout his career, Dave Friedman, president of the world's largest interactive marketing agency, has helped retailers and consumer products firms understand how to leverage technology and marketing to build stronger relationships between brands and customers. His background combines the disciplines of consulting and marketing to create deep insight into the behavior of the digital consumer. Friedman received a BA from Cornell University and MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. SHOW NOTES: 05:49 - Friedman describes the varying interactive marketing, advertising and social media services provided by Avenue A | Razorfish and says whether or not his company is a threat to traditional media. 09:37 - The growing popularity of holism in interactive marketing and how this affects the way the media researches corporations. 11:10 - Revolutionizing online engagement: why companies should release content on other Web-based venues. 13:15 - Friedman on the changing nature of peer to peer advertising and the importance of joining large-scale digital conversations online. 15:13 - The Avenue A | Razorfish strategy for building an online client base and the two most important things to remember when engaging clients in the internet social sphere. 19:47 - Which benefits the online user more, SEO or social intelligence? The ethics and potential success of these disparate means for sifting through and finding information online. 23:54 - The radical shift in vision surrounding online marketing communications and the importance of planning ahead when building a website. 26:58 - Friedman offers his thoughts on the fate of the journalist and how Avenue A | Razorfish can help these professionals move into the 21st century. 28:33 - The symbiotic relationship between physical product and online experience and how big corporations like AT&T are redefining themselves in the digital arena through interactive marketing communications in order to increase consumer loyalty. 35:45 - End.

On the Record...Online with Social Media Maverick Stowe Boyd

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 23:05:32 GMT

Famed Blogger Stowe Boyd goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to reveal his thoughts on how antiquated notions of PR are hurting companies in the online atmosphere, the new ethics of social media and the death of the press release. SHOW NOTES: 04:40 - Boyd sounds off on the new ethics of the blogoshere and how he ruffled feathers of blogging giant Shel Holtz. 07:10 - Will PR professionals relinquish control and join the conversation? 09:22 - Boyd on the nature of consensual blogs. 15:27 - Boyd opines on the most effective use of social media and it’s relation to the broadcast model. 16:47 - Boyd slams the social media press release as an antiquated notion, a holdover from the days of the telegraph and offers ways in which to enter the 21st century. 19:58 - Schwartzman and Boyd debate the validity of the press release as a means to distribute information. Boyd ridicules companies who ignore technological trends. 25:56 - Thinking outside the box: new tactics for a new era of media. 28:30 - What are the key ways in which companies can abide by the ethics of new media? 30:26 - Boyd discusses the nature of authority vs. integrity in both traditional media and in the blogosphere. 33:33 - Facing a moral dilemma: how PR professionals should behave in the blogosphere when their livelihood depends on the promotion of a person or product. 36:40 - Boyd on why he is legitimate and relevant. 37:07 - Plugging the Boyd's upcoming keynote speech at the 2007 PR Online Convergence Confererence titled "Bloggers and PR: Why Can’t We Just Get Along." 38:31 - End.

On the Record...Online with Chicago Tribune Reporter David Greising

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 23:04:17 GMT

"Zell lands Tribune," the recent article by Chicago Tribune chief business correspondent David Greising made waves in early April. The fate of one of the oldest newspapers in the United States now lies in the hands of real estate tycoon Sam Zell. As the deal broke, The Chicago Tribune relied upon Greising, veteran business journalist of twenty years, to provide perspective. Along with the Tribune, Greising has written for Business Week and the Chicago Sun-Times. He is the author of two books: I'd Like the World to Buy a Coke: The Life and Leadership of Robert Goizueta and Brokers, Bagmen and Moles: Fraud and Corruption in the Chicago Futures Market, co-authored by Laurie Morse. Greising goes "On the Record...Online with Davide Greising goes “On the Record...Online” with host Eric Schwartzman to reveal his thoughts on the recent sale of Tribune Co. to billionaire Sam Zell, the economic future of the newspaper business and the Chicago Tribune’s strategy for maintaining readership as journalism forges ahead into the digital age. SHOW NOTES: 04:15 - Greising explains his role at the Chicago Tribune and discusses the difference between writing for a news publication and writing a book. 06:18 - Thoughts on his exclusive interview with Sam Zell. 07:42 - Fact or Fiction: Sam Zell's reputation as the “Grave Dancer” and what this could mean for Tribune Co. 10:15 - How newspapers are re-inventing themselves in order to capture a new generation of web savvy readers. Where the Chicago Tribune stands in comparison to other major mastheads and where it needs to move. 12:50 - Facing tough financial times: will Zell be a preferable option to current management as newspapers struggle to survive? Will online advertising be able to sustain news companies? 16:09 - Pros and cons of the Chandler family deal with Tribune Co. in regard to the LA Times. Predictions on where the Times-Mirror company would be now had they remained in control of Los Angeles' largest newspaper. 18:57 - The Chandler family's longstanding economic strategy in the newspaper business and their opinion of the Sam Zell buyout. 21:46 - The New York Times and multi-media: how the nation's largest newspaper is staying ahead of the curve. 24:05 - The Chicago Tribune's coping strategy for attracting and maintaining readership as their internet competitors have cornered the market on breaking news. 26:09 - Thoughts on collective intelligence in relation to traditional, non-participatory journalism. Response to Noam Chomsky and other thought leaders who view the mainstream media as gatekeepers. 29:44 - Hard and soft news: how to be relevant to younger audiences without sacrificing the quality of information. 34:40 - End.

On the Record...Online with World Economic Forum Media Maven

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 23:53:12 GMT

World Economic Forum Senior Media Manager, Matthias Lufkens, goes On the Record...Online with Eric Schwartzman about the 2007 Global Information Technology Report, why key nations slipped in the rankings, the impact of marketing information technology on Davos earlier this year, and the benefit of the social media press release. SHOW NOTES: 05:31 - Lufkens discusses the World Economic Forum annual Global Information Technology Report and the turmoil in the top 10 rankings. 07:35 - Lufkens on the Global Information Technology Report in relation to the world economy and his analysis of what the change in rankings implies. 10:01 - The methodology behind the Global Information Technology Report 11:24 - Surprises of this 2006-2007 Global Information Technology Report. 11:54 - What really happened at the Davos World Economic Forum this year. 13:21 - Schwartzman and Lufkens discuss the controversy surrounding former CNN chief news executive Eason Jordan's sacking, which was the result of a blogger's commentary filed during a private session that was supposedly off the record. 16:19 - Lufkens on relations practices and credentials policies at the World Economic Forum. 17:28 - Why private is public: Lufkens explains the Chatham House Rules and the role they play in facilitating naked conversations. 18:52 - Lufkens reveals the consequences for breaking Chatham House Rules, or reporting on off the record sessions. 19:34 - Applying media relations practices to MSM, new media and social media alike. 20:28 - Lufkens discloses which countries are rapidly expanding their Information Technology infrastructures and stresses the importance of engaging those countries that lag behind. 22:07 - Lufkens on how he used marketing information technology to extend the reach of the conference. 23:50 - Lufkens on the strategy behind the Davos Conversation website, which extended the reach of the World Economic Forum. 26:52 - Lufkens on the Davos Conversation website as a gateway to the World Economic Forum's online presence. 28:39 - Lufkens describes the arsenal of social media and marketing information technology that the World Economic Forum employed and the value of social media press releases. 33:41 - End.

On the Record...Online with Cisco's Jeanette Gibson

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 21:38:02 GMT

Jeanette Gibson goes "On the Record...Online" with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss the importance of online press rooms for today's business community. They discuss the secrets behind the success of Cisco's online news room, news@cisco.com, the economic benefits an online news room can provide a company and the culture shift that is occurring in the way people are consuming media. SHOW NOTES: 05:19 Gibson details the creation and evolution of Cisco's new media team and how they have adapted and continue to adapt to the new media explosion. 06:39 Gibson divulges how Cisco's entrepreneurial culture has allowed the new media team to shake their initial reputation as a renegade faction and the effects of that culture shift on the way the company's internal communication is conducted today. 09:04 Gibson lists the benefits of online news rooms and explains how news@cisco.com has helped Cisco become a world class organization. 10:52 Gibson explains why social media can*t be ignored and how the new media team at Cisco determines the most appropriate vehicle for delivering information. 12:42 Gibson discloses why it is imperative that PR personnel, rather than web technicians, direct social media content. 14:11 Gibson reveals why news@cisco.com is the second most visited page on cisco.com. 15:59 Gibson describes the objectives of news@cisco.com and explains why the site promotes return business. 17:04 Gibson divulges the new media team's official three-pronged marketing strategy for news@cisco.com. 19:18 Gibson reveals why the news@cisco.com podcast subscription rate is up 40 percent and why blog readership is up 60 percent. 20:37 Gibson explains how the company tracks their relative success and how they have made cisco.com more user friendly. 23:59 Gibson discusses why a website should be an experience. 25:12 Gibson describes the methodology that has allowed the new media team to remain small and nimble. 26:18 Gibson gives her expert opinion on why every company should incorporate new media into their traditional PR campaigns. 27:47 Gibson offers advice to companies who wish to expand into new media. 28:57 Gibson talks about the culture shift that is occurring regarding the nature of media, and what she looks forward to in the future. 31:04 - End.

On the Record...Online New Media Masters Panel Part 2

Eric Schwartzman — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 00:30:00 GMT

Special Episode: On the Record...Online host Eric Schwartzman moderates the second segment of the "New Media Masters Panel" with General Manager Rob Barrett of the Los Angeles Times, General Manager Larry Gerbrandt of Nielsen Analytics, Claude Brodessor of NPR's "The Business," and blogger Kevin Roderick, who writes for TMZ.com and LAObserved.com. They discuss the challenges of moving print journalism onto the Web, the credibility of blogs and wiki platforms and the economics of Web media. SHOW NOTES: 07:07 Rob Barrett discusses educating Los Angeles Times reporters in Web-based media and the benefit of having online articles mentioned in blogs. 11:20 Kevin Roderick explores the difference between print journalism and Web journalism in terms of the relationship between the relative position and importance of an article. 12:55 Barrett reveals his opinion of whether or not the Web is good for the news media industry. 14:00 Larry Gerbrandt compares the economic potential of print and Web media and the concept of engaging advertisement. 16:30 Claude Brodessor describes what is "killing the movie business" and how computer-generated imagery (CGI) hasn't lived up to the hype. 21:49 Gerbrandt on how the wide-spread dissemination of info on internet is affecting box-office sales. 22:50 Barrett shares his experience with the Los Angeles Times experimental creation of a "Wikitorial" and the requirements of a successful online community. 29:18 Roderick contends that journalism is not entirely objective and offers his thoughts on whether the subjectivity of blogging is a strength or a weakness. 32:36 Barrett discusses the cultural shift that is occurring at major news organizations as Web journalism continues to grow. 36:22 Roderick explains the correlation between the number of Online readers and the quality of Web-based content in blogs and other citizen journalism sources. 38:43 Roderick, Barrett and Brodessor offer their thoughts on the Drudge Report and how the ability to tailor individual experience affects the influence of a Website has on the news. 43:27 Barrett and Roderick square off regarding the difficulty of linking blogs to ever-changing news Websites. Barrett reveals the new business model that the Los Angeles Times plans to launch in order to generate greater revenue from archived articles. 46:55 Schwartzman and Barrett discuss the role of RSS link generators in accessing information behind firewalls. 48:25 Barrett reveals how RSS feeds can be used to generate a profit. 49:47 Roderick discusses how he uses RSS feeds and how he draws a loyal audience to his blog. 51:42 Brodessor and Roderick on the important role that podcasting plays for Online radio stations like KCRW. 52:55 Schwartzman wraps-up the show and thanks his guests. 54:10 - End.

On the Record...Online New Media Masters Panel Part 1

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 23:38:04 GMT

Special Episode: On the Record...Online host Eric Schwartzman moderates a "New Media Masters Panel" with Rob Barrett, GM, LATimes.com, Larry Gerbrandt, GM, Nielsen Analytics, Claude Brodessor, NPR's "The Business" and TMZ.com blogger Kevin Roderick, LAObserved.com. They share how the internet is changing the main stream media business, the future of print media and how industries are reacting to Google and YouTube. SHOW NOTES: 04:16 - Larry Gerbrandt, Claude Brodessor, Kevin Roderick and Rob Barrett reveal their thoughts on new media, such as websites, blogs, podcasts and social networking platforms, and how it is changing the way they communicate. 18:30 - Roderick, Brodessor and Gerbrandt share where they get their news and which new or mainstream media outlets they consider influential. 25:24 - Brodessor on what organizations are now doing to counteract Google and YouTube from taking what some consider to be free content. 28:50 - Gerbrandt explores whether or not main stream media views Google as a friend or foe. 31:47 - Roderick reveals what the future of the print publishing business is in a world where people hunger for news at internet speed. 33:11 - Barrett on whether or not Google News is in breach of copyright violation for content siphoning. 36:26 - Gerbrandt shares his thoughts on DVR and TiVo usage. 39:45 - Brodessor talks about the "lazy factor" of DVR users vs. Madison Avenue advertising. 42:38 - Roderick talks about Steve Jobs and Apple managing to escape criticism in an industry where others such as, Bill Gates, are viewed more objectively by the media and the industry. 45:43 - End.

On the Record...Online with Warren Cowan, Rogers & Cowan Founder

Eric Schwartzman — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 00:34:54 GMT

Warren Cowan goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to reveal what a night on the red carpet at the Oscars is like, the challenges of working with major stars and the history of the movie premier event. After a stint with public relations company Alan Gordon and Associates and service in the Air Force during WWII, Cowan teamed with veteran publicist Henry Rogers to form Rogers and Cowan in 1949. The company prospered as the Hollywood studio system broke down in the 1950s and the in-house studio publicity staffs no longer routinely fed competitive gossip columnists news of the studio's contract stars. Public relations companies filled the void and Rogers and Cowan grew into one of the largest Hollywood firms in the field, with nearly 200 employees and a client roster that has included Elizabeth Taylor, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Cybill Shepherd, Paul Newman, Clint Eastwood and Michael Keaton. In the 1980s, it expanded into serving corporate accounts. Rogers and Cowan was sold in 1991 and Cowan left the business the following year. After a two year hiatus, he opened a new firm, Cowan and Associates. SHOW NOTES: 04:16 - Warren Cowan reveals what it is like to be on the red carpet at the Academy Awards. 06:06 - Cowan shares the challenges of moving a major celebrity down the red carpet and what role the publicity escort plays there. 08:51 - Cowan on why a major star would not want to walk down the red carpet and what makes them actually put forth the effort to go. 09:52 - Cowan reveals how he successfully handles stars if they do not want to make the public appearance of walking down the red carpet. 11:14 - Cowan discusses when people start arriving at the red carpet and when people should arrive to get an interview from the press. 12:33 - Cowan shares the origins of the red carpet and the movie premier event. 15:07 - Cowan describes the amount of demands for a major star’s time and the difficulty a personality PR agent has with managing all the media requests. 18:51 - End.

On the Record...Online in Singapore: Special Episode

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 18:37:55 GMT

Eric Schwartzman presents an excerpt from his New Media PR Boot Camp at the Strategic Media Relations Conference & Workshop in Singapore. Schwartzman shares podcasting case studies with government officials of Singapore, non-profit organizations, academic institutions and other influentials in the region. Schwartzman discusses the podcasts of Disneyland, Ecast, JupiterResearch, IBM, Simon & Schuster and the LA Opera, amongst others, and reveals their strategies, objectives, drawbacks and the tactics they utilize to attract listeners and establish a loyal audience base SHOW NOTES: 05:28 - Schwartzman talks about companies that utilize podcasts to fulfill their marketing and communications goals. 06:27 - Schwartzman describes IBM’s podcasting efforts. 08:46 - Schwartzman discusses featured guest interviewees on Simon & Schuster’s podcast, SimonSays. 09:57 - Schwartzman reveals why Virgin Atlantic’s podcast was subject to so much criticism. 10:41 - Schwartzman shares how Purina builds a loyal audience base for their podcast. 11:08 - Schwartzman discusses the challenges TV Guide’s podcast will have to overcome. 11:38 - Schwartzman on the Whirlpool podcast and the direction it took. 12:41 - Schwartzman reveals the secret behind the success of Disneyland’s podcast. 16:20 - Schwartzman discusses the effectiveness of the LA Opera’s podcast in fulfilling the Opera’s PR and marketing goals. 22:50 - Schwartzman talks about Ecast’s podcast and the company’s objectives and success using the podcast. 29:45 - Schwartzman shares how Trend Micro used their podcast to reach a niche audience and humanize their brand. 32:32 - Schwartzman discusses Associated Production Muisc’s Film & TV Music Podcast and the direction the podcast has taken. 38:17 - Schwartzman on the importance of having a podcast host with a likable personality. 39:22 - Schwartzman reveals how to generate community involvement with a podcast. 39:59 - Schwartzman shares the importance of psychographics as opposed to demographics for the subscribers of a podcast. 41:54 - Schwartzman on the rising importance of electronic media for print publications. 43:19 - Schwartzman discusses how to select subject matter for a podcast and the development and creative process for making a podcast. 47:20 - End.

On the Record...Online with Hollywood Reporter Editor Anne Thompson

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 19:26:21 GMT

Anne Thompson goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to reveal how movies secure Oscar nominations, how films win Oscar campaigns and whether or not online buzz influences which movies get nominated. The deputy film editor of The Hollywood Reporter, Anne Thompson writes the weekly film industry column "Risky Business," which is globally syndicated by Reuters. She also contributes to Premiere, Wired, Filmmaker, New York Magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The London Observer. From 1996 to 2002, she headed Premiere's Los Angeles bureau as West Coast Editor. Before joining Premiere, she tracked behind-the-scenes Hollywood as a senior writer at Entertainment Weekly and as West Coast Editor at Film Comment Magazine. From 1985 to 1993, she wrote the first iteration of "Risky Business" for L.A. Weekly and The Los Angeles Times Syndicate. A graduate of the Department of Cinema Studies at New York University, Thompson teaches the fall semester of Sneak Previews at UCLA Extension. SHOW NOTES: 04:59 - Go inside the news room with Anne Thompson to see what goes on in a day of the life of a deputy film editor. 05:38 - Thompson reveals the changes she has seen covering the movie business for more than two decades. 06:57 - Thompson on whether or not the Academy Awards recognize best movies or best PR. 08:11 - Thompson shares why so many Oscar pundits thought Dream Girls would win an Academy Award for Best Motion Picture or Oscar for Best Director. 09:50 - Thompson on the secret behind timing a motion picture marketing campaign for Best Motion Picture. 11:35 - Thompson on the implications of online buzz. Does online buzz or online chatter campaigns impact Academy Award nominations? 15:12 - Thompson on the globalization of Hollywood and the Academy Awards. 16:25 - Thompson shares an insiders perspective on a day at the Oscars, including the red carpet arrivals, the telecast and the Hollywood Oscar party scene. 21:09 - Thompson on the impact new media in the digital age. A prediction of the future of online PR and the impact it will have on movies and their marketing campaigns. 27:04 - End.

On the Record...Online with Variety Editor Steven Gaydos

Eric Schwartzman — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 02:06:27 GMT

Steven Gaydos goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to reveal the changes in Oscar campaigns due to the internet, his real opinion on the quality of the LA Times and how important the Oscars are as an advertising revenue source. Variety executive editor/international managing director Steven Gaydos joined Variety in 1993, serving as the newspaper's first managing editor of special issues. In 1999 Gaydos was named executive editor of Variety/Daily Variety and in that capacity he helps oversee the work of the largest entertainment news staff in the world. In August 2000, Gaydos took on the additional role of international managing director of Variety, overseeing the global business operations from the London office. Gaydos is author of the Variety/Putnam book, "The Variety Guide to Film Festivals," and is also coauthor of Movie Talk from the Frontlines (McFarland) and Cannes: 50 Years of Sun, Sex and Celluloid (Miramax/Hyperion). Since March, 2002, Gaydos has been the regular feature presenter of the "Loose Talk" segment on BBC London's Saturday Morning Breakfast Show. He is also a regularly featured guest on CNN, BBC's Liquid News, World Service, Five Live, among others. SHOW NOTES: 08:13 - Gaydos on how Oscar campaigns are changing as a result of the internet and its interactive nature. 09:15 - Gaydos shares how online chatter in blogs are affecting advertising decisions and how much people inside the business pay attention to these blogs. 09:48 - Gaydos talks about how surprising the copyright infringement action taken by the Academy Awards on the website www.oscarwatch.com was. 10:32 - Gaydos describes how realistic he believes the online copyright actions by the Oscars are. 11:51 - Gaydos reveals how major sites like YouTube and MySpace help show how the internet is growing as a platform for entertainment and information. 13:13 - Gaydos shares what traditional media outlets are in major trouble due to the onset of new media. 14:17 - Gaydos discusses whether or not he believes the new LA Times section called The Envelope infringes on Variety’s territory. 15:25 - Gaydos reveals how important a source of revenue the advertising leading up to the Oscars are, compared to all the other areas. 16:33 - Gaydos shares what trends he has seen in Oscar ads since the onset of new media and how this year is performing compared to the expectations. 17:31 - Gaydos on how big of an impact the huge numbers of awards shows have had on advertising for the Oscars. 18:40 - Gaydos describes how a movie such as Norbert will affect Eddie Murphy’s chances of winning an Oscar. 19:49 - Gaydos shares whether or not he thinks there will be any interactivity like there was with Justin Timberlake at the Grammys. 20:53 - Gaydos talks about the impact that new media has on his job and how strongly he feels about that change. 22:35 - Gaydos describes how the web has impacted the way Variety reporters cover Hollywood. 23:48 - Gaydos reveals his true opinions on the LA Times quality and what the paper needs to do to save its masthead. 25:15 - Gaydos on whether or not the IRS crackdown on gift bags at the Golden Globes or the Oscars has truly had an effect on the amount of swag celebrities are given. 26:30 - End.

On the Record...Online with LA Weekly Deadline Hollywood Columnist Nikki Finke

Eric Schwartzman — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 00:42:48 GMT

Nikki Finke goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman on this years Ocsar race, the Weinstein's impact on the Oscar campaign process and to discuss how she manages to write her brash, in-your-face style of journalism without losing access to inside sources. Journalist Nikki Finke has been the "Deadline Hollywood" columnist for LA Weekly since June 2002, writing about the business, politics and culture of the infotainment industry. She recently won first place in the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies' 2006 AltWeekly Awards for media criticism/reporting. Los Angeles Magazine has praised her LA Weekly column as "essential reading for those who follow the Industry..." Dow Jones' MarketWatch headlined a recent profile on her. In March 2006, she began DeadlineHollywoodDaily.com which she writes, edits and owns. Her career in journalism has included years as an AP foreign correspondent in Moscow and London, Newsweek correspondent in Washington D.C. and Los Angeles, and Los Angeles Times staff writer covering entertainment and features. From 1995 through 2000, she was West Coast Editor and Hollywood columnist first for the New York Observer and then for New York Magazine. She also has written for The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Esquire, Harper's Bazaar, Elle, Glamour, Premiere, Washington Post, Newsweek, Salon, Premiere and Los Angeles Magazine. She has appeared often on radio and TV talking about the entertainment business. SHOW NOTES: 03:11 - Nikki Finke talks about the essence of an Oscar campaign, how they are normally mounted, how Harvey Weinstein broke the mold of a traditional Oscar campaign and the impact the Weinstein's have had on the Oscars. 05:34 - Finke reveals why Hollywood is jealous of David Geffen and Clint Eastwood, why the Oscars really are not a true contest for the best director, best picture, or best motion picture, and why she feels last year's Academy Awards proved the Academy is homophobic. 08:26 - Finke explains why outlets such as Us Weekly and Entertainment Tonight can have such a devastating effect on an actor's or actress's career, why she initially believed Ryan Gosling didn't deserve his Academy Award nomination and how he got nominated. 12:18 - Finke on the role of the coterie of "geriatric publicists" play on word of mouth campaigns for the Academy Awards. 13:48 - Finke talks about why Endeavor is so extraordinary and successful compared to the Creative Artists Agency. 16:22 - Finke gives her opinion on whether or not the internet and new media is causing a shift in power in the entertainment industry. 17:53 - Finke explains why her honest style of journalism gets her more access to sources than other reporters and why she views herself as the friend of the shareholders. 20:51 - End.

On the Record...Online with Billboard Editor Digital/Mobile Antony Bruno

Eric Schwartzman — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 03:26:30 GMT

Antony Bruno goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to share how involved Billboard is in digital media, what sorts of things he looks for in a pitch and what media outlets influence him. Antony Bruno joined Billboard in 2005 to cover the emerging field of digital entertainment, including music downloads, MP3 players, ringtones, wireless downloading, P2P, video games and interactive technologies for the weekly print editions. He also oversees the programming activities for Billboard's MECCA mobile entertainment conferences. Before joining Billboard, Bruno was assistant vice president of wireless Internet development at CTIA, the The Wireless Association. He is a frequent guest speaker and has been quoted in the Boston Herald and USA Today and appeared on National Public Radio. SHOW NOTES: 05:10 - Antony Bruno gives a description about and insight to his role as the editor of Billboard Digital/Mobile. 05:53 - Bruno talks about how many people at Billboard work with digital media and their level of involvement. 06:15 - Bruno shares his level of involvement with digital media and why that level has changed over time. 06:55 - Bruno discusses his weekly involvement with news stories for Billboard, both online and offline. 07:30 - Bruno explains how long-time Billboard employees regard him and his position and the differences in background between them. 09:06 - Bruno shares how many PR pitches he receives in a day. 09:59 - Bruno reveals his idea of the prefect pitch. 10:40 - Bruno talks about what draws him to read through a pitch and what he wants from a pitch. 11:32 - Bruno describes how long he thinks a pitch should be and in what format. 12:09 - Bruno talks about how many people to copy on an e-mail to in an organization when pitching. 13:27 - Bruno describes the best way to format and send him a press release. 14:49 - Bruno discusses how important electronic aspects are in increasing the appeal of an online story. 16:41 - Bruno shares what sort of media outlets influence him as an editor at Billboard. 18:20 - Bruno talks about how the growth of citizen journalism impacts his decision on what to cover for Billboard. 19:47 - End.

On the Record...Online with Entertainment PR Legend Julian Myers

Eric Schwartzman — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 01:49:06 GMT

Julian Myers goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to share what he has learned throughout his career about the field of entertainment PR, managing client expectations and the role of PR practitioners play in developing a story. Owner of Julian Myers Public Relations, Julian Myers has been working in Hollywood for 67 years. Myers is in his 33rd year of teaching "Entertainment Public Relations" at UCLA Extension and his 16th year teaching at Loyola Marymount. The long time public relations veteran also helped originate the USC Cinema and Television Society. Myers has served on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Public Relations Coordinating Committee for about 25 years, and helped put on the Oscars, working on the red carpet and with media backstage, for 30 years. Currently, he is focusing his efforts on spreading AmigoDay -- a day to greet anyone, anywhere, on any month's first Sunday -- around the world. SHOW NOTES: 05:41 - Julian Myers reveals what parts of his life have kept him going for so long in the field of public relations, and what his future goals are. 07:57 - Myers describes how people can help further the cause of AmigoDay. 09:24 - Myers talks about his future and the future of entertainment PR and what his biggest problems are. 11:21 - Myers discusses some of the most humorous experiences he has had in the field of public relations throughout the years. 14:56 - Myers relates the first time he met Marilyn Monroe, the origins of her name, and who helped guide her career. 16:40 - Myers gives his opinion on paparazzi and how important he believes they are. 18:23 - Myers reveals why celebrity scandals are so much more prevalent today than in years past. 20:00 - Myers on how to handle dealing with a celebrity or any type of client with unreasonable expectations and the dangers of promising results. 22:46 - Myers explains why he disagrees with the notion that a publicist should never be the story, and should be behind the scenes. 25:07 - Myer talks about the wonderful relationships he has had with his celebrity clients over the years. 28:07 - Myers talks about how lucky he feels. 29:12 - End.

SPECIAL EPISODE: On the Record...Online with Podcasters at CES 2007, Las Vegas

Eric Schwartzman — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 01:01:02 GMT

Tim Bourquin of TNC New Media and the "Podcast Brothers" podcast goes On the Record…Online to moderate a panel with podcast experts Michael Geoghegan, author of Podcast Solutions, Jason Van Orden, author of Promoting Your Podcast, Eric Schwartzman, host of the PRSA PRism (sic) award winning podcast On the Record...Online, and Wing Yu, editor-in-chief of StreetIQ.com. SHOW NOTES: 6:04 - Tim Bourquin introduces himself and panelists Jason Van Orden, author, podcaster, podcast consultant and host of the website howtocreateapodcast.com; Eric Schwartzman, founder and president of iPressroom Corporation; Michael Geoghegan, CEO of GigaVox Media and creator of some of the first corporate podcasts and Wing Yu, CEO of FinancialContent. 10:26 - Orden reveals the elements needed to create a successful podcast, including selecting the most effective content and identifying what information to include in the feed. 12:47 - Schwartzman explains how to choose a format and a message that will lend to a podcast that adds a new level of transparency to the marketing mix. 14:56 - Geoghegan talks about the launch of the Disneyland podcast and how to best format a podcast that will appeal to marketing and advertising executives. 17:40 - Yu discusses best practices for podcasting and producing a podcast that resonates with listeners, produces sales leads and stimulates word of mouth marketing. 19:55 - Geoghegan reveals the reasons behind the failed Starbucks podcast and the significance of creating a podcast that appeals to the listener, rather than to a corporate board room. 21:54 - Schwartzman on choosing the most compelling content for a podcast, the pressure on the mainstream media to reach out to audiences already targeted by many social media players, and using electronic media as a tool to release information about a brand, such as instructions for product use. 25:55 - Geoghegan reveals how to secure approval from C-level executives to create a podcast. 27:45 - Orden on how to promote a podcast, secure downloads and give it its own legs in the age of new media growth and competition. 30:37 - Orden talks about podcast measurement and the technological limitations of podcasting metrics. 33:08 - Schwartzman weighs in on the opportunity podcasting creates to influence target audiences that Time Magazine and other mainstream media outlets cannot reach. 35:29 - Geoghegan on the time commitment, costs and efforts involved in regularly releasing a podcast. 38:52 - Yu explains how to integrate podcasts into the traditional marketing mix. 40:43 - Schwartzman recommends leveraging podcasts for a different goal than other social and traditional media tools. 42:55 - Orden talks about the siginificance of engaging listeners on a consistent basis. 44:16 - Schwartzman explains how to build a loyal audience for your podcast. 45:40 - Yu shares the benefits of advertising on podcasts. 46:58 - Geoghegan on video podcasts versus audio podcasts and the different attractions of both types of podcasts. 50:05 - Schwartzman talks about the importance of the marketing department’s involvement with the podcasting process, and the serious investment of time it takes to make a podcast effective. 55:48 - Orden reveals how an advertiser should approach a podcaster and the importance of finding a podcaster that genuinely believes in your product. 57:40 - Geoghegan on Grape Radio selling sponsorships to advertisers and the care and attention that is given to advertisers by podcasters. 100:04 - Schwartzman offers advice on how to manage expectations for podcasting initiatives. 104:40 - End.

On the Record...Online with Billboard Chart Director Geoff Mayfield

Eric Schwartzman — Sat, 06 Jan 2007 01:16:53 GMT

Geoff Mayfield goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss how the Billboard charts are evolving in the age of digital music, the legislative shortcomings of the DMCA and escalating ring-tone sales. Geoff Mayfield has been director of charts at Billboard magazine since 1994 and has overseen the Billboard 200 albums chart since 1990. In addition to overseeing Billboard's charts department, Mayfield writes the charts analysis column Over The Counter and spearheaded the launch of Billboard Chart Alert. SHOW NOTES: 04:02 - Geoff Mayfield reveals the inner working of just what goes into the production of the coveted Billboard charts. 05:48 - A Billboard veteran, Mayfield weighs in on the advantages and disadvantages that technology has brought to the Billboard charts. 08:51 - Mayfield on the importance of looking beyond the Billboard 200 to a more holistic view of all Billboard charts in an age of media fragmentation. 10:00 - Mayfield talks about new media consumption and the psychographics of digital consumption. 13:04 - Mayfield reveals the shortcomings of retail sales measurements and the dangers of an oversimplified perspective. 16:33 - Mayfield describes the secret behind how Billboard measures non-copyrighted music. 17:42 - The Digital Millennium Copyright Act and what the future holds for record companies pushing sales of physical product in an age where consumers are legally constrained by how they can consume. 19:51 – Mayfield talks about the impact of digital distribution on major and independent record companies. 22:13 - Mayfield plugs Billboard's new chart called Hot RingMasters, which measures ring-tones based on master recordings. 25:06 - Mayfield acknowledges the shortcomings of the Billboard charts and the changes the company is making to aggregate more comprehensive. 27:50 - End.

On the Record...Online with HP VP Howard Taub

Eric Schwartzman — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 07:30:57 GMT

Howard Taub goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss place-based media, wearable cameras and the rude awakening fans of digital photography may be in for if they don't preserve and archive their data storage and printed images appropriately. Howard Taub is the Vice President and Associate Director of HP Labs and a renowned expert in digital imaging. He is also a thought leader who oveseas much of the next generation research and development at HP Labs that many believe is re-envisioning the future of the digital image. Taub goes inside HP's Mediscape GPS system, Casual Capture wearable cameras and the challenges consumers, the media business and Hollywood film studios face with regard to image and film preservation. SHOW NOTES: 04:26 - Howard Taub talks about the difference between Mediascape and current new media broadcasting utilities, such as podcasting. 05:16 - Taub describes how place based media uses GPS technology to broadcast specific information based on geographic coordinates. 07:19 - Taub discusses the possibilities at which Mediascape is a commercial applicant, such as gaming and prior uses. 08:48 - Taub talks about Casual Capture, HP's wearable camera technology. 10:34 - Taub reveals the inner workings of the HP digital media platform, and its strategic value to HP. 12:07 - Taub discusses the challenges of film preservation and digital preservation and storage. 13:58 - Taub explains how to preserve digital images for generations to come. 15:47 - Taub describes how to preserve analogue video and digital video for generations to come. 18:00 - Taub talks about how Hollywood and the major studios should preserve their motion picture assets for generations to come. 19:34 - Taub describes the benefits and drawbacks of storing photos and videos on hard drives versus removable media. 21:06 - Taub offers his opinion about the best removable media available, why it works best and how to maximize its use for archiving and preservation. 24:19 - Taub discusses how to properly store your photos so they are visible for generations to come. 27:43 - End.

On the Record...Online with Adweek Reporter Brian Morrissey

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 23:56:44 GMT

Adweek Reporter Brian Morrissey goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss how digital media and technology are changing the world of advertising, the latest trends in advertising, and what he believes the future of advertising will look like. Brian Morrissey is a senior reporter at Adweek, where he covers the interactive advertising industry. He has reported on the Internet advertising businesses for DM News, ClickZ and Silicon Alley Reporter. Prior to working in journalism, he was a speechwriter in Washington, D.C. Morrissey is a graduate of Providence College and has Masters degrees from the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium and Columbia University. SHOW NOTES: 04:53 - Brian Morrissey gives a description about what sort of things an Adweek reporter covering interactive media deals with as opposed to reporters who focus on traditional media. 06:13 - Morrissey explains the meaning behind the title of Bob Garfield's article, "YouTube vs. Boob Tube," in Wired magazine, and why there is so much tension about it in the advertising industry, "Right now advertisers are left in kind of a quandary in how they actually reach their consumer and YouTube is very symbolic in just that it is people consuming media when they want, sharing it, really taking control." 07:55 - Morrissey talks about what he believes the future has in store for the advertising industry and what his feelings about the industry are. 09:39 - Morrissey gives his opinion on the future of the 30 second spot in today's rapidly changing world, "It is symbolic of, like, old school advertising. Now will it be 15 seconds? Will it be, in some cases, 5 seconds? Will it be a 2 second ad that leads to a longer form video experience? Maybe. Now the challenge for advertisers is to adjust to that..." 10:52 - Morrissey discusses whether or not he believes technology will put agencies that specialize in media platforms out of business, similar to how the internet put travel agents out of business, and what he thinks technology and digital advertising will do to aid small businesses. 13:18 - Morrissey describes the difference in strengths and weaknesses of traditional media versus new digital media and how new media will change how advertisers measure response to campaigns, "Any time media becomes digital, it becomes a lot easier to measure, and you just hope that measurement then ends up meaning it becomes more accountable." 15:51 - Morrissey talks about what surprises him the most about the change of trends in technology and platforms, particularly regarding the speed of the changes. 17:20 - Morrissey gives an example of how he would run an ad campaign for a fictional corporation and where he would focus his advertising with regards to digital media and traditional media. Also, he talks about how devoted certain types of companies are in evolving their advertising forms technologically. 19:03 - Morrissey discusses Second Life, how on-line advertising there benefits companie, and what he thinks the future will be like for online media, such as Second Life, "...I mean the next MySpace, I think, is going to look a lot more like Second Life than it will look like MySpace today." 20:18 - Morrissey describes what advertisers need to do to cut through the clutter of advertising that is prevalent in modern society and what sort of ways advertiser messages are potentially going to change to accomplish this, "One way I think it they are going to change is they are going to become more Google-like." 22:04 - Morrissey talks about how people who work in public relations should contact him if they believe they have a good story and what sort of stories interests him the most. 22:55 - End.

On the Record...Online with Quincy Jones III and Paul Campbell of QD3

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 23:24:25 GMT

QD3 Chairman Quincy Jones, III and President Paul Campbell go On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss utilizing new media to reach consumers, the effect new social media has on their company, and how they tame technology for a competitive edge. Quincy "QD3" Jones, III is the Chairman, CEO, and Chief Creative Officer of QD3. In 1986, with Hip Hop still in its infancy, Quincy decided to attend the noted Berklee College of Music in Boston. After one year at Berklee, Quincy grew restless and moved to Los Angeles where he immediately connected with Dr.Dre and a small record label called Ruthless. In 2002, Quincy started a documentary production company focused on chronicling the many dimensions of hip-hop culture. Under Quincy's leadership, the company has amassed one of the largest independent libraries of hip-hop content with thousands of hours of programming, much of it rare, exclusive, and never before seen footage. The company is aggressively expanding online to take advantage of the technology explosion of broadband video, user generated content, video on demand and mobile platforms. As the creative and driving force, Quincy is building the first urban oriented digital media entertainment company. Paul A. Campbell is the President and COO of QD3. In June 2006, Paul A. Campbell joined QD3 assuming the role of President and COO in charge of growing the Company's organizational infrastructure, production capacity, and expansion onto new digital platforms. Paul brings a unique mix of technology understanding, entrepreneurial energy, strong business discipline, and creative sensibilities. Paul spent the last four years at the Microsoft Corporation as the Director of Business Development responsible for the software giant's digital media strategy and partnerships with major media companies and the creative community. SHOW NOTES: 05:12 - Paul Campbell discusses what type of company QD3 Entertainment is and gives a brief description about the many aspects of QD3 Entertainment. 06:25 - Quincy Jones, III talks about the QD3 Soundlab and gives a history about the company's music production and film and television scoring history. 07:01 - Jones talks about launching the entertainment portion of QD3, and why he felt the need to create it, "I was watching TV one day and a hip-hop documentary came on and it just didn't really reflect what it really was like being there and it didn't really reflect the culture in an authentic way." 07:35 - Campbell and Jones describes how they first met and why they became friends. 08:42 - Campbell and Jones talk about how they try to avoid targeting specific groups and attempt to combine different groups and cultures of fans into larger aggregates with the aid of new media. Also, they describe how they can use new media to reach both combined groups and specific subgroups. 11:20- Campbell and Jones discuss what they think about the belief concerning the need to bridge the digital divide to reach an urban audience, "As the technology becomes increasingly accessible and becomes a priority, there is no digital divide, it's an economic barrier if there is one." 12:38 - Campbell describes how QD3 utilizes mobile media and other new media technology, and how they plan to make use of such in the future. 14:20 - Campbell and Jones discuss how QD3 feels about their privately licensed content being used by consumers without paying for it on their own new media sites, such as MySpace, and how that drives them to improve their own content. 16:05 - Jones describes how his visual media business provides opportunities that compliment the music side. 17:03 - Campbell talks about the obstacles that they face in QD3 with the onset of new media, how new media technology has changed their advertising models and how it makes it essential to change the way they make investments in designing the different facets of their business plans. 19:09 - Campbell describes how QD3 utilizes and evaluates technology and how they try to tame technology to harness it for a competitive advantage for their company. "You can have the most creative story-telling capability, but if you can’t deliver it in a compelling way and really take advantage of the new technology advancements, somebody else who can do that and maybe less creative will end up winning." 22:27 - Jones talks about who his musical and technological influences are. 23:41 - End.

On the Record...Online with Organic Chairman Jonathan Nelson

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 23:15:43 GMT

Organic Chairman Jonathan Nelson goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss open source technology, client involvement with website publishing and using new media for advertising and marketing. Jonathan Nelson co-founded Organic, Inc. in 1993, which was the first web-based business, and served as its chief executive officer for seven years. His pioneering work at Organic has helped to make the Internet the radical economic catalyst it is today. He now serves as the chairman of the board and steers Organic's long-term strategy goals, allowing clients to more effectively employ the Internet for brand development and develop better online experiences for their customers. Nelson, described as a "serial entrepreneur," he has founded or played a critical role in the building of a number of companies. SHOW NOTES: 03:49 - Jonathan Nelson talks about his history with Accrue Software, Inc. and gives a brief description about what kind of company it is. 04:25 - Nelson briefly outlines a day in the life of the CEO of Organic. 04:55 - Nelson describes what Organic, Inc. is and what it does. 05:20 - Nelson talks about how Organic and its clients come to an agreement over what types of services Organic will provide. 05:55 - Nelson gives his opinion on open source and how his clients feel about using open source technology, "...we are a huge fan of open source...but occasionally a client will demand a Microsoft platform or another platform and we are compliant and do that stuff as well." 06:32 - Nelson talks about using different types of software and how important he feels it is to use one set of software over another, "I believe that you shouldn't let the tail wag the dog, I mean software is just a tool and quite often the tools are chosen for you..." 07:36 - Nelson talks about the clients' involvement in the publishing of their own website, the different types of software that clients could use to publish their own site, and the various types of service level agreements that clients want. 09:04 - Nelson describes how Organic's clients host their websites, and how much of the actual hosting Organic does. 09:49 - Nelson discusses how he educates clients on new social media that are hesitant to utilize it, "I believe that in late 2005, 2006 is really the dawn of social media in a really big way, the advent of MySpace and YouTube and the way it is affecting brands is really profound." 11:25 - Nelson talks about the different ways of approaching new media versus traditional media for advertising a product, taking into consideration the target demographic, the product, and how experimental the client is. He also discusses the advantages new media has over traditional media for advertising. 13:51 - Nelson describes how internet marketing has evolved in a short period of time, as well as the increased use of internet marketing for such impulse purchases as consumer packaged goods that have traditionally relied upon off-line marketing. 15:08 - Nelson gives his opinion on Flash, its use on websites, and how to get around the difficulties Flash presents for search engines. 16:23 - Nelson talks about how the process of search engine optimization for data and marketing is evolving with regards to the growing intelligence in using search engines of companies, search engines, and consumers. Also, he discusses the increasing use of social tagging, "Keep in mind that nothing is static here, which is one of the most brilliant things about the internet. It is all evolving really rapidly...we are...actually rather quickly grappling our way to the future here." 19:48 - Nelson discusses how social media has changed the way he does business, and how that has affected growth and sales of all companies who utilize social media. 21:09 - Nelson talks about how new media, such as the internet, has affected marketing practices with regards to traditional marketing mediums, such as television. 22:59 - Nelson gives his opinion about Google's buy-out of YouTube and whether or not he thinks the price they paid was worth it, "...it's really not about the money, it's about the percentage." 24:38 - End.

On the Record...Online with Jupiter Social Media Analyst Emily Riley

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 22:34:51 GMT

Emily Riley goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss new social media influentials, employing social media versus conventional media channels, and how marketers and advertisers can develop a relationship with new social media influentials. Emily Riley is an advertising analyst in Jupiter Research's New York City office. She covers advertiser and publisher trends and technologies including rich media, targeting, measurement and response. Emily joins Jupiter Research with over six years of internet advertising experience. Most recently, she worked at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. where she helped re-launch their web site as an advertising-based content site. Prior to MSLO, she was at Advertising.com for five years as a delivery analyst. There she was responsible for the delivery and analysis of advertising campaigns across their network of over 2,500 sites. Emily has a BA in English with a minor in Economics from the Johns Hopkins University. SHOW NOTES: 6:04 - Emily Riley talks about why she joined Jupiter Research and provides a background on the company. 6:40 - Riley discusses the top line findings of Jupiter Research’s social marketing report called, "Marketing to Influentials" and what their initial expectations were when they started the research, "We wanted to know if all the social marketing tools out there have essentially given these classic influentials a bigger voice, or if there is a different group of people that are taking advantage of social marketing tools that are influential in a different way." 7:22 - Riley talks about what a combination influential is, how important they are, how they fit into the report, and how to market to them. 8:29 - Riley explains what a purchase funnel is, how it relates to the influentials described in her report and the impact influentials have on shaping people's opinions. 10:41 - Riley discusses combination and new influentials and how they relate to the ladder of influence and to purchase funnels, "At the top of your purchase funnel you are willing to listen to these combination and new influentials, they may not be the most trust worthy sources, but [they] may be the earliest sources..." 12:26 - Riley explains when an influential should be consulted, in place of, a more traditional, professional media outlet in order to help create an organic news trend. 13:48 - Riley talks about the PR process for launching a new product and the benefits of approaching a combination influential before approaching standard media channels. "Combination influentials are the Holy Grail, but at the same time they are a very small percentage of the population so you have to look at your ability to find them and reach them." 15:22 - Riley talks about how to treat a combination influential, particularly how much access to information to give them, as well as how a relationship with a combination influential usually works. 16:16 - Riley discusses the benefits and drawbacks of social media versus conventional media channels in releasing a message, "Suddenly it is not necessarily a professional on the top of a mountain throwing an opinion down onto the masses; the masses are really involved and elevated." 18:04 - Riley describes how social media may boost the interest of analysts through the use of new media tools, such as blogs. 19:45 - Riley talks about how to understand where to draw the line on how much information you should give new social media users versus conventional media outlets. 21:01 - Riley offers her opinion on the small crisis initiated about the right for transparency of methodology behind research by blogger Toby Bloomberg. 24:35 - Riley talks about whether marketing or public relations is better equipped to deal with social marketing, "Public relations are about starting relationships, causing a domino effect through relationships...marketing on the other hand...has been used to crafting a message and you put it out there and consumers only have one choice, they either look at it or look away." 26:18 - End.

On the Record...Online with San Jose Mercury News Staff Writer Dean Takahashi

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 21:23:03 GMT

Dean Takahashi goes On the Record...Online to discuss covering the video game industry, PR for console games versus PR for PC games, and the growth and future of the video game business. Dean Takahashi is a staff writer at the San Jose Mercury News, where he covers the semiconductor and video game industries. He writes business stories as well as game and technology reviews. Takahashi has 17 years' experience as a journalist and more than 15 years' experience writing technology stories. He previously worked at the Wall Street Journal, Red Herring magazine, the San Jose Mercury News in an earlier stint, the Los Angeles Times Orange County Edition, the Orange County Register, and the Dallas Times Herald. He is the author of Opening the Xbox: Inside Microsoft's Plan to Unleash an Entertainment Revolution," a book about the making of Microsoft's game console published in 2002. SHOW NOTES: 5:19 - Takahashi discusses how he likes to receive pitches. 6:30 - Takahashi talks about the relationship between the growth of email and the quality and quantity of pitches he receives. 7:21 - Takahashi on the amount of pitches he receives each day and how he decides which email pitches to open. 8:37 - Takashi talks about staying on top of news developments in the video game industry. 10:14 - Takahashi on the challenges of covering the video game industry, and covering a new product to be released when the final product is unavailable for review. 12:06 - Takahashi on the marketing and PR machine behind consul games, "When you go to E3...everybody's trying to compete for attention...[and] you always get the sense from going to that show that the video game industry has not grown up..." 14:47 - Takahashi on the opportunities the online components of game consoles offers public relations practitioners, "The community involvement that that creates, the fan base...is something that is sort of the future of marketing and something that has to be carefully managed..." 17:27 - Takahashi talks about why PR for console games is handled so differently than PR for PC games. 18:38 - Takahashi talks about Sony's marketing campaign for PlayStation 3, and Sony's strategy versus Ninetendo's and Microsoft's. 21:33 - Takahashi discusses the growth of the video game business and offers his opinion on the studios move to take control of games developed on their motion picture properties. 24:07 - Takahashi talks about professional sports leagues making deals with different electronic game publishers, and the impact these deals have on gamers and the video game industry. 26:10 - Takahashi discusses his books "Opening the X-Box" and "The Xbox 360 Uncloaked." 28:59 - Takahashi offers his predictions for the video game industry in 2007.

On the Record...Online with Podshow CEO Ron Bloom

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 21:50:30 GMT

Podshow CEO Ron Bloom goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss best practices for podcast advertisers, podcast measurement, and valuing an audience. Ron Bloom is the visionary CEO and business leader behind the founding of PodShow. Mr. Bloom is ultimately responsible for PodShow's business units, team building, operations, financing and hyper-growth. Bloom was the chief strategist in securing PodShow's marquee partnerships with Apple and Sirius Satellite Radio and the company's elite private investors, including venture firms Kleiner Perkins, Sequoia Capital and Sherpalo Ventures. Bloom leads PodShow on the march to 100M listeners, and is often referenced as the visionary author of the media industry's "5/50" rule and Fart's Law of consumer technology adoption. A respected technology and media executive, consultant, speaker and author, Bloom has provided marketing, media and technology strategy for a broad range of Fortune 1000 clients including AOL, Time Warner, AVON, IBM, Oracle, Chrysler, Ford, BellSouth, DuPont, Nortel, Continental Airlines, Gillette, Microsoft, Omnicom and Procter and Gamble. As a pioneer in e-business and integrated marketing, Bloom has worked to develop internet portals, web sites, cross-media marketing, and integrated broadband and broadcast content, as well as strategic business plans for online businesses such as Preview Travel, The Gap, Network Associates, MSN, Oracle, Netscape, AOL and a host of others. Bloom has acted as a consultant to a range of investment banks and venture firms, working with them to identify and understand the impact of emerging technologies, having helped to raise over $500 million in investment capital for both public and private companies focused on technology, marketing, media and next-generation entertainment and communications. Bloom is a former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of THINK New Ideas, a company which he cofounded, and served as President and Chief Operating Officer of On Ramp, one of the world's first and most prestigious Internet solutions providers. SHOW NOTES: 4:07 - Ron Bloom talks about the metrics advertisers should look at when considering whether they want to advertise in a podcast, as well as qualifying a podcast. 9:04 - Bloom talks about the advantages of using podcasts instead of other traditional forms of electronic media," What podcasting brings is...choice, unlimited frequency, unlimited bandwith, an unlimited ability to mix and match, [and] it also gives the advertiser a tremendous opportunity to put together an audience in the millions...that have...multiple voices promoting their product." 11:56 - Bloom comments on the fact that podcast downloads can be tracked, but the amount of podcasts played and listened to cannot. 14:58 - Bloom offers words of wisdom for other media companies and advertisers about how they should develop a digital strategy. 17:11 - Bloom discusses finding an audience for new media, "By spending it before measuring it, you're going to find out what people like." 19:53 - Bloom talks about how to value an audience and the CPM model, "I don't believe in CPM, sometimes I refer to that as Cost per Mistake." 24:50 - Bloom on determining the specific criteria to use to measure online behavior. 28:57 - Bloom explains what Podshow is and how it works, "We largely serve content created by independent producers or other people...the indications from our audience is that they are willing to consume and create increasing amount of their media spend...on networks that don't feature mainstream media." 34:14 - Bloom talks about the demographics of podcast listeners. 36:33 - Bloom answers a question on how an advertiser should decide whether to create a podcast, or advertise in an already existing podcast. "If you take your adveritisng dollar and part of your mission is to help other podcasters build their audience, then you're going to get two things: a loyal audience and a loyal podcaster." 39:51 - End.

On the Record...Online with General Manager and Senior VP of Nielsen Analytics Larry Gerbrandt

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 20:19:40 GMT

General Manager and Senior VP of Nielsen Analytics Larry Gerbrandt goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss measuring podcasts against other media forms, the behavior of podcast users, and where podcast measurement is heading. Larry Gerbrandt is General Manager and Senior Vice President of Nielsen Analytics. Larry is responsible for developing leading edge research, analyses and valuation services to companies in the media and entertainment space. In addition to original research on emerging technologies, Nielsen Analytics conducts primary consumer-level research and synthesizes top level research from the many VNU divisions, including Nielsen Entertainment, Nielsen Media Research, Claritas, SRDS and Scarborough. Larry's focus is on the convergence of content delivery and consumer media technology and the underlying economic models in the television, motion picture, cable, satellite, music, home video, video game and mobile entertainment. Prior to joining Nielsen, Larry served in various analytical, editorial and management roles during his twenty year tenure at Kagan World Media, most recently as Chief Operating Officer and also led the media & entertainment practice at AlixPartners LLC. Larry has authored numerous newsletters and special reports, and is a regular speaker at industry conferences including CTAM, NATPE, NCTA, BCFM, CES, NAB, MIP and MIPCOM. SHOW NOTES: 5:42 - Gerbrandt discusses the recent Nielsen Analytics report, The Economics of Podcasting. 7:40 - Gerbrandt on measuring podcasts against other forms of media. 9:29 - Gerbrandt, while speaking about the issue of geographic exclusivity affecting measurement, "Podcasting is free...in terms of competing for ears and eyes, it's probably some combination of the web and radio that podcasting really competes with." 11:05 - Gerbrandt talks about Nielsen's testing methodology and facility. 14:19 - Gerbrandt discusses ensuring the accuracy of a questionnaire. 18:04 - Gerbrandt offers his thoughts on whether podcasting has a more lucrative future as advertiser supported or advertiser generated. 20:28 - Gerbrandt talks about the difference between consumer expectations online versus television. 22:30 - Gerbrandt talks about the behavior of the 6% of web users that Nielsen reports downloaded podcasts. 25:33 - Gerbrandt discusses Nielsen's data collection methods and its clients. 28:53 - Gerbrandt on how Nielsen plans to collect podcast listener behavior, "We will be able to determine exactly what was listened to and what was used and for how long." 29:31 - Gerbrandt talks about the data Nielsen will be collecting on podcasting. 30:51 - Gerbrandt on the metrics advertisers need to know in order to make purchasing decisions. 35:19 - Gerbrandt discusses the premium audience of podcasts, "Podcasts have grown up based on a lot of people's passions and enthusiasms." 37:32 - Gerbrandt talks about the popularity of CBS versus MTV, and the different goals of broadcast networks versus cable networks. 40:07 - Gerbrandt discusses how Nielsen is evolving in response to the growth of consumer generated media and new media. 44:43 - End.

On the Record...Online with Technorati CEO David Sifry

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 23:15:57 GMT

CEO of Technorati David Sifry goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss building a business case for podcasting, podcasting metrics, and RSS advertising. David Sifry is Founder and CEO of Technorati, a real-time search engine that keeps track of what is going on in the blogosphere. A serial entrepreneur with more than 19 nineteen years of software development and industry experience, before founding Technorati, Sifry was cofounder and CTO of Sputnik, a Wi-Fi gateway company. Before that, he cofounded Linuxcare, where he served as CTO and vice president of engineering. Sifry also served as a founding member of the board of Linux International and was on the technical advisory board of the National Cybercrime Training Partnership for law enforcement. He appears frequently on panels and lectures on a variety of technology issues, ranging from wireless spectrum policy and Wi-Fi, to weblogs and open-source software. SHOW NOTES: 6:32 - David Sifry talks about how much traffic Technorati gets a day, and the growth of Technorati. 7:29 - Sifry on the demographics of Technorati users. 9:10 - Sifry reveals how advertisers can reach their target audience groups on Technorati. 10:19 - Sifry talks about how to get people to subscribe to your RSS feed and how to validate your feed. 12:59 - Sifry discusses different types of RSS feeds and adding advertising to your feed, "You can choose how you want people to consume your site." 17:53 - Sifry talks about selecting podcasts for advertising, product placement and podcasting, and the particular podcast metrics that advertisers should use. 21:04 - Sifry on how to determine the behavior of a particular person that subscribes to a feed. 22:43 - Sifry discusses the question of whether there is a standardized metric for podcast popularity. 24:41 - Sifry talks about the qualitative metrics marketers and advertisers should be looking at. 30:20 - Sifry on the notion of inserting advertising feed as a partial text item. 34:18 - Sifry on the future of measurement and Technorati. 39:49 - End.

On the Record...Online with Michael J. Lavery, president and managing director of the Audit Bureau of Circulations

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 21:31:56 GMT

Michael J. Lavery, president and managing director of the Audit Bureau of Circulations, goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss paid versus non-paid circulation, the changing value of print media and online metrics. Michael J. Lavery is president and managing director of the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC), the world's first and largest circulation-auditing organization and North America's preferred circulation auditor. With a diverse financial background, including a tenure as Chief Financial and Administrative Officer for the internationally known law firm Winston & Strawn, Lavery became ABC's Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services in 1987. In 1988, he accepted the challenge of managing ABC's 2,500 annual audits and was promoted to Senior Vice President, Auditing Services. In 1993, he was named Executive Vice President of Auditing Services, and was subsequently elected President and Managing Director by ABC's Board of Directors in November 1995. Lavery's tenure has resulted in several key developments at ABC. ABC has moved forward in verifying new and non-traditional, census-based advertiser-supported media which culminated in ABC Interactive, and a number of other supplemental audit services such as Reader Profile and Subscriber Profile, and programs like ABC's Insert Verification Service (IVS) and the extension of audit services to non-paid newspapers. ABC's premium data reporting services have also grown to reflect the quick moving pace of the information age. ABC's electronic data resource, e-Data, now provides subscribers with custom reporting, online analysis tools, and report features that disclose audit status listings and the new ABC Rapid Report that encourages more frequent circulation reporting. SHOW NOTES: 3:58 - Michael Lavery explains what the Audit Bureau of Circulation does and discusses the company's history and purpose. 6:28 - Lavery talks about the difference between paid and non-paid circulation, and what each means for advertisers. 10:39 - Lavery on how paid circulation versus unpaid circulation has changed over the past 20 years. 12:09 - Lavery talks about distinguishing paid circulation from non-paid, and the evolution of non-paid circulation. 15:52 - Lavery on why small publications should monitor their circulations, "To provide media accountability [and] provide accountability to advertisers and agencies..." 16:27 - Lavery on the benefits the Audit Bureau of Circulation offers small publications. 17:37 - Lavery on the application process, costs and entitlements of ABC members. 21:17 - Lavery on what's happening in the world of print media as publishers migrate online and consumer generated media grows. 23:05 - Lavery on how ABC is re-inventing itself online. 26:23 - Lavery on the parallels between RSS and paid circulation in the print world. 28:35 - Lavery offers his projection on the specific measurements advertisers will value as online metrics. 30:24 - Lavery talks about the evolution and future of ABC. 32:39 - End.

On the Record...Online with Hearst Interactive Media VP Michael Dunn

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 23:16:45 GMT

Hearst Interactive Media VP Michael Dunn goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss the value of podcasting, the mainstream media's reaction to podcasting, and podcast measurement. Michael Dunn is currently a VP with Hearst Interactive Media, focused on both Venture and Enterprise Technology leadership, as well as the author of the podcasting and emerging media related blog http://nomadicaudio.com. A career technologist predominately focusing on the emerging rather than the legacy aspects of the media, advertising and technology industries, Mike has previously held CTO positions at Time Warner, Encoda and Dell Online, as well as senior technology roles with Turner Broadcasting, True North Communications and Hanna-Barbera Studios. The main focus of his Venture role is to perform the technical due diligence of any potential corporate venturing. Mike enjoys working with startups: he is on the advisory boards of Mochila, Internet Capital Group, Advisen, Snapbridge Software and was one of the founding members of InfoWorld's CTO Advisory Council. He is also on the board of Ballston Spa National Bank, a community bank in Saratoga County New York. He is a published author on the art of being a CTO. SHOW NOTES: 6:15 - Michael Dunn talks about Hearst investments in new media, emerging media and emerging technology, and his responsibilities at Hearst Interactive Media. 8:59 - Dunn on the different types of companies Hearst invests in, including companies that are competitive with Hearst. 11:34 - Dunn on the lack of standardized measurement for podcasting and the value of podcasting for marketers and listeners, "Today the whole beauty of podcasting is you're not connected, you can take it wherever you want to go, you can play it in your time when you want to fill gaps..." 20:43 - Dunn talks about how the mainstream media decides whether to embrace podcasting or not, and what validates podcasting as a way of distributing information for media organizations. 24:09 - Dunn discusses Marcus Chan and The San Francisco's Chronicle's podcasting endeavors. 25:35 - Dunn on taking the initiative to podcast and the benefits of podcasts, "The one really compelling thing that podcasting does...is it gives you direct access to subject matter experts..." 33:48 - Dunn discusses the perspectives of traditional media professionals on social media and consumer generated media. 37:07 - Dunn offers words of wisdom to young companies that are looking to entice Hearst to make an investment. 40:50 - End.

On the Record...Online with Nielsen BuzzMetrics CMO Pete Blackshaw

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 21:09:57 GMT

Nielsen BuzzMetrics CMO Pete Blackshaw goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss podcast measurement, best practices for advertising podcasts and how to build a business case for podcasting. Pete Blackshaw presently serves as CMO of Nielsen BuzzMetrics, a firm that helps companies promote and protect their brands through the measurement, analysis, and interpretation of CGM, or online word of mouth, across forums, message boards, social networking sites, direct company feedback, online communities and blogs. He coined the term "consumer-generated media" (CGM) and authors a blog by that same name. Pete is a co-founder of the 2004 Word-of-Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA). He currently authors a bi-weekly column on digital marketing strategy targeted to CMOs for the ClickZ marketing network. He's frequently quoted in major publications, and he authors several work and personal blogs, including www.hybridbuzz.com, and parenting centered blogs www.dosbebes.com and www.proudpadre.com. SHOW NOTES: 4:30 - Pete Blackshaw talks about the change in business professionals' perceptions on measuring consumer generated media. 6:05 - Blackshaw discusses the Nielsen Analytics report, The Economics of Podcasting. 7:42 - Blackshaw on consumer reaction to podcast advertising and best practices for creating ads for podcasts. 9:26 - Blackshaw talks about how to measure podcasts, including measuring depth of engagement. 11:37 - Blackshaw explains the engagement metric and applying it to podcasts, "I think podcasting is, by its very nature, takes the notion of engaging to an extra level...and that level of engagement carries over into wins for brands." 14:20 - Blackshaw on how to come up with a quantitative value that supports a business case for podcasting. 16:16 - Blackshaw discusses the different types of podcast measurement available, including growth pattern, depth of engagement, talk value and what the most important metrics are. 19:12 - Blackshaw on what surprises him most about podcasting, "I'm...shocked that there aren't more brands that are just uploading podcasts that explain to people how to use products." 21:31 - Blackshaw on what he has learned about conventional measurement from new media measurement, "I think metrics are going to get a lot more interesting...as we move more events and activities online we have much more flexibility to adapt, evolve, [and] contour our programs against those real-time needs..." 23:35 - Blackshaw talks about the future importance of the CPM measurement. 24:58 - Blackshaw on the term "consumer-generated media." 27:48 - Blackshaw discusses how traditional media measurement professionals regard him and new media measurement models. 30:07 - End.

On the Record...Online with RadioTail CEO Gregory Galant

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 15:01:31 GMT

RadioTail CEO Gregory Galant goes "On the Record...Online" with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss podcast measurement, valuing an audience and building a business case for podcasting. Gregory Galant is the CEO of RadioTail, a firm that facilitates advertising in podcasts. He fell in love with podcasting when he started Venture Voice, a podcast that profiles entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. Greg has worked at Newlight Associates, a $120M technology venture capital firm, sourcing investments and managing deal flow. Greg was an associate producer at CNN.com where he analyzed the latest trends in citizens' media. In 1996 at age 14, Greg started Halenet, Inc., an award-winning Internet strategy firm. Greg has been featured in The New York Times, the Venture Capital Journal, Catherine Crier's WOR radio show and News 12. The Suffolk Nassau Chamber of Commerce named him the 2003 "Entrepreneur of the Year". SHOW NOTES: 6:40 - Gregory Galant discusses RadioTail, what inspired its creation and its podcast metric system. 10:45 - Galant on how to use RadioTail to measure podcasts, including the company's free solution for podcasters. 13:02 - Galant talks about how to make a business case for podcasting, "At the end of the day...you have to tell the story of just all the people out there who are excited about podcasts, who are using it throughout their day..." 16:00 - Galant on how advertisers should value a podcast audience, "You have to kind of take that combination of the very specific audience you're reaching, and what that audience is worth, and also how you're reaching them..." 19:34 - Galant on the notion of whether there needs to be standardized metrics for podcasts. 20:01 - Galant on what he thinks will be the standard metric for podcasts. 21:07 - Galant talks about determining the audience of a podcast. 21:53 - Galant on the surprises he's encountered since RadioTail was founded, "I knew iTunes was going to be influential, I didn't know it was going to be this influential - that currently it is really dominating." 23:30 - Galant on whether the mainstream media has an advantage over independent podcasters when launchings podcasts. 24:55 - Galant on why he chose the name "RadioTail." 30:06 - Galant talks about how regular independents using new media can compete against renowned media figures. 32:50 - Galant on how a brand marketer considering podcasting should decide whether to sponsor an already existing podcast or create his/her own podcast. 35:22 - Galant talks about using the CPM model to value an audience. 36:27 - Galant on whether a podcast is more valuable than other types of media. 38:23 - End.

On the Record...Online with Rick Klau, VP of Publisher Services at FeedBurner

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 21:43:03 GMT

Rick Klau, vice president of Publisher Services at FeedBurner, goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss podcast measurment, building a business case for podcasting, valuing an audience and the future of podcasts. Rick Klau is vice president of Publisher Services at FeedBurner, the market-leading feed management provider. He is responsible for cultivating and managing relationships with large media companies, entertainment networks, newspapers and a variety of other commercial publishers. Prior to FeedBurner, Rick held the same role at Socialtext, the first enterprise social software company. Previously, Rick was vice president of Vertical Markets at Interface Software, now part of the Lexis-Nexis family where he held the position of company spokesperson. Rick has also held senior marketing positions at iManage through an IPO. An accomplished public speaker, moderator, panelist and author of a popular blog, Rick has received extensive coverage in a variety of publications including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, CIO, InfoWorld, Inc. Magazine, Internet World, The Washington Post and more. He has published a number of books and columns covering the topics of technology, law, ecommerce and online security and is member of the Editorial board for Podcasting magazine. SHOW NOTES: 6:35 - Rick Klau talks about what FeedBurner is and how it works. 7:52 - Klau on why measurement statistics may vary from company to company. 8:50 - Klau talks about how to measure how many people are subscribing to a feed. 11:08 - Klau discusses how to measure the number of downloads. 13:43 - Klau on valuing an audience. 15:07 - Klau talks about the CPM model versus that of Cost Per Click, "With respect to feeds, whether they are podcasts or text, I think CPM tends to be a much better model because it rewards the audience and the delivery of the content..." 18:27 - Klau offers his perspective on the influence of Nielsen and Arbitron, "...The Nielsen numbers matter less because people are shifting their consumption beyond the broadcast time to a time shifted time, or they're going online." 19:35 - Klau talks about cashing feeds. 20:31 - Klau explains how iTunes works and talks about measuring podcast downloads. 21:14 - Klau on how iTunes determines the top 100 podcasts list. 22:52 - Klau answers a question on whether FeedBurner is the next Nielsen or Arbitron, "Our goal is to work explicitly on behalf of the publisher to make sure that anything that can be discovered or told about the consumption of their content, that we not only measure it, but then make it easily reported for them as well." 24:39 - Klau on what surprises him about the emergence of blogs, podcasts and social media, "Today, the number of blogs is into the tens of millions, some of whom who have tremendously high traffic...you have a tremendous opportunity as the publisher to reach an audience that before was held in the hands of just a few organizations." 26:10 - Klau talks about how new technology is empowering the consumer to exert more influence over the producers of the content. 27:34 - Klau answers a question on FeedBurner's standardized metrics and establishing metrics for podcasting. 29:04 - Klau offers his generalizations on the adoption of video versus audio podcasts. 30:45 - Klau shares his final thoughts on podcasting, "As with everything, this stuff is so new, podcasts themselves didn't exist 25 months ago, but it's exciting to be in the middle of it. The only truism here is that what we know today will be probably rather useless in about six months." 33:01 - End.

On the Record...Online with Los Angeles Times Columnist Joel Stein

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 23:21:18 GMT

Los Angeles Times Columnist Joel Stein goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss the future of traditional media formats, working with public relations practitioners and how he decides what to write about. Joel Stein grew up in Edison, N.J., went to Stanford and then worked for Martha Stewart for a year. After two years of fact-checking at various publications, he got hired as a sports editor at Time Out New York. Two years later he became a staff writer for Time magazine, where over seven and a half years he wrote a dozen cover stories on subjects such as Michael Jordan, Las Vegas, the Internet bubble and low-carb diets. He has appeared on any TV show that asks him: VH1's "I Love the Decade You Tell Me I Love," HBO's "Phoning It In," Comedy Central's "Reel Comedy" and E! Entertainment's "101 Hottest Hot Hotties' Hotness." After teaching a class in humor writing at Princeton, he moved to L.A. at the beginning of 2005 to write a column for the Los Angeles Times. He still contributes to Time and other magazines. SHOW NOTES: 4:18 - Joel Stein talks about appearing on television shows, his background and experience as an editor and a journalist. 8:06 - Stein talks about getting hired for The Los Angeles Times and bosses he has enjoyed working with. 10:39 - Stein on the future of magazines and newspapers in the age of new technology. 12:40 - Stein talks about his column and how it fits with the entertainment beat of The LA Times. 14:06 - Stein on whether there is a need for analysis and opinion columns in print media: "I'm getting paid nicely to write this column for the LA Times and I'm essentially just writing a blog, I don't know if more opinion columns is great for newspapers if everyone has a blog." 15:19 - Stein on who constitutes his main audience. 15:59 - Stein talks about his column and how he decides what to write about: "My main thought is to not say something everyone else has said..." 25: 41 - Stein on speaking with publicists on a daily basis. 26:04 - Stein talks about how many of the pitches he receives are on target. 27:13 - Stein on why pitches can often be bad. 27:51 - Stein discusses how the editorial process behind the opinion pages and the news pages differs. 29:10 - Stein on how to make sure not to write about the same things as other opinion writers. 30:20 - Stein talks about his controversial column, "Warriors and Wussies," which also generated much national attention. 34:25 - Stein on the impact of the column on his image. 35:21 - Stein offers words of advice to public relations practitioners. 37:22 - Stein talks about writing for Time Magazine. 38:58 - End.

On the Record...Online with NY Times Technology Editor Steve Lohr

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 23:37:14 GMT

New York Times technology editor, Steve Lohr, goes "On the Record...Online" from the Public Relations Society of America's Technology Conference in New York, to discuss how new technology is changing the way he does his job, the benefits and drawbacks of having a blog, and how PR practitioners can secure news coverage. 3:03 - Steve Lohr provides an introduction to his key note on how internet technology, websites, blogs, and podcasts, have influencer what he writes about for The New York Times, as well as his relationship with PR practitioners. 3:53 - Lohr talks about his professional background, what he covers at the Times, how the internet has changed the way he does his job and what he chooses to cover, and how the web helps him do his job. 6:44 - Lohr discusses the opportunity the internet offers journalists: "The narrow niche groups and markets are where the internet really shines...the web and the internet I think also force us at the Times to place a greater emphasis on information discovery instead of information gathering." 10:24 - Lohr explains the difference between "information discovery" and "information gathering," and talks about the increase use of search engine optimization in newsrooms. 12:03 - Lohr discusses the benefits and drawbacks of having a blog: "For reporters I think the blogosphere is a place to venture into with great care...there's the danger of becoming identified with your opinions instead of your stories." 13:04 - Lohr talks about the use of podcasts by newsrooms and companies: "[IBM's podcast] strikes me as an interesting way to use new media to try to make IBM part of the intellectual conversation in fields where the company has large service practices..." 13:56 - Lohr talks about how public relations practitioners can help their clients gain news coverage, and how Google and Apple were successful in securing stories in The New York Times. 15:42 - Lohr shares how he likes to receive pitches. 16:33 - Lohr on whether public relations practitioners should use the web as well as monitor the web. 18:15 - Lohr, upon responding to a question on the Chinese government's restriction of blog use: "The Chinese authority is sort of unable to control this...places like China are special cases...it's a totalitarian government." 22:32 - Lohr talks about the places PR people should look to gain news coverage. 25:02 - Lohr discusses net neutrality: "Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo and others...want the higher costs to be borne by the consumers." 29:40 - Lohr offers his opinion on Bill Gates and Microsoft. 32:38 - Lohr on who his online influencers are. 34:13 - Lohr offers his opinion on outsourcing jobs to countries like China and India. 38:14 - Lohr talks about conceding economic power to China. 40:24 - Lohr discusses using search engines to do his job and the benefits of search engine optimizaztion: "It's a great tool...for that fact checking kind of information finding..." 44:54 - Lohr on the importance of corporate websites and using search. 49:59 - Lohr talks about the intersection of media companies and technology companies. 53:02 - Lohr on his and his colleagues' comfort level with regards to sharing their opinions on blogs, and what makes a great corporate blog. 59:20 - End.

On the Record...Online with LA Podcasters

Eric Schwartzman — Sat, 15 Jul 2006 00:13:13 GMT

LA Podcasters Studio 101 from the Brewery in Downtown Los Angeles LA Podcasters go On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss their own podcast shows, the art of podcasting, and what makes a great podcast. 5:12 - Lance Anderson talks about how he approaches podcasting as an artist. 5:47 - Anderson talks about how many listeners there are of his podcast "Verge of the Fringe," available at www.vergeofthefringe.com 6:09 - Anderson discusses the timelessness of his stories. 6:23 - Eric Schwartzman makes the distinction between a news program and a featured program. 7:17 - Grant Baciocco talks about his show with Doug Price, "The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd." 7:50 - Schwartzman talks about how most podcasts are consumed. 8:34 - Anderson talks about how to listen to podcasts. 8:52 - Schwartzman discusses the different ways to distribute electronic media over the internet. 10:16 - Baciocco and Doug Price share the voices of their shows. 11:15 - Baciocco talks about the fans of the show. 12:13 - Anderson talks about how often he is at the LA Podcast Studio. 13:33 - Dan Klass talks about how podcasts makes your program available to a potentially large audience 13:53 - Klass talks about his podcast "The Bitterest Pill" 14:25 - Klass mentions the countries of where his listeners live. 15:08 - Klass talks about what makes a great podcast and how his podcast has been so successful: "...I work very hard at being very honest and dealing with things on a very human level." 16:19 - Klass discusses the irony of his show: "...there's something about being so finite in the subject matter and so brutally honest about it that it becomes more universal." 17:32 - Klass talks about the human element of podcasting. 18:45 - Schwartzman talks about Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's book, Finding Flow and his renewed sense of optimism for the culture of celebrity. 22:14 - Anderson talks about who should podcast. 22:51 - Klass talks about how podcasts create communities: "there's an audience out there for anyone who's talking passionately...create the podcast and they will be able to find you. 23:35 - Anderson on whether podcasts are media or art. 24:10 - Klass talks about companies podcasting. 25:05 - Klass on whether there is an audience for any subject of a podcast. 26:00 - Tim Coyne talks about his podcast, "The Hollywood Podcast." 28:08 - Coyne gives a logline for his show. 28:28 - Coyne talks about whether podcasting is helping him in finding a romantic relationship. 32:03 - Steven from Pink Mafia Radio talks about whether podcasting helps with relationships. 33:19 - Howard Leff, a freelancer for a column appearing in The Los Angeles Times in the Calender Weekend section, talks about considering podcasting and what he envisions his podcast to be about. 34:18 - Leff talks about writing for the Los Angeles Times. 35:08 - Leff shares his opinion about the Los Angeles Times. 35:35 - Schwartzman discusses whether podcasters should be concerned that they may not have an audience. 37:13 - Tres Jefes discusses his podcast available at www.tresjefes.com 38:07 - Jefes talks about whether he thinks he will have advertisers for his podcast. 38:40 - Douglas Welch talks about his column, Career Opportunities, and his podcast available www.welchwrite.com/career 39:29 - Welch on the state of today's job market and how to get out of a bad job. 40:21 - Larry Winfield talks about his podcasts "Sundown Lounge" and "The Patio." 40:47 - Winfield talks about covering poetry in his podcasts. 41:26 - Winfield on whether hip hop music has helped bring about the resurgence of poetry. 42:15 - Winfield talks about his day jobs. 42:30 - Winfield on why he podcasts: "I get to play whatever music fits my fancy, I like a lot of music, so its not restricted...I get to speak my mind..." 43:22 - Winfield mentions where his podcast is available - www.larrywinfield.com 44:47 - End.

On the Record...Online with Reuters Editor-in-Charge Martin Howell

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 17:54:48 GMT

Martin Howell, editor-in-charge of Reuters Inc., equities coverage in North and South America, goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss the growth of corporate corruption and fraud in recent years, the ways citizen journalism affects the mainstream media, and the impact of search on the business of journalism. Martin Howell is editor-in-charge of Reuters Inc., equities coverage in North and South America. He has directed much of Reuters's corporate news coverage in the United States in the past four years, including coverage of the Enron scandal, the Internet bubble, and Wall Street deception. For the past 18 years, he has written, reported, and edited business news throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia, and managed news teams on all these continents. Martin is the author of Predators and Profits: 100+ Ways for Investors to Protect Their Nest Eggs, a guide for investors on how to uncover the kind of scandals that brought down Enron and Worldcom. SHOW NOTES: 4:38 - Martin Howell talks about the number one red flag that investors need to watch out for in order to identify a looming problem in a corporation. 5:12 - Howell on why we have seen so much business corruption and fraud over the past few years. 6:13 - Howell discusses whether people feel more comfortable in investing in internet start-ups since the internet bubble has burst. 7:06 - Howell on Reuters being the largest global wire service. 8:32 - Howell answers a question on whether citizen journalism is a challenge to Reuters. 10:33 - Howell on how to distinguish the news wires from the PR wires. 11:57 - Howell talks about the impact the internet has had on Reuters and the way he does his job. 13:01 - Howell discusses the impact of the growth of search on Reuters. 14:13 - Howell on whether polls on popular consensus play a role in what Reuters decides to lead with. 15:43 - Howell talks about who his influencers are and how he decides what to write about. 16:58 - Howell on whether the Reuters market is confined to Europe: "The world is so global at the moment...if you go to China or India for example and you mention the word 'Reuters,' everyone knows it...so it's well beyond Europe, and we have a large presence in the U.S., and we break a lot of news here..." 18:13 - Howell offers words of wisdom to public relations practitioners. 19:05 - End.

On the Record...Online with Washington Mutual PR Exec. Alan Elias

Eris Schwartzman — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 20:57:00 GMT

Alan Elias, senior vice president of corporate communications for Washington Mutual Card Services goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss crisis communications, the impact of Regulation Fair Disclosure, and how corporate scandals have affected the way he does his job. Alan Elias is senior vice president corporate communications for Washington Mutual Card Services (formerly Providian Financial Corporation), a leading provider of credit cards and deposit products to mainstream American consumers. Elias joined the company in January 2000 and is responsible for directing the division's employee and public relations activities, as well as managing the credit card division's Social Marketing/Image Enhancement program. Prior to the merger, Elias also was responsible for leading Providian's Community Relations program, which included corporate philanthropy and the employee volunteer program. Prior to joining Providian, Elias spent 10 years at Hill & Knowlton where he was responsible for leading the media relations, crisis communications, media training and litigation support practices in the company's Los Angeles, Irvine and Sacramento offices. Prior to Hill & Knowlton, Elias worked for ten years as a broadcast journalist. SHOW NOTES: 5:03 - Elias talks about serving on a panel at the Media Relations 2006 conference on rebuilding an organization's image after a crisis. 5:35 - Elias discusses the challenges he faced at Providian and how he got through them. 6:34 - Elias on the revelations he has had on the subject of crisis communications: "The number one rule in crisis communications is to demonstrate action." 7:16 - Elias on the change in the dynamics of business over the past several years. 8:01 - Elias talks about measuring PR success. 9:30 - Elias discusses traffic generated from Washington Mutual's website, public relations materials, and Google: "The average consumer now has a lot more information at their fingertips, and they also have the ability to get a lot more disinformation...and that's also made our jobs as communicators a little more difficult." 10:18 - Elias talks about monitoring the blogosphere. 11:25 - Elias discusses how the introduction of Regulation Fair Disclosure has affected the way he does his job. 12:56 - Elias on how companies ensure compliance with Reg FD. 14:08 - Elias discusses the parameters of Reg FD from a legal perspective. 15:46 - Elias talks about leveraging blogs to influence decisions in the marketplace. 17:37 - Elias on the impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation. 19:10 - Elias talks about the increase in corporate fraud and how it is influencing his work as a communicator. 20:48 - Elias on communicating the impact of rising interest rates to consumers. 22:41 - End.

On the Record...Online with Mitsubishi Motors PR Director Dan Irvin

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 23:53:46 GMT

Dan Irvin goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss running PR and corporate communications at Mitsubishi Motors, some of the challenges he faces, and how technology is changing the way he does his job. Darn Irvin is the director of corporate communications and public relations at Mitsubishi Motors North America. 4:45 - Dan Irvin talks about the panel he spoke at on repairing corporate reputation at the Media Relations 2006 conference. 5:32 – Irvin talks about how to recover from a blow to corporate reputation: “It’s not a media relations issue. It ultimately begins from…communicating slow steady process to all of your stakeholders, not just the media…” 7:32 – Irvin on whether it is important to respond to a crisis: “With the explosion of media coverage…people are going to talk , people are going to write, people are going to broadcast, people are going to podcast…all of that information is going to be out there, [and] it’s important that our side of the story be represented…” 8:32 - Irvin talks about what constitutes a crisis. 9:40 – Irvin talks about how Mitsubishi Motors responded to its own crisis and the value of using media relations consultants and crisis communications consultants: “…it’s not something that you can manage with media relations and with public relations. First and foremost you have to change your culture, [and] that means internally.” 10:31 – Irvin talks about what it’s like running PR at a car company. 12:13 – Irvin discusses whether he responds to incoming requests of consumers and stakeholders or if he looks for editorial opportunities. 13:06 – Irvin talks about the impact of blogs and consumer generated media on Mitsubishi Motors: “…the thing that worries me about the blog, the thing that really worries me about the fact that everybody’s opinion on the internet has an equal weight…is [that] we have really lost our sense of accountability.” 15:13 – Irvin discusses the potential dangers and opportunities that could result from consumers blogging. 16:06 – Irvin talks about the target audience of Mitsubishi Motors. 17:26 – Irvin discusses the challenges Mitsubishi Motors faces when reaching constituents and how he reaches consumers: “…Mitsubishi has a unique PR challenge to get out there, [and] that is that we’re gonna be a survivor.” 20:37 – Irvin on whether the auto industry is hooked on incentives. “…the global consumer of automobiles is the most educated consumer in the marketplace...it’s definitely a market right now that’s driven with incentives and if you try to reduce those incentives your sales go away.” 22:46 – Irvin on what’s happening with American automakers: “It’s very difficult, and the way that it’s going to be solved is through the partnership of labor, and the companies, and possibly the government, and possibly the health care industry…” 25:15 – Irvin talks about Mitsubishi Motors North America’s plan of action after being hurt by financial problems of its parent company. 27:26 – Irvin on what lead to the company’s 28.5% sales increase between February and March. 28:38 – Irvin talks about the new president of Mitsubishi Motors North America, Hiroshi Harunari. 31:33 – Irvin on whether most cars manufactured and sold will soon be hybrid: “For the future of my kids, the hybrids are just a stepping stone…sooner or later we’re going to have to have something else.” 34:01 – Irvin talks about testing Mitsubishi Motors’s i car in Los Angeles. 36:10 – Irvin responds to a question on whether the SUV still has legs or if Americans are resistant to it because of the cost of oil: “First of all we’re in love with the automobile…there’s a lot of talk about fuel efficiency, gas mileage, hybrids…but…the American consumer right now…is not showing that they really care that much [about the environment].” 40:05 – Irvin talks about the safety of automobiles: “…automobiles have never been safer than they are now…” 40:51 – Irvin talks about the safety of SUVs versus compact cars. 43:15 – End.

On the Record...Online with Topaz Partners Principal Tony Sapienza

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 21:28:09 GMT

Tony Sapienza goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss the use of new media communication tools for PR, the role the press release plays in reaching consumers, and the fuse of the mainstream media and consumer generated media. Tony Sapienza, co-founder and principal of Topaz Partners, has served as president of Miller/Shandwick Technologies, one of the world's leading PR firms, and was global practice leader for Weber Shandwick Worldwide. He has worked with many emerging companies and start-ups, as well as established industry leaders such as Compaq Computer Corp., Sharp Electronics, and Hewlett-Packard. Sapienza has provided communications and management counsel and hands-on support in a broad range of areas, including communications strategy development, messaging and positioning, message training, business and trade media relations, investor relations, industry analyst relations and interactive communications. SHOW NOTES: 4:22 - Sapienza talks about the impact Topaz Partners' blog, Tech Pr Gems, has had on the agency. 5:37 - Sapienza discusses the fuse of the mainstream and consumer generated media. 6:49 - Sapienza talks about offering new media communication tools including blogging and podcasting. 9:45 - Sapienza on whether disseminating a press release over the internet is sufficient to legally fulfill Regulation Fair Disclosure. 11:20 - Sapienza on whether the blog as a media channel has evolved or is in a state of transition: "...we're seeing traditional technology and traditional...approaches begin to evolve particularly in public relations itself..." 12:38 - Sapienza talks about how the news wires will adapt to the growth of new media technology. 13:54 - Sapienza on the role the press release plays in reaching consumers. 15:45 - Sapienza talks about drafting press releases and the ways press releases have changed over the past several years. 17:13 - Sapienza on the shift from a push media world where media is distributed to a pull media world where consumers subscribe to media. 18:31 - Sapienza talks about whether he recommends blogging to all of his clients. 19:55 - Sapienza on whether the client or the PR practitioner should blog. 20:34 - Sapienza reveals what distinguishes Topaz Partners from its competitors. 21:50 - Sapienza talks about how clients can protect their reputations among the blogosphere. 22:45 - Sapienza on whether companies are ready to embrace blogging and other new media tools. 23:31 - Sapienza talks about whether the PR industry needs to employ online communications. 24:49 - Sapienza on how to encourage organizations to utilize online PR and marketing campaigns. 27:14 - End.

On the Record...Online with Wall Street Journal Deputy National News Editor Matt Murray

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 23:59:32 GMT

Matthew Murray goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss the impact of the web on The Wall Street Journal, how he uses technology to do his job, and developing relationships with PR practitioners. Matthew J. Murray is deputy national news editor at The Wall Street Journal and a former Chicago Tribune journalist. Murray authored the book "The Father and the Son: My Father's Journey into the Monastic Life," an account about his father, the Reverend James Murray. Murray received a master's degree in journalism at Northwestern University. SHOW NOTES: 3:55 - Murray talks about the personality of The Wall Street Journal versus its competitors. 5:45 - Murray on the lifestyle news that the Journal covers and the transformation of the Journal over the past 15 years. 7:02 - Murray on whether the Journal is cutting back on covering marketing data. 8:11 - Murray talks about the amount of online subscribers the Journal has and linking the online edition with the print edition. 9:07 - Murray discusses the relationship between Dow Jones newswires and The Wall Street Journal. 9:57 - Murray on the technology he uses everyday to do his job, and the impact of the internet on The Wall Street Journal. 12:14 - Murray talks about the online sources The Journal uses for ideas. 13:33 - Murray on his confidence in the analyst community. 14:31 - Murray on how the web has impacted the way he finds, researches, and qualifies news: "It has speeded it up immensely and made the competitiveness factor much...tougher for us by a wide margin because there are so many smart people and bloggers and others out there competing on the web with the news all the time..." 16:28 - Murray shares his perspective on where the mainstream media is heading in the age of new media technology: "There's going to be a lot of pain but there's going to be some survivors too..." 17:58 - Murray on how many PR email pitches he receives daily, and whether the quality of the pitches is better or worse than five years ago. 19:16 - Murray talks about developing a good relationship with a PR practitioner, and the factors that contribute to creating a successful relationship between a reporter and a PR person. 21:21 - Murray reveals how small companies can get the attention of The Wall Street Journal. 22:31 - Murray on the blogs and websites he reads daily. 23:43 - Murray answers the question of whether The Journal has a capitalist bias. 25:51 - Murray talks about The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times covering the friction between the public good and corporate interests. 26:21 - Murray talks about bias in the news: "I would never claim that any newspaper, ours or any others, doesn't have examples of certain bias in the way that we choose to cover stories...but our goal and what we strive to do on each story is to give a complete view of all sides and we push our reporters and really try to get that." 28:08 - End.

On the Record...Online with Media Trainer Jim Cameron

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 12 May 2006 18:20:47 GMT

Special Executive's Guide to Media Training Episode Jim Cameron goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss what media training is and why it's important, how to stay on message in an interview and how to control an interview. Jim Cameron of Cameron Communications, Inc. is a professional communications consultant and transit advocate. Jim has spent over 30 years in broadcast journalism. While at NBC News, he received a George Foster Peabody Award. In conjunction with INC. Magazine, he also wrote and hosted the syndicated radio series, Minding Your Business. For 12 years Jim ran JFORUM, the pioneering online service for journalists and communications professionals worldwide, on CompuServe. His media-training clients include hundreds of CEOs, scientists and authors. Jim's trainees have appeared on 60 Minutes, 20/20, The Today Show, CNN, CNBC and hundreds of radio stations. They've been quoted in the pages of The Wall Street Journal, trade journals and lifestyle magazines. His clients have testified before Congress, made presentations to financial analysts and given speeches at major symposia. SHOW NOTES: 6:01 - Jim Cameron explains what media training is. 7:58 - Cameron talks about the importance of developing a message for an interview and how to stay on message. 10:23 - Cameron on common misconceptions about media training: "Media training is not spin control, it's not teaching you how to lie...what it is about is being honest, being accurate, [and] being relevant to the audience..." 11:19 - Cameron talks about his own key messages: "Media training is an effective staff development tool...whether they're [the employees] talking to the media or doing speeches or going to conferences, there needs to be a consistency of the messages that you're relaying about your product and your company." 13:47 - Cameron on how to control the messages of employees of multi-national organizations. 14:50 - Cameron talks about informing employees of the messages they need to relay. 15:42 - Cameron discusses how he prepares his clients for interviews and speaking engagements, and how to be an effective communicator: "Part of what makes PR lose credibility is that we are all 'yes' men...that's not effective communication." 19:35 - Cameron talks about the most common tricks used by reporters to get their interviewees to say what they want them to say. 21:23 - Cameron discusses the differences between interviewing with a print journalist versus a broadcast journalist: "...I think it's more challenging to control a print interview situation than it is a broadcast." 24:32 - Cameron explains what sound bites are and why they are important. 25:44 - Cameron tells why people are forced to talk in sound bites: "...our attention span has been winnowed down so that we just don't have the patience to listen to a thoughtful answer for more than 30 or 40 seconds." 27:11 - Cameron talks about how to avoid saying things you don't want to say in an interview. 29:10 - Cameron discusses how to stay on message in an interview without seeming as if you have something to hide: "...I think you need to be responsive to the question, deliver your message, and then move on." 30:47 - Cameron talks about the most important things to keep in mind before an interview. 32:00 - Cameron on the ground rules that needs to be set before an interview starts. 34:03 - Cameron talks about the preparation needed for interviews on shows like "Meet the Press" with Tim Russert. 35:40 - Cameron gives examples of questions reporters ask that interviewees should not answer. 37:31 - Cameron talks about his web site www.mediatrainer.tv. 38:25 - End.

On the Record...Online with Glamour Deputy Editor Wendy Naugle

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 05 May 2006 18:01:30 GMT

Wendy Naugle goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss how wired the health and beauty audience is, how she uses the internet to cover the news, and how she likes to receive PR pitches. Wendy Naugle is a health deputy editor at Glamour magazine. Prior to joining Glamour, Wendy was the health editor at Ladies' Home Journal. Wendy also worked at Family Life and American Baby. SHOW NOTES: 4:49 - Wendy Naugle on how tech savvy the fashion, health and beauty world is: "Our readers are...on the internet, looking at blogs, and are part of that entire [tech savvy] culture." 5:28 - Naugle on how she uses the internet to cover the news. 6:12 - Naugle talks about the email newswires she receives. 6:52 - Naugle on how many PR pitches she receives daily and what makes a great pitch. 7:51 - Naugle on how she sorts through PR pitches: "I do rely on skimming, so that's why it's great if it [the pitch] can be something that's concise and to the point." 8:42 - Naugle on prioritizing her emails. 9:19 - Naugle on the importance of having a clear subject headline. 10:05 - Naugle discusses the personality of Glamour amongst its competition, and what makes a great story in Glamour: "We cover the reader's entire world, from politics and news, to beauty tips and fashion advice, to health bulletins, and more." 11:49 - Naugle talks about covering body acceptance and dieting stories. 13:51 - Naugle discusses Glamour?s role in helping women maintain a healthy lifestyle: "We know women don't get this information [on various health issues] from their doctors...we are a place that's a great medical authority for them." 15:14 - Naugle discusses Glamour?s online audience and how readers use the Glamour website. 16:42 - Naugle on how many people use the health tools available on Glamour's website. 17:04 - Naugle talks about how readers find Glamour online. 17:49 - Naugle discusses the trend of using celebrities on the cover of magazines. 18:16 - Naugle offers her definition of fashion today. 19:34 - End.

On the Record...Online with NHL Sr. V.P. Bernadette Mansur

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 19:35:08 GMT

Bernadette Mansur goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss coming back from the strike, the NHL fan base, and how the internet could ultimately change the way the NHL distributes games to viewers. Bernadette Mansur is the senior vice president of communications for the National Hockey League and the executive director of the NHL Foundation. Mansur has worked with the NHL for 13 years, and was previously the vice president of communications for Reebok. SHOW NOTES: 4:16 - Bernadette Mansur talks about what it's like coming back the first year after the strike: "The fans throughout were incredibly loyal...they understand that the economics of our situation was broken and we needed to fix them." 5:58 - Mansur on the challenges she faced during the strike and the lessons she learned from it: "Our ability to communicate was instant...the media tension is so intense that stories are created that many times have no basis in fact...you need to be very very fast." 8:56 - Mansur on whether she is responsible for the content on the NHL website: "Collective bargaining agreement is a very technical legal exercise...sometimes the public relations department and the legal department don't always work together...this exercise for us in the NHL was a perfect partnership of public relations and legal..." 10:40 - Mansur talks about the NHL fans and monitoring fan blogs. "When the lockout began the amount of blogs and fan blogs that came up were enormous...in order for us to understand what they [the fans] wanted out of the negotiations...we had to keep in touch with the blogs, and we did." 12:15 - Mansur on the legal challenges involved with having the NHL website link to different blogs and sites at the time of the collective bargaining agreement. 13:19 - Mansur talks about the complaints of Martha Burk, the chair of the National Council of Women's Organization, against an NHL ad launched in September 2005: "Martha's attention caused the ad to show up every place...in many ways as a PR person it was the best thing that ever happened to us." 15:10 - Mansur on whether the complaints affected the overall success of the ad campaign. 15:25 - Mansur mentions the percentage of hockey fans that are female. 16:06 - Mansur discusses the NHL foundation and its role in the overall communications strategy for the league: "We have in the NHL and hockey tradition a very deep seeded root in the community...we're very much into children, we're into literacy, we're into cancer research..." 18:08 - Mansur offers words of advice for marketing and communications executives that would like to partner with the NHL for promotional activities. 19:16 - Mansur offers her advice for young people that want a career in sports communications. 21:10 - Mansur talks about whether the day will come when the NHL will deliver games to viewers over the internet. 22:37 - End.

On the Record...Online with Red Cross Sr. V.P. Charles Connor

Eric Schwartzman — Thu, 27 Apr 2006 00:25:43 GMT

Charles Connor goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss crises communications, the American Red Cross's response to Hurricane Katrina, and using the internet to communicate with the public. Charles Connor is senior vice president for communications and marketing at American Red Cross. He oversees internal, external, and stakeholder communication and marketing including market research, creative resources, governmental relations, advertising, entertainment outreach, events management, historical resources and media relations. Previously, Charles served as the Principal for Client Strategy at The Dilenschneider Group in Chicago. He also served as the first director of public affairs for the federal judiciary, as well as the chief operating officer for the United States Navy's global communications program. In 2005, Charles was one of the three American Red Cross executives to have been named Public Relations Professional of the Year by the Public Relations Society of America, in recognition of the strategic communication plan created and implemented during one of the worst hurricane seasons this country has seen. SHOW NOTES: 3:16 - Chuck Connor talks about being on PR Week's list of the top ten most daunting PR jobs. 3:50 - Connor explains what crisis communications is. 4:49 - Connor on the steps organizations should take to prepare for a potential crisis. "I'm a believer...that it's very hard to plan for every crisis. I think you need to keep your head on, I think you need to keep your emotions under control..." 7:54 - Connor on how to determine whether there is a crisis in a company. 8:41 - Connor talks about whether FEMA's alleged late response to help Katrina victims impacted the public's perception of the Red Cross's relief efforts: "This Katrina matter...took every resource the United States and the United States government could throw at the problem. It was far bigger than FEMA, it was far bigger than the Red Cross, and it was almost too big for the whole Department of Defense." 10:14 - Connor discusses how he first heard about the Katrina disaster. "My deputy Darren Irby...[said] it was as if a nuclear bomb had gone off." 11:04 - Connor on how he felt when he received the news about Katrina. 12:12 - Connor talks about his role in communicating on behalf of the Red Cross. 13:28 - Connor on how the Red Cross uses the internet to communicate with the public: "We take the web and internet very seriously...we're going to put more importance to it"because it is a channel that we can use to let the public know what the Red Cross message is directly, unadulterated by reporters or other kinds of gatekeepers." 14:42 - Connor talks about the importance of the Red Cross's site, www.redcross.org, and the critical information it offers. 15:53 - Connor offers words of advice to other corporate communicators who are asked questions that they cannot answer. 17:36 - Connor on what the ambushed, unprepared executive should say to the media. 18:28 - End.

On the Record...Online with Expansion Plus President Sally Falkow, APRP

Eric Schwartzman — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 21:38:27 GMT

Sally Falkow goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss what public relations is, how new media technology is affecting the practice of public relations, and whether PR practitioners need to embrace new media tools. Sally Falkow, president and senior web strategist of Expansion Plus, has created effective internal and external communication strategies for both large and medium sized enterprises for 25 years. Since 1999 Sally has translated her extensive experience in communication to the internet and is now recognized as one of the leading web site and internet marketing strategists in the U.S. Her main interest is in the shift in media consumption and how new technology is affecting the practice of public relations. Sally is certified as an Accredited Public Relations Practitioner by the Public Relations Society of America and has authored several books on website marketing strategies and the use of new technology in PR. She has lectured in Communication Theory, Public Relations Strategy and Consumer Behavior at the University level, and is in demand as an expert speaker on how online news, blogs and RSS are influencing online PR and marketing. SHOW NOTES: 4:56 - Sally Falkow discusses the interest of the attendees of the Media Relations 2006 conference in new media tools. 5:58 - Falkow talks about the coverage of new media technology at Syndicate, the New Communications Forum, and conferences hosted by Infocom Group and PRSA. 7:42 - Falkow on why there is a lack of interest from the PR community in new media tools. 8:44 - Falkow on client perceptions of blogs, RSS feeds and other new media tools. 10:08 - Falkow on whether PR people's understanding of RSS feeds has changed over the last 18 months. 14:08 - Falkow talks about what public relations is and the history of the industry: "Our job is to establish and maintain understanding and good relationships with the various publics of the company...it's not called media relations, what we do is called public relations." 18:32 - Falkow on whether PR people are embracing blogging and other new media tools. 20:09 - Falkow talks about the impact of activity on the blogosphere on corporate reputation: "With Dell...really and truly if they have been watching the blogoshpere like every PR company should, it [Jeff Jarvis's complaint against the company] never would have escalated..." 26:40 - Falkow talks about whether PR people need to learn how to use new technology tools themselves. 29:37 - Falkow discusses a study conducted by SEO-PR about the effectiveness of wire services and their ability to search engine optimize. 35:47 - Falkow on whether it is important for companies to search engine optimize their press releases on their own websites. "Every single site that we've put an RSS feed on their news updates and press releases within three, four, five months, that page becomes the number one entry page to the site; that's the biggest way that people are finding their website..." 38:25 - Falkow talks about receiving a preview of her book The Power of Online Syndication in Public Relations, that she co-authored with Rok Hrastnik, at http://rss.marketingstudies.net/pr

On the Record...Online with Verizon Sr. V.P. Eric Rabe

Eric Schwartzman — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 18:06:55 GMT

Eric Rabe, vice president of media relations at Verizon Communications, goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss the controversy over free municipal Wi-Fi services, the issue of Net neutrality, and the direction in which Verizon Communications is heading. SHOW NOTES: 3:57 - Eric Rabe talks about the direction in which Verizon Communications is moving. 5:23 - Rabe explains Verizon's FiOS service. 7:46 - Rabe talks about why the U.S. is behind in its network connection speed compared to other nations. 9:50 - Rabe on the difference between the use of DSL in the U.S. and Hong Kong. 10:20 - Rabe talks about the technology Wi-Fi and the ways to use it. 12:05 - Rabe discusses the controversy over free municipal Wi-Fi services: "...if the issue you're trying to solve is affordability of internet connections I think there are many ways to do it that are more efficient that having the government go out and try to build a telecommunications network." 14:32 - Rabe on whether there are advantages to using Wi-Fi to deliver broadband to the public. 17:06 - Rabe talks about Verizon's partnership with Yahoo and whether it poses a challenge to the networks: "...there's no doubt in my mind that IP technology is going to be the way television will be delivered in the future. Verizon certainly recognizes that...Verizon is well positioned to be a leader in that developing world." 19:07 - Rabe discusses the issue of Net neutrality. 22:23 - Rabe on how Net neutrality affects Verizon. 26:02 - Rabe responding to a question on how Yahoo can be both a competitor and a partner of Verizon: "...it's nothing personal, it's all business...we have a lot of respect for all of these companies, Yahoo, Google, MSN..." 26:53 - Rabe on the challenges consumers will be faced with when choosing their media over the next 10 years: "I think the big issue for consumers is sorting through what's available...its not just a matter of finding it and choosing stories to read or videos to watch, but it's also the issue of credibility and reliability." 29:10 - Rabe offers advice to other marketing and communications executives. 30:21 - End.

On the Record...Online with Media Relations Expert Peter Himler

Eric Schwartzman — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 16:22:00 GMT

Peter Himler goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss the reputation of the PR industry, the reasons why PR practitioners blog, and whether there is a conflict of interest for PR practitioners to blog. Peter Himler is principal of Flatiron Communications LLC, a PR/media consulting firm in New York. He most recently was Chief Media Officer for Edelman Worldwide following 11 years with Burson-Marsteller as head of B-M's U.S. corporate and strategic media team, and its worldwide spokesperson. Prior to B-M, Peter was media director for six years at WPP sister agency Cohn & Wolfe, preceeded by five years at Hill and Knowlton where he led its broadcast and consumer media group. Peter is president of the Publicity Club of New York. He also sits on the Communications Committee for United Way of NYC, and on the Board of Advisors for the Communications and Media Studies Program at Tufts University. Last year, PR News named Peter its PR Professional/Media Relations Executive of the Year, and PR Week awarded the eight-year PR program he led for the World War II Memorial its Public Sector Campaign of the Year. SHOW NOTES: 5:26 - Peter Himler on why there is a negative image of the PR industry. 6:36 - Himler talks about whether blogging can improve PR's reputation. 7:54 - Himler shares his views on public relations practitioner Lizzie Grubman. 9:11 - Himler talks about why Page Six is still an institution: "Gossip has grown up and is all over...The Post Page Six...it tends to lead to a lot of other media coverage and gets picked up..." 11:21 - Himler talks about the extortion scandal involving Jared Paul Stern. 13:19 - Himler on whether our fixation with celebrities is in the decline. 14:56 - Himler talks about whether the desire for attention motivates PR people to blog. 16:56 - Himler on the dichotomy present in the PR industry: "...we're caught between our need to command and control the message...and also the importance of being transparent and full disclosure..." 20:26 - Himler talks about whether there is a difference between declassification and leaking information with regards to the Scooter Libby document. 21:43 - Himler on whether there is a conflict of interest for PR practitioners to blog about their clients and their own speaking engagements: "I think to write a blog for the express purposes of promoting a client would be disingenuous." 23:43 - Himler talks about whether PR practitioners need to clearly denote if they are talking about a client on their blog. 25:10 - Himler on how citizen journalism and the blogosphere impact the mainstream media: "...the once powerful mainstream earth-shaking media don't have that kind of power anymore." 27:47 - Himler talks about the Jeff Jarvis incident with Dell. 30:18 - Himler talks about the effect of Jeff Jarvis's "personal crusade" against Dell. 31:41 - End.

On the Record...Online with Golin Harris Chairman Al Golin

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 22:26:14 GMT

Special Executive's Guide to PR Episode SHOW NOTES: 4:24 - Al Golin explains what public relations is. 5:35 - Golin on the difference between public relations and media relations, and how the fields have changed over the years: "...it's the era of the individual not the masses...and that's really because of the internet and because of all this new technology we're seeing." 7:12 - Golin discusses the services clients receive from public relations agencies. 7:52 - Golin talks about the different practice areas that comprise a public relations service. 9:05 - Golin talks about the objectives of an internal communications staff versus an external communications staff. 10:33 - Golin on how his agency goes about helping new clients. 12:51 - Golin discusses a client?s responsibility in its relationship with an agency. 14:49 - Golin explains how to have a successful relationship with a client. 16:17 - Golin talks about whether the deliverables are more important than the actual relationship with a client. 17:02 - Golin on why some government officials who do not deliver results manage to remain in office. 18:17 - Golin talks about what to do if a client has unrealistic expectations. 19:29 - Golin on whether client expectations are more or less realistic today. 20:47 - Golin on the significance of reputation management: "...trust really can make or break a brand. It's not just good will. This is a very tangible thing that can mean lots of sales or no sales." 21:44 - Golin offers his views on thought leadership. 25:14 - Golin explains how to create thought leadership for a client. 26:28 - Golin on helping clients write op-eds to gain exposure: "...getting exposure for the sake of exposure is the wrong thing. It [the subject of the op-ed] really should be something that's meaningful to that person and captures that person." 28:05 - Golin talks about finding the right public relations agency. 29:44 - Golin discusses retainer fees at boutique, mid size, and global public relations agencies. 31:03 - Golin talks about the hourly rates of different size public relations agencies. 33:50 - Golin on whether clients receive more attention from senior level staffers at small agencies versus large agencies. 36:25 - Golin talks about how GolinHarris shares the billing of a client over a global market. 37:52 - Golin shares what he thinks is the single most important thing to look for in an agency. 40:13 - Golin on how he maintains an optimistic perspective on the PR profession: "...you have to really enjoy what you do, and I still do...the best thing I like to do is work with clients..." 41:52 - Golin on the impact of technology on transparency: "We live in this transparent society now...I think companies and people got away with things in the good old days that they could never get away with today..." 43:24 - End.

On the Record...Online with CNN Business News Anchor Ali Velshi

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 19:12:52 GMT

Ali Velshi goes On the Record...Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss the impact of citizen journalism on the mainstream media, receiving pitches from PR people, and using the internet to cover the news. Ali Velshi is a business news anchor for CNN, who contributes regular business features and updates for "The Bottom Line" segment of the network's afternoon program, The Situation Room. Velshi previously hosted The TurnAround, CNN's small business improvement program that profiled a small business owner and a high-profile mentor as they developed a plan for success. Previously, Velshi anchored CNNfn's Your Money and The Money Gang. Before joining CNNfn in September 2001, Velshi was the host of The Business News, Canada's first and only prime-time business news hour. In 1999, he joined Canada's only all-business news channel, Report on Business Television, as an anchor. In 1996, he was awarded a fellowship to Congress by the American Political Sciences Association, where he worked with U.S. Rep. Lee Hamilton. SHOW NOTES: 3:51 - Ali Velshi talks about how blogs, podcasts and citizen journalism affect CNN: "On the podcasting side, I really think that is the untouched future...and it influences us at CNN because we realize that people want information fast..." 6:10 - Velshi discusses whether internet companies are resurging. 7:14 - Velshi answers the question of whether sound bites are more tempered since the internet bubble has burst. 7:54 - Velshi offers his view on what makes a great interview. 8:43 - Velshi talks about how to interview someone that is media trained. 10:15 - Velshi discusses his recent interview with Bill Gates. 11:15 - Velshi on the impact of the internet on small businesses and whether small businesses need a presence on the web: "It [the internet] is absolutely the best thing that's ever happened to small businesses." 12:31 - Velshi on what he expects to find on a company's website: "I would say we do 70 percent roughly of our work on the internet...when we go to a company's website, we expect everything...we really want transparency on the website -- you don't want to have to guess what something means." 14:18 - Velshi talks about how FOX was able to gain such a large audience so quickly. 14:50 - Velshi discusses CNN's response to FOX's success: "...the ability to connect with the viewer will be more important to them [viewers] than the political view that's expressed." 16:58 - Velshi talks about the internet's influence on networks that rely on geographic exclusivity: "...I think there's a whole different way in which people choose to get their information whether it's all the channels on TV...or all the channels plus what's available on the web, plus podcasts, plus blogs..." 18:45 - Velshi shares his view on whether the news print business is sustainable. 19:58 - Velshi talks about his podcast: "...the idea is that...I give them [listeners] something to relate to. It's the stories behind the news that they're hearing about." 21:33 - Velshi on the objectives of his podcast from a business standpoint. 22:30 - Velshi discusses the progress of his podcast. 23:20 - Velshi talks about how many people listen to his podcast. 24:03 - Velshi on whether he's included things from pitches from PR people in his podcast. 24:33 - Velshi talks about who his influencers are, and the blogs and websites that he visits. 25:52 - Velshi on how many email pitches he receives daily from PR people. 26:18 - Velshi talks about the stories he covers. 27:00 - Velshi discusses how he likes to receive his pitches, how long pitches should be, and what makes a great pitch. 28:43 - Velshi on the spam filters he uses and his policy on attachments. 29:20 - Velshi talks about whether email is less useful as a result of spam. 30:25 - Velshi talks about the use of RSS. 31:32 - Velshi shares his thoughts on Al-Jazeera's plan to launch in the United States. 33:01 - Velshi talks about the change in partisanship of news broadcast over the past 10 years. 34:29 - Velshi talks about how Apple's new capability to run Microsoft Windows will affect its business. 35:50 - End.

On the Record...Online with Burson-Marsteller Founder Harold Burson

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 09:46:22 GMT

Harold Burson goes On the Record...Online with Eric Schwartzman to discuss the future of the public relations industry and offer words of advice to people both entering and working within the field. Harold Burson, founding chairman of Burson-Marsteller, was described as "the century's most influential PR figure" in a survey conducted by PRWeek. The architect of the largest public relations agency in the world today, Burson has contributed to the public relations industry and worldwide community as a member and leader of several organizations, among them Presidential appointee to the Fine Arts Commission, Chairman of the National Council on Economic Education, and Chairman of the USIA Public Relations Advisory Committee. Burson has received numerous honors and awards, including The Public Relations Society of America Gold Anvil Award and the Arthur W. Page Society Hall of Fame Award. He was named Public Relations Professional of the Year by Public Relations News in 1997 and 1989. SHOW NOTES: 5:37 - Harold Burson on defining public relations: "...I think one of the problems today is the broad umbrella of public relations is being equated with marketing publicity..." 6:45 - Burson shares his thoughts on blogging and what he has learned from starting his blog. 7:56 - Burson offers advice to university students entering the public relations workforce. 8:58 - Burson on whether people entering the workforce need to be tech savvy. 10:33 - Burson talks about the shift in the balance of power of the PR industry. 12:02 - Burson on how to manage client expectations: "The best client relationships and most effective client relationships are when the two parties to the agreement or to the project are working in tandem and you can't tell at the end who really...deserves the credit." 13:26 - Burson on whether client expectations are more or less realistic today. 14:56 - Burson talks about how to respond to a client that is not satisfied until he or she receives coverage in The Wall Street Journal. 16:39 - Burson on whether a relationship with a client is more important than the results delivered for the client. 18:18 - Burson on the struggle of the mainstream media business: "...people no longer depend on a newspaper for breaking news." 20:04 - Burson talks about whether blogs, podcasts, and other forms of consumer generated media are effective media channels for corporate communicators. 21:20 - Burson responding to a question on whether more public relations practitioners will embrace the internet to communicate directly with constituents: ?I see public relations people taking advantage of every opportunity there is...to disseminate information for their client." 23:00 - Burson talks about transparency in PR and bringing the Tylenol tampering scandal to 60 Minutes. "...It was a story that we felt had to be told to the American people..." 24:41 - Burson on what his strategy would be for PR if he were starting over today. 28:11 - End

On the Record...Online with CNN Anchor Renay San Miguel

Eric Schwartzman — Thu, 06 Apr 2006 02:26:14 GMT

"On the Record...Online" with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss the process of choosing a story to cover, using technology to cover the news, and television coverage versus print coverage. With more than 26 years of journalism experience to draw from, Renay San Miguel is a weekend anchor for Headline News based in CNN's headquarters in Atlanta. During the war in Iraq, San Miguel helped staff the CNN/U.S. military desk. In that role, he interviewed CNN military analysts and outlined military operations using maps and satellite imagery. Additionally, San Miguel participated in Headline News' coverage of the war in Afghanistan in 2002. Before he joined Headline News in September 2001, San Miguel served as a reporter covering technology and the high tech business industry at CBS News and CBS Marketwatch. San Miguel has received a number of awards for his work including a Heartland Emmy Award, a University of Maryland Casey Award, and the Cybersecurity Journalism Award of Merit from Carnegie Mellon University and the Newseum. SHOW NOTES: 6:35 - Renay San Miguel reveals how CNN decides what stories to cover. San Miguel also notes that the news he will cover "...has to be compelling, it has to...lend itself to good story telling." 7:54 - San Miguel talks about the differences between covering a story through television and covering it through print. 10:11 - San Miguel on the best ways to cover technology related news. 11:52 - San Miguel talks about how he decides what to cover: "...I read like a ton of online newspapers and blogs, and things of that nature...things about my business...the usual suspects, The New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, Wall Street Journal...lostremote.com, I check out Jarvis's website buzzmachine...and all the tech headlines for all the major newspapers that have a website." 14:29 - San Miguel mentions how many emails he receives from PR people daily, and how blogging and podcasting has helped his career as a journalist: "I think that a journalist really needs to not be intimidated by these things [new technology], and not fear the blog but embrace it, and not fear the podcast...but really try to make it your own..." 16:53 - San Miguel on choosing a media channel for stories: "...if somebody would be pitching me a particular story for a podcast versus for television my suggestion is think about the podcast first...the podcast goes on CNN.com which has a wide reach, a lot of eyeballs hit the website everyday." 19:45 - San Miguel talks about why technology coverage appeals to him. 23:45 - San Miguel describes the change of his use of technology as a journalist since 1997 as, "...a 180 degree change." 24:15 - San Miguel on whether the use of a corporate website is sufficient to gather information for a news story. 26:02 - San Miguel explains how his user experience of a company's website affects his perceptions of that company, and what the key elements are to creating a great corporate website. 28:29 - San Miguel reveals why Microsoft's Bill Gates was upset during his interview at the Computer Electronics Show. 30:14 - San Miguel on how the growth of media training poses a challenge to journalists: "Folks like Steve Jobs, there's absolutely no way you are going to get him off message..." 34:58 - San Miguel talks about how the 24 hour cable news industry can compete in a world where there is no geographic exclusivity. 39:07 - End

On the Record...Online with Web Usability Guru Jakob Nielsen

Eric Schwartzman — Sun, 26 Mar 2006 21:39:37 GMT

Web usability guru Jakob Nielsen goes "On the Record...Online" with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss the benefits an internet pressroom offers corporations, the role internet pressrooms play in shaping reputation online, and intergrating an internet pressroom into a company's website. Jakob Nielsen, Ph.D., is a principal at the Nielsen Norman Group, and the author of the best-selling book Designing Web Usability, which has sold more than a quarter of a million copies in 21 languages. The New York Times calls Nielsen "the guru of Web page usability." U.S. News and World Report calls Nielsen "the world's leading expert on Web usability." He holds 79 United States patents, mainly on ways of making the internet easier to use. SHOW NOTES: 4:11 - Jakob Nielsen on whether it is important for corporations to have an internet pressroom. 6:23 - Nielsen talks about the role internet pressrooms play in shaping reputation online: "...the pressroom is where to go and get it [information about a company]. So, companies that really want to communicate online should use this ability to reach both to the media and also directly to the public." 7:48 - Nielsen on whether there is a correlation between the user experience of a website and the perceived competency of an organization's staff: "That's sort of the sad thing about doing these user studies...how often we see people being very disappointed in, even major corporations, their level of commitment to online service." 9:35 - Nielsen talks about the potential impact of the failure of a company to deliver basic information in its internet pressroom. 11:47 - Nielsen on whether flash animation is an impediment or a benefit to a corporate internet pressroom. 13:19 - Nielsen talks about whether there is a relationship between how easy it is to find an organization online and how that organization is perceived by the searcher: "...users are getting more and more search dominant as the years go by...it's well worth the effort to really go into search engine optimization because that is just so much the way people find things on the web today." 14:58 - Nielsen on the terms to use to label an internet pressroom: "...people really know what you mean when you say pressroom." 16:00 - Nielsen talks about the common mistakes companies make when integrating an internet pressroom into their websites. 18:05 - Nielsen answers a question about whether an internet pressroom creates more or less work for a public relations practitioner. 19:40 - Nielsen on the challenges organizations face when implementing an internet pressroom. 21:25 - Nielsen on who should be responsible for the internet pressroom. 22:35 - Nielsen talks about how information should be displayed in an internet pressroom to be useful for an international audience. 24:03 - Nielsen on where it is best to include press contacts and time zones within an internet pressroom. 25:55 - Nielsen talks about listing a phone contact versus an email contact. 29:30 - Nielsen talks about his most surprising findings while conducting a study on web usability. 29:50 - Nielsen explains what eyetracking is and the indications of his findings on eyetracking: "...the more we study users I think the more we recognize...it's really important to prioritize and be brief and quick and to the point, and also to have the information formatted so that its very easy to scan." 32:29 - End.

On the Record....Online: PR Pro's Guide to New Media - Special Episode

Eric Schwartzman — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 00:00:52 GMT

Eric Schwartzman gives his Guide to New Media talk at the Public Relations Society of America Independent Practitioners Group. Blogs, podcasts and other web-related technologies are big news, but how can PR practitioners use them? What kind of audiences do they reach? What do bloggers and podcasters want from us, and what can they do for our clients and how should we be making use of these media channels to get our message out? SHOW NOTES: 00:57 - Eric Schwartzman talks about his experiences while at the Grammy's pressroom in 1999. 3:01 - Schwartzman on the effects of new technology: "...for the first time the media is not necessarily God anymore...now we're finding savvy organizations and individuals are blogging their point of view or tape recording their interviews...its really changing the balance of power." 5:00 - Schwartzman discusses the growth of the new media. 5:51 - Schwartzman talks about the need for public relations professionals to embrace the new media: "...if we think strategically about new media...the money is moving from offline channels to online channels. So, we can either say, well, we have web guys and they handle that, or we can get involved." 7:55 - Schwartzman talks about the Edelman podcast earSHOT. 10:16 - Schwartzman begins his presentation on social media. 10:55 - Schwartzman explains what tagging is, how it works, and why it is beneficial. 14:16 - Schwartzman, while demonstrating tagging: "...if you want to listen to what they're [the consumers] saying about your brands already...these are the tools [social media] that are available to you to listen to the digital conversation." 7:55 - Schwartzman on the volume of readers of blogs versus the quality of readers. 18:33 - Schwarztman shows a list of the most popular PR blogs. 19:33 - Schwartzman explains how to use PubSub to monitor the blogosphere. 20:20 - Schwartzman shows how to use the tool Ice Rocket. 21:58 - Schwartzman, while demonstrating how to use the tool BlogPulse: "I think one of the great opportunities of new media is the ability to marry the metric and reporting capabilities of the web with public relations..." 25:06 - Schwartzman offers his thoughts on Myspace.com. 27:15 - Schwartzman explains "the big deal about blogs." 27:58 - Schwartzman on the differences between blogs and message boards. 29:29 - Schwartzman explains what RSS feeds are and how the concept arose. 32:23 - Schwartzman demonstrates how to subscribe to an RSS feed. 34:20 - Schwartzman tells of three free services available to create blogs. 36:45 - Schwartzman shows his blog Spinfluencer to demonstrate the benefits of blogging. 38:08 - Schwartzman on why blogs are important: "...they're really the first tool that has given our trade a first hand experience with web publishing." 41:16 - Schwartzman discusses the role demographics play while conversing online. 43:17 - Schwartzman talks about companies using blogs: "Theres nothing clean about blog relations...there's no editorial oversight, there are no rules, and there's absolutely no controlling the message." 44:53 - Schwartzman explains how the blogosphere maintains credibility. 46:30 - Schwartzman answers a question concerning the demography of bloggers: "You would think 'oh it's just going to be tech geeks,' it's really not..." 47:42 - Schwartzman mentions different CEO's and companies that blog. 49:58 - Schwartzman introduces his discussion on podcasts: "A podcast is an mp3 file...that's distributed over an RSS feed." 50:50 - Schwartzman explains how to access podcasts. 52:04 - Schwartzman demonstrates how to distribute podcasts. 53:20 - Schwartzman on using TiVo to subscribe to podcasts: "...you don't need an ipod to listen to your podcasts. You can listen to them on your computer, you can listen to them on your stereo, you can listen to them in your car." 55:14 - Schwartzman talks about his podcast studio. 56:29 - Schwartzman explains the benefits of podcasting. 58:30 - Schwartzman talks about searching for podcasts. 59:15 - Schwartzman tells of companies that use podcasts. 60:35 - Schwartzman on why most podcasts are audio. 61:18 - Schwartzman talks about a client doing a series of podcasts at a trade show. 62:24 - Schwartzman on web publishing. 63:53 - Schwartzman closes his presentation. 64:21 - End.

On the Record...Online with WashingtonPost.com Deputy Editor Chet Rhodes

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 13 Mar 2006 21:27:38 GMT

WashingtonPost.com deputy multimedia editor of breaking news Chet Rhodes goes "On the Record…Online" with host Eric Schwartzman about his daily video podcast and the challenges facing the news print publishing business. Get the WashingtonPost.com's video podcast feed here. Chet Rhodes has been working at Washingtonpost.com for eight years. Prior to becoming the deputy multimedia editor, Rhodes was a producer in the Nation Science sections of the site. Rhodes taught broadcast journalism at the University of Maryland for approximately 10 years, and has worked as a local radio news director at UPI radio. SHOW NOTES: 3:26 - Chet Rhodes on his work before becoming the deputy multimedia editor for The Washington Post. 4:16 - Rhodes on the organizational structure of The Washington Post. 5:23 - Rhodes talks about deriving content for WashingtonPost.com. 6:57 - Rhodes discusses the influence of visuals on editorial decisions: “…the image itself is news…” 7:57 - Rhodes on the relationship between the news coverage of The Washington Post’s newspaper and The Post’s website and how that cycle changes throughout the course of the day. 11:53 - Rhodes talks about the reporting structure of the newsroom. 13:08 - Rhodes discusses the development of The Washington Post’s website. 14:01 - Rhodes on the future of newspapers in the new media age: “…this digital revolution is really just starting to take hold at all levels, and I think the computer, and certainly the internet, are going to have far reaching impacts on lots of industries.” 15:32 - Rhodes on whether online news can financially support MSM journalism. 17:39 - Rhodes talks about The Washington Post’s newsprint division using feeds to transfer content to the newspaper’s online division. 18:34 - Rhodes on The Post’s use of a content management system to increase efficiency. 18:58 - Rhodes talks about using information from corporate websites. 20:43 - Rhodes talks about building a business case for video and audio podcasts at The Washington Post. 23:55 - Rhodes discusses the need for a content management system: “We have a very deep rich site that people find useful…it’s just not practical for a group of people to do that [create the site] without some sort of automation.” 25:28 - Rhodes explains how the content management system works. 27:06 - Rhodes talks about the differences between podcasts and other forms of news media. 29:23 - Rhodes on the number of downloads The Washington Post receives on its podcasts: “…our video podcast has been far and away the most popular thing we’ve done…” 30:42 - Rhodes talks about the challenges associated with promoting video podcasts. 32:35 - Rhodes on the possibility of The Washington Post breaking feature news with a podcast: “…I don’t think we would rule that out, because we’ve certainly broken things just on the web…” 33:57 - Rhodes on the conversations that occur at The Washington Post before breaking a story. 35:21 - End.

On the Record...Online with PR Measurement Guru Katie Delahaye Paine

Eric Schwartzman — Sat, 04 Mar 2006 06:46:46 GMT

Katie Delahaye Paine, founder of KDPaine & Partners LLC and publisher of The Measurement Standard, goes On the Record...Online with Eric Schwartzman at the New Communications Forum in Palo Alto, California. Katie Delahaye Paine is the founder of KDPaine & Partners LLC and publisher of The Measurement Standard and The One-Minute Benchmarking Bulletin. They are newsletters for marketing and communications professionals dedicated entirely to measurement. For the past 17 years, she has been providing marketers and communications professionals tools, data and information to help them make better business decisions. Her clients include Raytheon, Hewlett-Packard and Southwest Airlines. She writes a regular column for PR News and has been published in The Boston Globe, USA Today and The New York Times. SHOW NOTES: 4:28 – Katie Paine talks about the reasons it is important for businesses, marketing professionals, and PR people to know why they want to conduct measurements. 6:51 – Paine discusses the standardization of metrics for online media, and the challenges behind reaching standardized metrics. 9:25 – Paine on how often companies should measure the impact of their PR programs. 10:42 – Paine talks about surprising results she received after measuring: “…it [the results] completely shifted the attitude towards PR.” 14:48 – Paine talks about using metrics and numbers to evaluate qualitative information. 18:39 - Paine on the Cheney shooting incident: “…the notion of accountability in this particular phase of our history is non-existent…” 20:39 – Paine talks about the percentage of PR campaigns that are measured by clients and public relations firms. 21:26 – Paine reveals the three most important things to measure in any PR campaign. 23:26 – Paine on measurement credibility through third parties: “…Enron got into trouble because its accounting firm was auditing itself…” 25:13 – Paine discusses the measurements she conducts for her own business: “…the ultimate irony is I haven’t balanced my check book since 1973 but I can tell you…to the person how many people were on my website last week.” 27:52 – End.

On the Record...Online with Blogger, Author, Journalist J.D. Lasica

Eric Schwartzman — Sat, 04 Mar 2006 06:40:05 GMT

J.D. Lasica, blogger, author, and journalist, goes On the Record…Online with host Eric Schwartzman at the New Communications Forum in Palo Alto, California, to discuss working as a journalist in the mainstream media, citizen journalism and citizen media, and the affects the new media has upon traditional journalism. J.D. Lasica is co-founder and executive director of Ourmedia, a nonprofit global repository and community space for grassroots video, audio, photos and text. He’s a writer and blogger. His new book about the personal media revolution -- "Darknet: Hollywood's War Against the Digital Generation" -- is the result of two years of reporting and research. J.D blogs about citizen media and digital rights at Newmediamusings.com and Darknet.com. In a previous life, he was an entertainment editor at the Sacramento Bee. He is a senior fellow of the Society for New Communications Research. J.D., thanks for joining us. SHOW NOTES: 3:15 – J.D. Lasica talks about his work as a journalist in the mainstream media: “…my managing editor actually issued an edict at one point saying ‘any story containing the word the web has to be officially approved by me.’” 4:15 – Lasica on what he covered as a journalist. 4:40 – Lasica on leaving his job as a journalist and working for Microsoft. 5:14 – Lasica talks about Our Media: “…its been a wild success…” 7:17 – Lasica on how to determine what media content is valuable. 9:19 – Lasica on “remix culture.” 11:58 – Lasica talks about open source software. 13:12 – Lasica discusses the “Mashup Camp” conference and explains what mashups are. 14:20 – Lasica talks about RSS feeds. 15:20 – Lasica discusses the notion of objectivity in journalism. 16:58 – Lasica on working at a newspaper and in a newsroom: “…very seldom do they [those in charge of a newspaper] just let you run with a new idea…I think that’s become a real problem…” 18:35 – Lasica discusses citizen journalism and citizen media. 20:49 – Lasica explains what the terms “populist” and “citizens” mean in a political context. 22:55 - End

On the Record...Online with Blog Media Entrepenuer Francios Gossieaux

Eric Schwartzman — Sat, 04 Mar 2006 06:28:22 GMT

Francois Gossieaux, president of the world’s first blog media company, goes On the Record…Online with host Eric Schwartzman at the New Communications Forum in Palo Alto, California, to discuss his company Corante as well as offer advice for marketing professionals. Francois Gossieaux serves as President of Corante, the world’s first blog media company, which currently attracts tens of millions of pageviews a month and ranks among the top most linked to sites on the web. Prior to Corante Francois was involved in a variety of technology start-ups. He has a long history with online media, has used blogs for grassroots political and environmental activities, and is currently blogging at emergencemarketing.com. SHOW NOTES: 3:54 - Francios Gossieaux discusses Corante and how the site was able to get recognized by Google News: “…as there is more and more information overload and less and less attention…people are going to increasingly subscribe to people as opposed to content, and that’s what Corante is known for…” 6:12 – Gossieaux talks about how he is able to get authors to participate: “ …I would say that 95 percent our contributors…are interested in becoming part of an authoritative voice, a group voice, and then accessing audiences that are larger than what they can access themselves…” 8:14 – Gossieaux discusses the advertising on his site and the focus of Corante. 9:32 – Gossieaux on how he was able to get Corante’s feed into LexisNexis. 11:22 – Gossieaux on Corante’s work with the IT Services Marketing Association. 12:58 – Gossieaux discusses syndicating Corante’s blogs and editorial feeds on Google News. 14:40 – Gossieaux talks about Google’s business model and Corante’s goals: “…we have two assests. We have our readers and we have our contributors…if we can optimize a product that will work for our readers than we can optimize the value that our contributors derive from working with our readers…we as the facilitator of that will benefit.” 15:53 – Gossieaux explains what the product BlogBridge is. 18:00 – Gossieaux offers his recommendations for marketing professionals: “…marketing shouldn’t be an organization, marketing should be the way a company behaves in the marketplace.” 22:16 – Gossieaux discusses his views about companies using metrics to evaluate marketing success. 24:35 – Gossieaux talks about the reaction to recent religious cartoons mocking the Muslim Prophet and what marketing professionals may learn from this example of “the power of self-organization.” 26:46 – Gossieaux prides Visa on building itself in a “totally self-organized way…and on a common belief…[that goes] way beyond were going to make money for our investors...”

On the Record...Online with Blogger, Author, Journalist Dan Gillmor

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 22:34:30 GMT

Blogger, Author, Journalist Dan Gillmor, goes On the Record…Online with host Eric Schwartzman at the New Communications Forum in Palo Alto, California, to discuss the rise of grassroots media, the relationship between citizen journalism and traditional journalism, as well as the future of the media given the rise of online journalism. Dan Gillmor is the founder of Grassroots Media Inc., a project aimed at enabling grassroots journalism and expanding its reach. He is the author of "We the Media: Grassroots Journalism by the People, for the People," a book that explains the rise of citizens' media and why it matters. From 1994-2004, Gillmor was a columnist at the San Jose Mercury News, Silicon Valley 's daily newspaper, and wrote a weblog for SiliconValley.com. He joined the Mercury News after six years with the Detroit Free Press. Before that, he was with the Kansas City Times and several newspapers in Vermont. Dan is currently directing and working on projects related to the Center for Citizen Media, a non-profit organization helping to enable citizen journalism. SHOW NOTES: 3:18 - Dan Gillmor talks about launching the Center for Citizen Media. 4:45 - Gillmor on why he decided to leave the San Jose Mercury News. 6:03 - Gillmor discusses the development of grassroots media in the United States: “…the digitization and democratization of the tools for creating media…is the big shift that enabled people who wanted to say something to actually say it…” 10:30 - Gillmor on the credibility of citizen journalism: “We’ve learned over the years what’s trustworthy and what isn’t in traditional media. We have to now apply very similar skills and learning to understand what we can trust online...” 13:32 - Gillmor talks about how technology can help with editorial oversight. 14:31 - Gillmor talks about applying grassroots concepts to newspapers and traditional media organizations: “…look at the tools for conversational media that exist like blogs, like podcasts…and use them internally as part of the news gathering and dissemination process done by professional journalists…” 17:39 - Gillmor talks about how the online media can work towards ensuring truthful coverage: “one thing bloggers are pretty good at is debunking and fact checking after the fact.” 20:00 - Gillmor discusses his book “We the Media: Grassroots Journalism by the People, for the People.” 20:58 - Gillmor talks about the ways traditional media organizations and citizen journalists can work together “I would like to see individual journalists…be more willing to listen to readers who want to talk about what they are doing and offer their own insights.” 23:30 - Gillmor on how long it will take newsmakers and readers to work together: “…I think over time we can have a pretty healthy and diverse ecosystem that includes the big media and the micro media...” 25:43 - End

On the Record...Online/For Immediate Release - Special Episode

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 18:55:53 GMT

The Rock and Roll Geek Show's Michael Butler interviews FIR‘s Neville Hobson and Shel Holtz and On the Record Online's Eric Schwartzman at the New Communications Forum, Palo Alto, California, USA. Neville Hobson, ABC, is a communicator, blogger, podcaster, and one of the leading European early adopters and influencers in new-media communication for business. He has 25 years of experience in organizational communication, including public and media relations, marketing and employee communication, as well as investor and financial relations. He authors a weblog with commentary and opinion on business communication and technology. Through his blog and his growing network of influence, he advocates how new communication channels such as weblogs, wikis and RSS can be of significant benefit to organizations in helping them achieve their business objectives. Shel Holtz, ABC, is principal of Holtz Communication + Technology. Shel has been advising companies on how to use online tools for public relations and corporate communications since 1996. Before that, he was a communications consultant and practice leader for Alexander & Alexander Consulting Group. He has also been director of corporate communications at two Fortune 500 companies, Mattel and Allergan. He is the author of several books, including "Public Relations on the Net," "The Intranet Advantage," and "Corporate Conversations." He's on the Web at http://www.holtz.com/ and blogs at blog.holtz.com. SHOW NOTES: 1:56 - Eric Schwartzman talks about how he met Michael Butler. 5:35 – Neville Hobson and Shel Holtz talk about when they began podcasting. 6:19 – Hobson and Holtz on why they started doing a podcast and their line of work. 8:02 – Schwartzman on why he launched iPressroom and what it is: “So if you’re not a geek and you don’t know how to program and you don’t know how to code…you want some sort of solution that’s gonna allow you to email market, search engine optimize, do viral marketing campaigns, video on demand, audio on demand, RSS feeds, blogs, podcasts…you can conduct all those programs with our software without any web support or IT support.” 11:47 – Schwartzman on why he does podcasts. 13:03 – Hobson and Schwartzman on how podcasters work together. 14:16 – Holtz and Hobson talk about the length of their podcasts. 15:50 – Holtz discusses the New Communications Forum. 16:19 – Schwartzman on launching his blog Spinfluencer. 16:58 – Holtz on his experiences doing podcasts: “…one of the things that has evolved out of the whole experience is we have built a real community…it is a real two way medium.” 18:08 – Hobson talks about meeting people through the blogosphere. 19:21 – Schwartzman on the future of blogs: “...the blog is going to become ultimately…the online venue of choice for the individual but I don’t necessarily think it works for the organization.” 20:00 – Holtz shares his views on the future of social media. 20:46 – Schwartzman talks about the benefits of blogging and podcasting. 22:07 – Hobson offers his perspective on blogs: “…they give people another means, an easy means from a technological point of view, to tell a story, and that’s a basic human need to communicate.” 24:36 – Holtz and Hobson talk about how podcasting can help a business. 25:45 – Schwartzman on the relationship between doing podcasts and gaining clientele: “When a big podcast goes out…a lot of leads will come in from people who are interested in learning about our service.” 27:45 – Schwartzman talks about how he gains clients. 28:35 – Schwartzman discusses the changes that have occurred within the field of media relations as a result of the web. 30:56 – Hobson on how social media is changing the way public relations works. 32:17 – Holtz shares his views on what PR entails. 38:20 – Hobson talks about the questions participants posed during the New Communications Forum. 40:38 – Holtz on the book he and Hobson are writing about podcasting. 42:46 – Holtz and Hobson discuss making a business case for podcasting. 44:39 – Hobson and Holtz on how often businesses should do podcasts. 45:58 – Schwartzman and Hobson talk about the archival value of podcasts. 46:52 – Holtz discusses IBM’s podcast. 48:11 – Holtz, Hobson, and Schwartzman talk about what podcasts they listen to, as well as video podcasting. 52:26 – Hobson on podcasts in the Netherlands. 52:45 – Butler, Holtz, Hobson, and Schwartzman talk about their favorite music podcasts and their own podcasts. 56:23 – End

On the Record...Online with Bloggers Robert Scoble and Shel Israel

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 07:25:55 GMT

Robert Scoble and Shel Israel, authors of the book Naked Conversations: How Blogs are Changing the Way Businesses Talk with Customers, go On the Record...Online with Eric Schwartzman at the New Communications Forum in Palo Alto, California. Shel Israel writes and speaks about blogging, communications, marketing and innovation. He is the co-author of Naked Conversations, How Blogs are Changing the Way Businesses Talk with Customers with Microsoft's Robert Scoble. A self-proclaimed recovering publicist, Israel spent more than 20 years as a public relations executive specializing in technology start ups. Among more than 100 companies he worked are Sun Microsystems, SoundBlaster, PowerPoint, and Filemaker. Robert Scoble is a technical evangelist who works for Microsoft and maintains the popular blog, Scobleizer. Besides blogging, Scoble is part of the Channel9 MSDN Video team producing educational and evangelist mini-films targeted towards students and professional developers. Although Scoble often promotes Microsoft products like Tablet PCs and Windows Vista, at the same time he criticizes his own employer and praises its competitors (like Apple and Google). He has long been known as a prominent advocate of both RSS technology and the Tablet PC, two technologies that he has previously been involved in a professional capacity, at NEC Mobile Solutions, where he was sales support manager, and UserLand Software, where he was director of marketing. SHOW NOTES: 3:46 - Robert Scoble and Shel Israel on their decision to blog their book before publishing it. 6:30 - Robert discusses the process of blogging the book. 7:01 - Shel talks about the blogosphere’s influence on the final draft of the book. 8:44 - Shel and Robert talk about publishing the book. 10:00 - Robert and Shel on corporate blogging: “…there’s a new human voice and that’s the key thing to what blogging does for the corporation, it puts a human face on it.” 14:00 - Shel and Robert on how blogs have changed traditional forms of marketing. 16:42 - Robert and Shel on word of mouth marketing: “…now because of blogging and other emerging social media you can go directly to your audiences world wide and make a difference. You don’t need The New York Times or the local daily to get your word out.” 18:57 - Shel and Robert on the differences between media relations and naked conversations. 22:26 - Robert and Shel discuss whether Steve Jobs should blog: “Companies that don’t blog, like Apple, are going to in the long term pay for this…” 24:10 - Robert and Shel talk about Bill Gates allowing employees to blog at Microsoft. 25:45 - Robert and Shel responding to a question about how to advise CEOs to blog: “Dialogue beats monologue let your people blog.” 26:46 - Shel and Robert on whether their book is a success. 30:07 - Robert discusses MSN’s censorship of Chinese blogger Zhao Jing. 33:58 - Robert and Shel on companies using social media and taking business risks: “…in the end the companies that deny that there’s been a change are going to have their cherry orchids cut down.” 37:36 - End.

On the Record...Online with Bloggers Phil Gomes and Steve Rubel

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 08:00:00 GMT

Phil Gomes, The Senior Counsel of Online Communications at Edelman, and Steve Rubel, a Senior Vice President of Edelman, go On the Record…Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss the benefits and drawbacks of blogging, how online communication is changing the PR business, and on intergarating social media in their work at Edelman. Phil Gomes is considered to be the first PR blogger. In addition to working at Edelman, he is a graduate student at USC, as well as a senior advisor to the Society for New Communications Research. Gomes blogs at www.philgomes.com Steve Rubel is a senior marketing strategist and one of the most influential bloggers in the world, according to Technorati. Rubel is charged with helping the Edelman team win new word-of-mouth marketing business as well as developing and executing client programs. He also explores how new technologies are transforming marketing, media and public relations on his well-read Micro Persuasion weblog. Prior to joining Edelman in 2006, Rubel spent five years at CooperKatz & Company. 6:43 - Phil Gomes talks about how he became the first PR blogger. 9:41 - Gomes discusses the software he uses to blog and how the software influenced him to begin blogging. 11:32 - Gomes talks about how blogging has affected his career. 15:39 - Gomes discusses his clients’ views on blogging and using other sources of social media. 17:50 - Gomes talks about blogger Jeff Jarvis and his influence on the blogosphere. 20:46 - Gomes on working at Edelman and using online communications in public relations: “…the online program needs to…melt into…the overall communications strategy.” 22:26 – Gomes discusses businesses using blogs: “…there are certain things for which I think a blog is great…but I don’t think it’s for everybody…” 24:15 - Gomes talks about how PR is changing as a result of new media. 25:31 – Gomes talks about press releases and traditional forms of media: “…people are realizing that traditional media relations techniques and PR techniques are an awfully blunt instrument.” 28:29 - Gomes on corporations embracing blogging. 33:13 – Gomes explains what tagging is and his views on tagging. 35:00 - Gomes talks about what he perceives to be the basis for successful marketing. 38:39 - Gomes on being persuasive online. 42:27 – Gomes discusses the decision to launch the Edelman earShot podcast. 44:45 - Gomes talks about the process of creating the podcasts. 48:11 – Gomes discusses the goals of earShot: “…I want it to be a really good platform for talking about communications…” 53:02 – Steve Rubel discusses his future position at Edelman as a Senior Vice President and his goals. 54:00 – Rubel on other PR agencies following Edelman’s path. 55:19 – Rubel talks about the different methods of releasing news and word of mouth marketing. 58:00 - End.

On the Record...Online with Nightclub Impresario Ivan Kane

Eric Schwartzman — Sat, 25 Feb 2006 05:41:02 GMT

Ivan Kane, dubbed by The New York Times as “the night-life guru of Hollywood,” goes On the Record…Online with host Eric Schwartzman to talk about the science of cool and how the secrets behind his success might be helpful to marketing professionals and public relations executives tasked with launching a destination, product, brand or service to a young, elusive urban demographic. Ivan Kane, a native of New York, is the owner of the three successful Hollywood clubs Kane, Deep, and Ivan Kane’s Forty Deuce, the last of which he has taken to Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. This “back-alley” striptease lounge has redefined burlesque and put it back on the map. SHOW NOTES: 1:25 - Ivan Kane talks about how to create a “hip and cool” nightclub. 2:10 - Kane on choosing a name for a venue. 2:55 - Kane discusses the relationship between celebrities and “coolness.” 4:41 - Kane on how the celebrity world hears about his clubs: “It’s word of mouth, it’s the oldest form of technology there is…” 5:20 - Kane on the science of making something cool: “I think the science of what defines cool is something that is the antithesis of the word science...” 6:30 - Kane gives advice to marketing and technology companies, businesses, and advertising professionals on how to promote their products and services in a way that is cool. 7:24 - Kane talks about what he thinks is cool. 8:36 - Kane talks about how he got involved with the nightlife entertainment industry. 9:13 - Kane discusses the evolution of the Hollywood club industry and his decision to open up his first club in Hollywood in 1997. 11:12 - Kane on how to balance generating sales with maintaining exclusivity and a cool reputation: “…how do you balance that? Well it’s tricky, but you know, that’s what separates the men from the boys I guess.” 13:50 - Kane on using press releases and mass marketing as promotional techniques. 15:22 - Kane talks about his burlesque club and why it appeals to women: “What they [the dancers] do on stage is empowering to women…” 17:40 - Kane talks about his female clients dancing on stage with the professional dancers. 18:24 - Kane on how he came up with the idea of his club Ivan Kane’s Forty Deuce. 20:14 - Kane talks about how nightclubs and bars offer an escape destination for customers during difficult times: “At the end of the day what I do is try to make people smile.” 27:12 - End.

On the Record...Online with Blogger Elizabeth Albrycht

Eric Schwartzman — Thu, 23 Feb 2006 23:03:44 GMT

Blogger and New Communications Forum Chair Elizabeth Albrycht goes On the Record...Online about the NewCommForum, social media and the impact of the web on the business of public relations and marketing. SHOW NOTES: 10:09 - Albrycht on the establishment of the first New Comm Forum. 10:47 – Albrycht on this year’s upcoming Forum. 11:26 - Albrycht talks about why blogs are important for communication professionals. 12:21 - Albrycht discusses her initial interest in blogs: “…this is something you can use to have a personal voice…” 13:31 - Albrycht on the application of RSS. 14:24 - Albrycht explains what RSS is. 15:35 - Albrycht talks about RSS advertising and the challenges it presents. 18:07 - Albrycht explains how organizations can use blogs to their advantage. 19:49 - Albrycht on the status of the press release in the age of new media. 20:49 - Albrycht talks about how the changing state of the press release will affect news wire services. 21:52 - Albrycht offers her thoughts on Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s purchase of Business Wire. 23:05 - Albrycht talks about the value of the tech industry’s news releases over the wire. 23:51 - Albrycht on why people often issue releases over the wire: “…its kind of knee jerk reaction to put out a release for everything…” 24:44 - Albrycht explains social bookmarking and its effects. 26:44 - Albrycht talks about how bookmarking is indicative of what is popular online. 28:18 – Albrycht on whether the bookmark tool is sustainable. 29:46 - On whether there are problems associated with bookmarking and tagging: “…it seems very very chaotic but over time in fact you do have some very interesting ways that this stuff comes together…” 32:23 - Albrycht talks about the need for both mediated and unmediated channels of communication. 35:35 - Albrycht on what the mainstream media can learn from bloggers. 37:38 - Albrycht on the similarities and differences between public relations, marketing, and advertising: “…at the very highest level we’re all doing the same thing...” 38:59 - Albrycht talks about what type of people will be attending the New Comm Forum this year. 39:55 - Albrycht talks about the keynote speakers of the Forum. 44:43 - Albrycht on having Europeans attend the conference: “…we have to remember the blogosphere and online is a global phenomenon...” 45:45 - End.

On the Record...Online with Blogger BL Ochman

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 13 Feb 2006 23:47:21 GMT

BL Ochman, creator of the What’s Next Blog, goes On the Record…Online with host Eric Schwartzman to discuss the innovative “Up Your Budget” marketing campaign, corporate blogging as a tool for marketing, and the fate of the traditional press release in the age of the new media. BL Ochman is a corporate blog strategist, internet and outernet marketing conduit, and sought-after corporate speaker that also heads the creative team of whatsnextonline.com. Her internet marketing successes include internet strategy consultation for Ford Motors, internet public relations consultation to IBM; concept, copy and marketing strategy for Biomerica, Inc. (NASDAQ:BMRA) and internet marketing strategy consultation to Thomas Register. SHOW NOTES: 5:14 - BL Ochman talks about the fate of the traditional press release. 6:32 - Ochman on how to determine if companies should use blogs to advertise. 7:39 - Ochman discusses the advice she gave Budget Rent A Car System, Inc. on blogging including, “Let’s do something fun.” 9:02 - Ochman talks about the objectives of the “Up Your Budget” new media marketing campaign. 10:30 – Ochman discusses the specifics of the campaign and the online community the blog created. 14:18 - Ochman on using blogs for internet advertising. 16:07 - Ochman on conventional marketing. 17:11 - Ochman talks about working with Budget and the costs of the promotion. 18:04 - Ochman’s views on companies engaging in blog marketing. 20:43 - Ochman talks about McDonald’s new blog on social responsibility. 22:33 - Ochman on who should author corporate blogs. 23:28 - Ochman talks about how companies can learn how to blog. 24:16 - Ochman discusses her position on moderating comments on blogs. 24:59 - Ochman on The Washington Post’s decision to remove its blog. 25:23 - Ochman talks about the challenges media companies face when opening up digital conversations on blogs. 26:37 -Ochman explains what trackbacks are and the reasons people trackback. 28:04 - Ochman on what caused her to become a blogger and create the What’s Next Blog: “It was just a natural evolution for me to be blogging.”

On the Record...Online with The New Yorker Magazine's Media Business Columnist Ken Auletta

Eric Schwartzman — Sat, 11 Feb 2006 23:35:04 GMT

Ken Auletta, who has written Annals of Communications columns and profiles for The New Yorker magazine since 1992, talks to host Eric Schwartzman about declining newspaper readership, the public’s loss of trust for the mainstream news media, the challenges the traditional advertising industry faces as a result of digital video recorders and audience fragmentation and the impact of all this on US campaign politics. Ken is also the author of ten books, including four national bestsellers: Three Blind Mice: How the TV Networks Lost Their Way; Greed And Glory On Wall Street: The Fall of The House of Lehman; his The Highwaymen: Warriors of the Information Super Highway, and World War 3.0: Microsoft and Its Enemies, were national business bestsellers. SHOW NOTES: 6:07 - Ken Auletta talks about how new media technology is impacting the news media business. 7:08 - Auletta mentions the reasons behind readers shifting from print media to online media. 7:40 - Auletta explains media expenditures, comparing online advertising to print advertising. 8:05 - Auletta discusses the financial community’s perspective on the newspaper business. 8:43 - Auletta discusses the affect of internet advertising on traditional news media outlets. 10:26 - Auletta on the challenges newspapers face generating revenue. 10:36 - Auletta talks about The New York Times’s tactics for growing circulation. 11:45 - Auletta discusses the downside of the online subscription model. 14:29 - Auletta on whether the news media businesses may adapt to participating in digital conversations on the internet. 16:39 - Auletta on the challenges of sustaining traditional advertising models. 18:51 - Auletta’s response on whether we are entering the age of corporate generated media: “You’re already there…advertisers are increasingly buying a stake in programming.” 21:58 - Auletta talks about blogs, podcasts, online news media, and alternative, subtle sources of advertising like product placement. 23:44 - Auletta discusses the reasons why the public trusts the press less and how the media needs to be “more professional and do a better job… [and be] more transparent and humble and more willing to admit our mistakes...” to regain that trust. 26:35 - Auletta talks about how the public’s distrust of the mainstream media has impacted the Bush administration.

On the Record...Online with Wall Street Journal Technology Columnist Walt Mossberg

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 06 Feb 2006 05:55:09 GMT

Newsweek magazine calls Mr. Mossberg "the most powerful arbiter of consumer tastes in the computer world today." Time magazine calls him "the most influential computer journalist." And Rolling Stone calls him "the most powerful columnist in technology." In this exclusive one-on-one interview with host Eric Schwartzman, the world's most influential personal technology and consumer elctronics tastemaker goes on the record about the importance of online communications. SHOW NOTES: 1:31 - Walt Mossberg talks about how the Internet has changed the way public relations practioners send him news and press releases. 4:25 - Mossberg talks about how he uses the Internet to gather news. 4:51 - Mossberg talks about the number of emails he receives daily, not including spam. 5:32 - Mossberg discusses his expectations of corporate online news rooms. 6:25 - Mossberg on the impact of the web on the business of journalism. 7:01 - Mossberg on what he dislikes about corporate web sites: "I get annoyed by company websites that have too much animation or pages just there to make them look." 14:20 - Mossberg on the significance of the blogosphere. 15:40 - Mossberg on the diversity of voices the blogosphere facilities. 17:01 - Mossberg on software as a service. 19:17 - Responding to a question about how we should be dealing with companies that are helping China crack down on decedents and censor the web, Mossberg responds, "I don't know if we should be doing it through legislation or through the market, but I think that those companies cooperation in censorship in China is shameful, and deserves to be opposed in some way or another."

On the Record...Online with Linux Journal Senior Editor and "Cluetrain Manifesto" Co-Author Doc Searls

Eric Schwartzman — Thu, 26 Jan 2006 00:57:06 GMT

Doc Searls of Linux Journal and Doc Searls Weblog goes On the Record...Online about CES 2006, open source software, the ineffeciency of traditional advertising, new advertising paradigms and the battle to save the Net from privitization.

On the Record...Online - Special Public Relations Society of America Panel Edition

Eric Schwartzman — Wed, 25 Jan 2006 04:31:54 GMT

Audio transcript for the 2006 ‘State of the State' Address: PRSA-LA's Annual Look at the Industry held on Jan. 18, 2006 in Los Angeles, California. Panelists are Judy Johnson, Executive Vice President and Managing Director, GolinHarris Western Region, Bill Imada, President, IW Group, Magdalena Beltran-del Olmo, Vice President of Communications, California Wellness Foundation, Bob Feldman, Head of Corporate Communications, Dreamworks Animation SKG and Betsy Berkhemer-Credaire, President, Berkhemer Clayton. Moderated by Mark Lacter, Editor, Los Angeles Business Journal.

On the Record...Online with Joe Hayashi of Yahoo! Podcasts

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 16 Jan 2006 17:21:44 GMT

Joe Hayashi of Yahoo! Podcast goes On the Record...Online about the benefits of RSS, what makes a great podcast search engine and how Yahoo! plans to integrate podcasting into other Yahoo! services.

On the Record...Online with IT Conversations Executive Producer Doug Kaye

Eric Schwartzman — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 01:14:00 GMT

Show Notes: Eric mentions Doug’s keynote speech at Podcast Expo; why podcasting is such a big deal; citizen journalism—gatekeepers to information; opening up media to individuals; huge impact on traditional media; Chris Matthews podcasting “Hard Ball”, bloggers; laying off people at New York Times and introduces blogs to the paper. IT Conversations infrastructure: network of multiple series, conferences interview programs; publish 10-12 programs every week; staff of volunteers do almost of the post-production work; content and topics have moved way beyond IT; Non-profit effort; Kaye’s number 1 rule: “Sleep is the Enemy”; Kaye serves as podcast acquisition editor most of the time; importance of conferences; Gilmor Gang started on IT Conversations; Steve Gilmor’s move over to Podshow.com. Making a profit from IT Conversations; Kaye talks about his background in the film industry and more; extending audiences through conferences; value of shows; funding for the shows; Doc Searles on the privatization of the internet; copyright issues; subscribing to podcasts; RSS Feeds; registering to IT Conversations or Kaye’s Blogs where members can get access to news and updates. Fave podcasts: Music podcasts—Roadhouse, Covergirls; Adam Curry, NPR shows. Kaye listens to only a 1/3 of stuff on the network due to lack of time; most influential media to Kaye is the Blogosphere; He also reads the New York Times; reporting and quality of NY Times; challenging journalists much the way citizens challenge the government; podcasting in the next presidential election; “blogging so much more influential than podcasting”; may create “Political Conversations”; missions of IT Conversations: attempt to capture every spoken word on the planet. Guys with mustaches are in leadership positions; what is it about guys with mustaches?

On the Record...Online with San Francisco Chronicle Podcast Editor Marcus Chan

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 12 Dec 2005 16:52:10 GMT

San Francisco Chronicle Podcast Editor Marcus Chan talks about the number of listeners who subscribe to the newspaper's podcasts, what types of print stories make the best podcasts, how the Hearst-owned newspaper is considering making its podcasts profitable, and where he sees the daily print news publishing industry headed in the age of blogs and new media. :34 Eric starts off interview; plays a snippet about future of newspapers as told by the San Francisco Chronicle’s podcast manager Marcus Chan; introduction to “On the Record…Online”; about Eric; past guests of OTRO, how to subscribe the feed; upcoming podcasts; suggestions for guests; posting a comment to www.ontherecordpodcast.com; visit the blog at www.spinfluencer.com; sending in audio comments; voting on PodcastAlley.com; request feedback on new logo. 6:15: Different categories of podcasts on the SF Chronicle web site; typically follow the sections of the paper; follows sports teams; Backstory podcasts—behind the scenes of stories in the paper; food podcasts; enhanced podcasts with images. 10:18: How are the podcasts being received; most popular ones are the Backstory podcasts; no studies done for different demos but “seem to be all over”; stats of podcasts; Streamload.com hosts the paper’s podcast files and offer daily tallies about how many times a file is downloaded and partially downloaded; Bono podcast; average 9 to 13 a day. 13:45: Where downloads originate from—local readers or elsewhere?; using Feedburner and iTunes to determine what channel people are getting the SF Chronicle podcasts from; job as podcast manager; started out as “evangelist” within and outside the newsroom; getting everyone on the same page; producing podcasts and educating people about podcasts at same time. 19:52: Has the late-1990s internet boom and subsequent bust make people pessimistic about podcasting? How are people at the newspaper and elsewhere responding?; Chan says its good for the paper to experiment and in doing so, hopes to get new readers or listeners. 22:59: What makes a great podcast?; Chan discusses different podcasts that did well; deciding what print stories get spun-off into a podcast; plans to make podcasts interactive and allow people to give feedback. 29:00: Monetizing the podcasts; conflicts of journalists with marketing and advertising; research from Pew and Intelliseek that says public is losing trust in news media; good work elicits trust; internet allows stricter enforcement. 36:54: Where are newspapers going to be in 10 years; new ways of media consumption; there will be no logging on or off to internet; Chan’s favorite podcasts; Make magazine; of the 12 years that Chan has been with SF Chronicle, “this is the most creative I’ve been allowed to be.” 42:07: Interview ends.

On the Record...Online at the California Copyright Commission

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 23:30:49 GMT

SPECIAL EPISODE: CCC Podcasting Panel featuring Antony Bruno of Billboard Magazine, Bob Lefsetz of the Lefsetz Letter and attorney Kevin Koloff and attorney Josh Wattles go On the Record...Online on how the recording industry is dealing with the challenges posed by podcasters to the traditional business of music licensing. NOTE: Apologies to the first 200 listeners who downloaded this episode yesterday. The file I uploaded included roughly five minutes of small talk prior to the start of the panel discussion, which has been subsequently removed. 00:30 Eric kicks off live from the California Copyright Commission monthly meeting; plays a snippet of panelists discussing copyright issues; introduction to “On the Record…Online”; describes the current show and introduces panelists Antony Bruno of Billboard and Bob Lefsetz of the Leftsez Letter; past guests of OTRO, how to subscribe the feed; upcoming podcasts; suggestions for guests; posting a comment to www.ontherecordpodcast.com; sending in audio comments 6:26 Eric mentions the difficulty recording the panel but did find the PMD 660 direct to compact flash digital recording device from Marantz helpful. 7:34 All about Podcasts: PodcastAlley.com; Podcast Expo; The CCC Board of Directors member Kevin Koloff is moderator for discussion; introduces Antony Bruno; Josh Wattles, former acting general counsel of Paramount Pictures and past president of LA Copyright Society; Bob Lefsetz 12:34: Bruno kicks off discussion about podcasts; Apple’s dominance in podcasting; who is podcasting; who is listening? 20:00: Making money off podcasting; Josh says “Apparently Not.”; Podshow.com example. 26:27: Music in podcasts; American Society of Composer, Authors and Publishers; placing songs in podcasts, what are the issues for copyrights; how to get clearance for songs; costs; steps for quoting songs in your podcasts; issues involving licensing music for podcasts. 39:16: Any business models for podcasts; finding podcasts; the threat to music publishers and record labels; music industry’s involvement in podcasts; 47:20: Questions from the audience: What is a feasible unitary licensing format for podcasting that wouldn’t put copyrighting business out of business; How are publishers being fairly compensated How do you accommodate or account for the international nature of podcasting; Fees to musicians, instrumentalists, engineers and others; anyone else in the world licensing; 68:39: Commission meeting wraps up.

On the Record...Online with Los Angeles Times Interactive General Manager Rob Barrett

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 28 Nov 2005 18:59:58 GMT

00:35 Eric introduces Rob Barrett, the Interactive General Manager for LATimes.com; plays a snippet about LA Times struggle to cover local and national news. 3:08: Eric describes “On the Record…Online”; for people who like in-depth one-on-one interviews; how to subscribe to the podcast at www.OntheRecordPodcast.com; upcoming podcasts are from the recent Portable Media and Podcast Expo as well as the California Copyright Conference; past interview guests; suggestions for potential guests. 8:11: LA Times wiki-torial experiment: Eric mentions he originally wanted to speak with Rob a month ago when the LA Times was launching their wiki-torial experiment—a wiki-based editorial about the war in Iraq where readers were invited to post their own comments and responses; wiki-torial was invaded by pornography; possible reasons why this happened such as a posting on www.Slashdot.com ; other tech changes coming to LA Times.com 13:34: Troubles of newspaper business: Knight Ridder is expressing interest in selling their newspaper chain and print circulations way down, forcing media companies to place more emphasis on their online news operations; How Rob is dealing with all that as Interactive GM. 16:36 Finding content at LATimes.com: Eric’s difficulty searching for a chili recipe that was printed in LA Times but unsearchable online; headlines for the website and for the paper; building database relationships; Rob says January is the time when he hopes to have a lot of problems addressed. 20:18: Editorial content online versus in print: Eric and Rob discuss news hierarchy for the paper’s website and print editions; how NY Times does it versus LA Times;Rob’s thoughts on doing this and keeping tone of newspaper; avoiding become a wire service; restructuring the news process; Rob mentions that senior print editors served as guest web editors for two weeks for various times and were able to see how important it was to get stories to the web and avoid getting scooped. 27:14: Catastrophes and disaster getting covered first by blogs: how does LATimes.com deal with that; regaining lost readership; redefining readership; covering local and national news. 31:25: Charlie Rose and Art Sulzberger: Rob responds to Sulzberger’s comments about keeping readers; what the LA Times needs to do; Rob says more local coverage will be instituted and new technology will be integrated; why Craigslist is successful even though information may not be completely accurate; readers trusting one another a la the Ebay Trusted Seller model; possibly employing non-journalists to contribute to the site as well as allowing readers to interact with each other. 38:10: New technologies at LATimes.com: LATimes.com has introduced podcasts but the biggest feature is The Envelope—the awards show central with blogs devoted to each major award show such as the Grammys, the Oscars, the Golden Globes, SAG awards, etc. 42:55: Podcasts: LATimes.com has introduced approximately seven podcasts; plans for more; Rob says they are focusing on the blogs first then podcasts will follow; finding talent for podcasts; how journalists are responding to these technology changes; where to subscribe to LA Times podcasts; 51:14: NY Times User Select: Mistake or Smart; how to generate revenue for the newspaper online such as charging for podcasts; content is prime focus; advertising opportunities. 54:17: Interview ends.

On the Record...Online at the Portable Media Expo and Podcasting Conference

Eric Schwartzman — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 17:20:54 GMT

Podcast brother and Portable Media Expo organizer Tim Bourquin, Michael Geohagen, Dan Klass of the Bitterest Pill, LA Podcasters founder Lance Anderson of Verge of the Fringe, Tres Jefes, Robbie Trechany and Paul Figgiani of The Point Podcast live from the trade show floor share their impression of the first U.S.-based conference dedicated solely to podcasting.

On the Record...Online with New York Times Personal Technology Columnist David Pogue

Eric Schwartzman — Thu, 10 Nov 2005 19:14:56 GMT

DISCLAIMER: Due to an unfortunate technical glitch and insufficient bandwidth, the following edition of “On the Record…Online” has a bit of a lag time in between questions and answers. Also, some questions sound as if they are being asked in the middle of answers, making the interviewer and the interviewee sound out of synch, which is not how this interview was conducted. We apologize for the inconvenience and assure you this will not happen again in future podcasts. Thanks to David for letting us know about this and our deepest apologies go to him as well. :32: Eric Introduces this newest podcast featuring NY Times technology columnist David Pogue; plays a snippet of David’s thoughts about the amazing benefits of podcast; Eric explains “On the Record…Online,” who he is, what he does and what OTRO’s objective is; upcoming guests include Rob Barrett of the LA Times; past guests; how to subscribe or download past OTRO podcasts; feedback or suggestions and how to post them to the blog or how to send audio files. 5:44: All About Pogue: David discusses how he got into covering personal technology starting with music software; discusses how long he has been at the NY Times; the beginning of Pogue’s Posts as part of the NYT digital makeover in 2004; description of the blog—“all technology-related thoughts and observations”; objective of the blog; changing the headline-writing, wordplay or puns to be searchable better online; David reveals that he and other NYT writers don’t write the headlines. 9:42: The Editorial Process for Pogue’s Posts; the role of the web editor; deciding what goes into print column and what is better for the blog; deciding what to do a video about versus a blog post; buffering problems and other video problems; David announces Nov. 15th the entire NYT video operation will be turned over to professional video serving company, the Feed Room. 16:40: The Editorial Process for Pogue’s video posts; how David makes these videos—the unintentional comedy of it all. 20:20: David’s ultimate view of podcasting; sets the record straight on his video cast “making fun” of podcasting; how to listen to David’s video posts; what David thinks of the future of podcasting—“no drawbacks…no commercials, no paying”; hoping someone doesn’t monetize it and “mess it up”; repurposing audio and video programming and abandoning terrestrial broadcasts; videocasting; ABC/ Disney and Apple; grassroots opportunities for videocasting. 29:00: How David decides what makes news besides the obvious; “Is it cool?”; Eric wants to know what is “cool?”; design is important and most often results in an expensive price; who David looks to for information—Engadget, Gizmodo,MacWorld, PC World, Pitch letters from companies. 36:56: David responds to Gawker post about how the headline of his review of the new BlackBerry which appeared online as “David Pogue: Corporate Tool,Yes, but Bright and Handy.” 38:40: “On the Record…Online” concludes.

On the Record...Online with Former TelevisionWeek and Hollywood Reporter Editor Alex Ben Block

Eric Schwartzman — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 16:43:59 GMT

Alex Ben Block On the Record Online show notes :30 Intro: Eric introduces Alex Ben Block, the former editor of the Hollywood reporter and Television Week, who will be discussing how new technology is changing the broadcasting business as we know it. :39 Eric plays a snippet of Alex’s triple play theory –cable, video, hi-speed data and telephone/voice service. 1:15What is OTRO; how to subscribe to OTRO; Eric’s description of his public relations services; “PR guy by day, podcaster by night,”; past guests of OTRO; go to ontherecordpodcast.com for past guests; suggestions for new guests; comments line and upcoming guests such as David Pogue and Rob Barret 3:15 Portable Media and Podcast Expo in Ontario: Eric will be recording podcast at the LA Podcasters “Freeway Series” 4:22 ABB background; former pres of LA Press Club; eric and alex go to the same temple of the arts; nationally known because they broadcast on tv; discuss culture of celebrity at the temple 5:26 How ABB decides the front page; daily vs. weekly editorial decisions; editors prioritizing, the goal is “Try to make it as interesting as possible” 6:43 Eric brings up Noam Chomsky’s theory of bias regarding selection for front-page news; bias in trade publications—does it exist? 7:40 Relationship between advertisements and editorial in the trade; news sources and advertisers are also your readers and what you write can affect business; reporting in Hollywood with Hollywood Reporter, Variety, B &C and TV Week; what readers are going to believe; “Ultimately, you have to serve the truth.”; 11:24 Newsworthy news that are not good for business; how do you cover bad news without alienating sources; your job is to act responsibly and fairly; treading that fine line between friends and sources 13:04 ABB’s days as an editor at Hollywood Reporter/working in all different departments; process of editing and filing stories and getting paper published five days a week and ultimately working six days a week, great work colleagues now at Washington Post; TVGuide; Video Business; International Hollywood Reporter edition; managing a paper; generating stories; ABB’s job before the Hollywood Reporter gig. 17:42 Alex discusses leaving TV Week to write his third book, but staying on as a columnist; Alex talks a bit about the book which is about how television industry is changing and what is in store for the future. 21:40 In-depth discussion about the new changes advertisers are taking in order to adapt to the television technology; ABB says greater choice and portability are HUGE issues; video iPod’s future; delivery of content over cell phones; merging the computer screen and the television. 23:52 How it all affects terrestrial broadcast; Local broadcast stations’ future: ABB points out KTLA has both analog and digital formats and involved in the internet; importance of local news still powerful; using a smart syndication schedule; promotion and offering product over all media; “smart companies will adapt.” 26:30 IFC and Tivo Deal; making a product available directly to viewer without going thru a broadcaster; Eric goes a little into Long Tail Theory and Ecast Inc. ABB gives his thoughts about on-demand media consumption and how technology will be changing that; ABB thinks companies are smart enough to be adapting to all technological advances; also thoughts on convergence and how media companies present that to the consumers. 36:49: Verizon’s spending money and time to become competitor to cable television; unprecedented lobbyists efforts; taking on satellite and cable “saying ‘we can do it better”; triple play theory again; ABB puts bets on Comcast to emerge as leading company. 39:25: ABB shares a brief insight to his book and touches on something he wrote about for TV Week called “All-Menu TV”; tailoring interests to what people want to watch; Friedman’s op-ed column defining “podcasting;” ABB and Eric discuss speakers at the temple during high holy days including Robert Spencer and his book, “The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam”; Eric’ future podcast on how religion is portrayed in the media. 43:56: Interview concludes with Eric explaining where to download the podcast; past guests, and topics.

On the Record...Online with BusinessWeek Technology Editor Heather Green

Eric Schwartzman — Sun, 23 Oct 2005 22:00:36 GMT

BusinessWeek technology department editor and Blogspotting blogger Heather Green goes On the Record...Online about how she got into covering technology, BusinessWeek's personality and much more. Heather Green talks about her career as a journalist, how she works best with public relations people, where technology is taking us and much more. Intro: An explanation of what On the Record…Online is all about, and where to subscribe to the RSS news feed. Heather Green shares her thoughts on how technology like podcasting is changing the packaging of new information. Mention of upcoming guests and thanks to Shel Holtz for helping me with the questions. Interview: 03: 18: Eric gives a quick rundown on Heather Green’s resume; Heather herself shares thoughts about her experience which included a stint abroad working at the International Herald Tribune as an editorial assistant and at Bloomberg News, during the birth of the internet. 08:50: Heather dishes on the personality of BusinessWeek and how it differs from its competitors Forbes and Fortune. “Authority and authenticity and I think our readers trust us,” she says. However, the magazine is trying to attain a warmer, friendlier tone which is evidenced by the BlogSpotting blog she writes with Stephen Baker. 10:43: Heather says new technology like bogging has impacted mags like BusinessWeek in that reporters need to bring more analysis of the new technology and trends, instead of just straight-on reporting; More discussion about evolution of new technology. 14:00: Fifty pitches a day flood Heather’s inbox from PR professionals, who do “a pretty good job” pitching stories. Decisions for stories for either blog or book, depend on interest, magazine publishing schedule and relationships. 18:40: Blogspotting gets high traffic on the “Comments” section from readers and Heather has even picked a few story ideas from this. 20:17: Heather discusses internal reaction at BusinessWeek to blogs. Overall, the magazine and staff are “adapting.” Heather and Steve—resident Geeks? 24:46: BlogSpotting traffic measured using Technorati, Intelliseek and BusinessWeek’s own internal tracking service. Heather discusses overall objective of the blog. 28:09: Heather mentions the blogs she has posted comments on people’s blogs like Jeff Jarvis and Dan Gillmor. 29:58: People still confused about podcasting and RSS, although media outlets like NPR are contributing to the increasing awareness of podcasts. RSS still remains a murky subject. 31:40: The future of podcasts for businesses. Heather mentions that Virgin Atlantic is discussing podcasts for their flight attendants and pilots. Earning calls are also perfect opportunities for podcasts. But they are not appropriate for internal notices. 33:45: Will PodShow be a viable business? Eric also mentions in his interview with Ron Bloom, the subject of corporate communications money rather than advertising dollars going towards podcasts. Eric cites Neville Hobbs’ article in Global PR Week in which Neville said, “Podcasting is informal voice of organization.” Heather agrees. 36:23: Heather shares her thoughts on podcasts disrupting other media; Apple’s new deal with ABC; Clear Channel aggressive streaming content on-line; and the future of Apple as either a hardware or media company. 43:29: Heather says she listens to the following podcasts: Insomnia Radio, Coverville, Whirlpool, Adam Curry and NPR. 44:24: Interview ends.

On the Record...Online with Podshow.com CEO and co-founder Ron Bloom

Eric Schwartzman — Sun, 09 Oct 2005 04:24:55 GMT

The story behind the story -- newsmakers, mainstream journalists, influential bloggers and podcasters talk straight about how technology is changing pop culture and the news media business. Less than sixty days after closing a $8.85 million series "A" venture financing round led by Sequoia Capital and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Podshow.com CEO and co-founder Ron Bloom goes on the record in this in-depth, totally uncut, one-on-one interview about why podcasting is here to stay, making in roads with advertisers, where Podshow.com is headed, how he plans to leverage Podcast Alley and the Podsafe Music Network, the role of traditional media in growing podcast audiences and much, much more. Intro: An explanation of what On the Record...Online is all about, and where to subscribe to the RSS news feed. How Ron and Adam's Internet presence in the Grammy pressroom inspired the birth of iPressroom Corporation, how to suggest future guests, provide feedback and send in audio comments. Thanks to Aaron Burcell of Podshow.com and Dan Klass of the Bitterest Pill podcast for their help. Interview: 6:16 Ron Bloom Interview Excerpts: 7:43 “To the media folks I say, look, I’ve been here a trillion dollars ago. Decide whether you want to be in front of the train, or under the train or train. That’s your choice.” 8:28 “Madison Avenue is not advertising. Companies who wish to conduct business with their audiences, they’re advertising. Madison Avenue is facilitating. And if Madison Avenue fails to facilitate, those companies will go and find their audiences directly, because they’re the ones responsible for their success or failure.” 20:54 “In every category of business, that velvet rope exists, and talking about tomorrow’s content delivery infrastructure, there’s a hundred people talking about that at the highest level and everybody else is hoping to get tidbits from those conversations. In talking about medical research, in talking about law. Podcasting is a great tool to enable communicators to pull out unique content from behind these velvet ropes and corporate firewalls, and package it in a way that interests listeners. There is your great role for PR and communications companies.” 31:33 “They shouldn’t even call it the media business. They should call it the frequency and infrastructure business. We have a channel. We own it. We have a chokehold on the content that goes through that channel. Our barrier to entry is that no one else has this frequency. That’s the logic of radio.” 33:00 “Deliver of crap against no alternative is what’s driven the media industry for the last 20 years.” 46:15 Interview ends.

On the Record...Online with Blogger Steve Rubel of Micro Persuasion

Eric Schwartzman — Wed, 28 Sep 2005 05:43:11 GMT

Intro: An explanation of what On the Record…Online is all about, and where to subscribe to the RSS news feed. My first time at the LA Podcasters meet up and a disclaimer about the recording quality of this podcast and how I intend to improve it next time around with the help of Dan Klass. 04:45 Steve Rubel talks about how he first heard about blogging. 05:49 Marketing blogs start to take off. 08:17 Rubel talks about experimenting with Typepad, launching his first few client blogs and Micro Persuasion 09:24 How he pitches blogging initiatives to new clients 11:42 Rubel talks about being a popular PR blogger 13:15 Rubel talks about the main reason his Micro Persuasion blog took off 14:05 How Rubel defines his success as a blogger 14:36 How he finds scoops for his blog 15:45 How he uses incoming referral links to find scoops 16:30 Rubel shares tips on finding scoops to blog about through tagging 18:55 Rubel talks about how blogging has changed his life 20:56 Rubel on how he was able to gain visibility by interviewing other high profile bloggers 22:28 Rubel talks about the four secrets to building a high profile online presence through blogging 25:57 Rubel on why he’s excited about the opportunities blogging affords organizations 29:31 Rubel on how he evaluates incoming pitches and decides what the blog about 31:42 Rubel on the risks of transparency to organizations that blog 34:35 Rubel on pricing blog initiatives and integrated retainers 40:18 Rubel on the returns blogging delivers to dedicated bloggers 43:16 Rubel on vlogging 44:34 The potential impact of blogging and RSS on terrestrial broadcasters 49:24 Rubel on why blogging is not a threat the public relations trade and how to integrate blogs into the marketing communications effort 51:09 END

On the Record...Online - Special Podcasters Edition

Eric Schwartzman — Thu, 22 Sep 2005 07:30:30 GMT

On the Record…Online Podcast - Special Edition: Audio Transcript from Bulldog Reporter's PR Podcasting Panel held in San Francisco on Sept. 16, 2005 Bulldog Reporter’s PR University Revolution in PR Technology Conference Podcasting Panel featuring Michael Butler of the Rock and Roll Geek Show, Chris McIntyre of Podcast Alley, recently acquired by Podshow, Eric Rice of audioblog.com and myself. The time codes in the show notes below, which were mistakenly prepared before the program was edited, are incorrect and need to be updated. Intro: Thanks to Jim Sinkinson and Stacy Dorter of Bulldog Reporter for allowing this panel session to be podcast. 31:30 Explaination of what podcasts are, how they work and why they matter to marketers and public relations professionals. 32:40 The difference between podcasts and audio soundbites is the subscription factor; Podcasts also have their own directories like Podcast Alley and different categories like Godcasts and Jobcasts. 34:03 iPodder made it easy to download podcasts in the beginning but with the release of iTunes 4.9, podcast downloads have skyrocketed; AOL has even integrated podcast searches into their software. 35:16 Why should you podcast? Motivated audience; direct access; unfiltered material; content lasts longer; easy to do; cost-efficient; you reach a tech-savvy consumer audience; The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell is referenced. 38:25 Introduction of panelists Michael Butler of the Rock and Roll Geek Show and the Podsafe Music Network, Chris McIntyre of Podcast Alley and Eric Rice of Audioblogs.com 40:32 For Immediate Release: The Hobson & Holtz and Report is mentioned as a must-visit web site. Panel Discussion: 41:47 Eric Rice explains “What is a podcast?”; Chris talks about benefits for corporations to podcast. 44:23 How to think beyond the press release and instead focus on story-telling. Michael lists what you need to record a podcast; using iRiver; Eric talks about how to get your podcast looked up. 48:00 Podcasts and RSS; how to ensure your podcast is searchable; Chris explains unique Podcast tags. 51:12 I explains similarities between TiVo and podcasts 51:47 Lists of companies already producing podcasts are Disney Purina GM Jupiter Research Oracle Cisco Macromedia iPressroom Virgin Atlantic TV Guide 54:35 The question of authenticity in podcasts and how public relations professionals should use this is explored. 59:16 My blog traffic spikes after I posted a research report about porn podcasts 60:30 Panelists discuss production values; I mention Dancer in the Dark movie starring Bjork and how its low-budget, video style made it an entertaining watch; content is typically at the forefront of a podcast; Adam Curry did interview for his Paris Hilton House of Wax Podcast using whatever he could, his cellphone; iRiver, etc. 63:21 Podshow introduces new ways of breaking news. 65:50 How do you have comments and feedbacks to podcasts?; Daily Source Code with Adam Curry and the scuffle with Audible. 69:14 Deal between Podshow and Sirius; opportunities for public relations professionals to get in on podcasting; how to submit material to podcast shows. 72:14 CMP media and The News Show’s way to contribute to podcasts: http://www.thenewsshow.tv/forms/contribute.jhtml; audience potential to become valuable contributors to podcasts; how do podcasters feel about that; Association of Music Podcasting Q & A: 76:13 Ed Schipul asks about how to restrict access to podcasts. 78:43 I play a snippet of my own podcast, On the Record…Online with the Hollywood Reporter’s Chris Marlowe; I describes my podcast style as “a la Charlie Rose.” 81:06 Parameters on podcast times. 85:48: Ways to track whose podcast is getting most airplay; ASCAP BMI CMJ RIAA discussed; story of Long Tail . 90:18 END

On the Record...Online - Special Global PR Blog Week Edition

Eric Schwartzman — Sun, 18 Sep 2005 16:05:06 GMT

Beyond the press release; building thought leadership through original programming podcasts - hosted by Eric Schwartzman Show Notes Intro: - 00:22 Show is introduced; what the show’s about; how to subscribe to show Eric’s Comments: - 0:24 Lets listeners know this is a special podcast for Global PR Blog Week - 01:32 A little description about On the Record Online, how to subscribe, the Spinfluencer blog, Schwartzman & Associates, Inc. and For Immediate Release: The Hobson & Holtz Report - 4:13 Explains the purpose of this podcast, “Beyond the Press Release”, how podcasting and blogs can help public relations. - 8:23 Mentions the names of interviewees for the podcast, all public relations professionals who are currently podcasting original programs or are publicizing themselves through other podcasts. Interview with Dave Joseph, VP Corporate Communications & Strategy, Audible Inc.: - 8:49 Dave talks about recent scuffle between Audible and podcaster Adam Curry and how CEO responded with a podcast to Curry’s remarks. - 14:52 How press releases are viewed by an analyst, like Dave was before joining communications; making company conference calls downloadable and other opportunities for companies to podcast - 22:40 Can podcasts build audiences and ultimately sell more books on tape? - 25:10 Eric gets email interruption! - 26:13 Audible’s future involvements with podcasting - 26:58 Explaining DRM and continuing on Audible’s future with podcasts Interview with Ethan McCarty, Writer, Editor and Technologist, IBM: - 31:30 IBM’s podcast series for investor relations, not just about earnings - 36:41 How does IBM’s podcasts help promote company stock; why IBM started podcasts for investors? - 40:34 IBM’s process for producing podcasts, its frequency and business conduct guidelines - 45:39 Evaluating the podcasts performances Interview with Aaron Burcell, Director, Marketing and Communications, Podshow Inc.: - 50:05 Aaron promotes his product Castblaster. - 51: 16 Opportunities in podcasting for news releases - 53: 30 What types of podcasts on Daily Source Code get played as promos - 54:43 Opportunities for corporate communications in podcasting; Podshow’s news releases - 61:25 Resistance to podcasts from journalists or analysts - 64:20 Podcast style and production standards are different from radio, much more relaxed - 65:14 Rebuilding trust of media through podcasts; creating permanent records and transparency at a corporate level. Outro: - 70:40 Thanks to Michael Butler, who produced this show; how to subscribe to feed

On the Record...Online with Leo Laporte of This Week in Tech

Eric Schwartzman — Thu, 01 Sep 2005 22:49:22 GMT

Leo Laporte, technology journalist, author and host of the #1 podcast according to Apple iTunes "This Week in Technology" goes on the record about why he majored in Chinese History, how he selects the topics for TWiT, whether or not podcast listeners are influencers, how podcasting is impacting the rules of media relations engagement, how he thinks public relations professionals should adapt to new communications technologies, the challenge RSS poses to terrestrial broadcasters, the risk on spoilers in an on-demand media consumption world and why he hates spin control.

On the Record...Online with Chris Marlowe of the Hollywood Reporter

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 20:06:17 GMT

Chris Marlowe, executive editor of the Hollywood Reporter, talks at length about how she covers the intersection of entertainment and technology four days a week. With a step-by-step walk-through of her publication’s editorial process, Marlowe discusses what kind of stories get published and why. She also opens up about the best ways for public relations professionals to e-mail a pitch, write a press release and keep her and other journalists informed of a client’s latest news. With over 200 e-mails a day to sort through, Marlowe says the subject line of an e-mail is “critical.” While she reads about 50 percent of the press releases that come to her inbox, chances are due to her diligent research of all things entertainment and technology, she’s most likely heard the news before you get to her. But that doesn’t mean she won’t be interested in more. Chris Marlowe also talks about how to get her attention via email, filtering technology, how an idea becomes a story at the Reporter, their relationship with Reuters and BPI Newswires, the trade paper's unique personality, her favorite blogs and podcasts, the debate between digital rights management and fair use and how Hollywood and broadcasters will contend with new technologies.

On the Record...Online with John Markoff of the New York Times

Eric Schwartzman — Tue, 19 Jul 2005 23:01:07 GMT

John Markoff, technology reporter with the New York Times discusses the best way for public relations professionals to contact him, how ideas become articles at the New York Times, which blogs he reads, which media outlets he sees as influential, RSS readers, APIs, technologies threatrning to disrupt the current news media ecosystem, how far off wireless broadband is, the longevity of IPTV and the role of the media in the bursting of the NASDAQ bubble.

On the Record...Online with Richard Johnson of Page Six

Eric Schwartzman — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 21:43:28 GMT

Richard Johnson, editor of the New York Post's Page Six, the most influential gossip page in the country, goes on the record about how he decides what to write about, why the Los Angeles Times is gossip shy, how blind items protect the Post from libel claims, which blogs he reads, what he covers and pans, why he doesn't read the Hollywood Reporter and Michael Jackson's likely next steps, and a day in the life of Page Six's editor. Entertainment public relations and personaa publicists will appreciate this exclusive glimpse into the inner workings of the country's most revered gossip column. Like it or not, there's no denying the impact of Page Six on entertainment and celebrity news beats nationwide. Editors, celebrities and entertainment industry insiders turn to the New York Post more than any other outlet for the latest scoops and scandals and celebrites, socialites and other personalities.

On the Record...Online with Wired Magazine Senior Editor Jeffrey O'Brien

Eric Schwartzman — Wed, 13 Apr 2005 01:19:43 GMT

What every public realtions professional should know before they pitch a feature story to Wired Magazine. Topics include how the editorial staff decides what to write about, what makes Wired different from other technology publications and the legend of the Long Tail.

On the Record...Online with Mobile Magazine Editor-in-Chief Chris Null

Eric Schwartzman — Wed, 13 Apr 2005 00:59:34 GMT

Mobile Magazine editor Christopher Null tells public relations firms representing wi-fi and mobile entertainment accounts what type of stories he looks for, why they're more receptive to pitches about MP3 players, digital cameras, cell phones or any other type of gadget or technology that lets people become more mobile, than they are to notebook computer pitches. Null says the magazine regularly covers wireless, wi-max and G3 cell phone technology, and also discusses the extraordinary growth of desktop, notebook wireless access, why they rely on evergreen feature stories, how blogs impact his perception of news, how technology is disrupting news cycles, the best way to contact him with story pitches, the importance of product reviews to his publication, why product specs and high-res images should be available on a company's Web site and why podcasting is here to stay.

On the Record...Online with Computerworld Editor-at-Large Mark Hall

Eric Schwartzman — Tue, 12 Apr 2005 22:47:37 GMT

Mark Hall, editor-at-large at Computerworld Magazine, tells high-tech PR pros which search engines he uses for technology research and why, how search results have the potential to bias perception, why RSS should replace email, and why he has higher expectations of small company Web sites. This podcast was created to help technology public relations firms research best practices for conducting media relations with journalist and his publciation.

On the Record...Online with Bulldog Reporter Publisher Jim Sinkinson

Eric Schwartzman — Tue, 12 Apr 2005 21:41:37 GMT

Bulldog Reporter Publisher, Jim Sinkinson goes on the record about how the Internet is affecting the Media Relations trade on the new podcast program "On the Record...Online" hosted by Eric Schwartzman. Or visit iPressroom's Podcast Center:http://www.ipressroom.com/pr/corporate/info/podcast-center.asp [REGISTRATION IN REQUIRED]

On the Record...Online with Newsweek Technology Correspondant Brad Stone

Eric Schwartzman — Tue, 12 Apr 2005 21:23:42 GMT

Brad Stone is a technology reporter with Newsweek Magazine where he covers new consumer technologies including consumer electronics and interactive gaming. Recorded to help public relations firms improve their media relations practices when approaching this journalist, and this publication, Stone discusses how technology has changed the relationship between PR and the media, why phone story pitches are least effective, the difference between interruption vs. on-demand communications and the importance of cultivating online resources.

On the Record...Online with Time Magazine Bureau Chief Chris Taylor

Eric Schwartzman — Tue, 12 Apr 2005 19:03:36 GMT

Time Magazine Silicon Valley Bureau Chief Chris Taylor goes on the record about what public relations pros should know about his magazine's editorial hierarchy, how the best PR pros keep abreast of his interests, how blogs are challenging news media outlets racing to break exclusives and how Google's search results sometimes convey a false sense of security.

On the Record...Online with USA Today Reporter Elizabeth Weise

Eric Schwartzman — Tue, 12 Apr 2005 02:16:33 GMT

Elizabeth Weise, reporter at USA Today tells biotech PR pros why she needs context, brevity and lack of jargon in email pitches, what makes her national daily newspaper different from its competitors, and why stories, not data, are what her readers want most. This podcast was designed to be useful to biotech public relations firms researching best practices for media relations engagement with this journalist and her particular media outlet.

On the Record...Online with Wall Street Journal Technology Reporter Nick Wingfield

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 11 Apr 2005 23:22:55 GMT

Wall Street Journal Internet and video game reporter Nick Wingfield talks to public relations and media relations professionals about the how he likes to be contacted with story ideas, the art of condensing pitches into email subject lines, the dangers of "undecipherable marketing mumbo-jumbo" language on Web sites, why the Journal is growing their analytical perpective and breaking technology news faster, the newspaper's intention to introduce a Saturday edition and why Sony and Microsoft's video game console battle over the living room will be big video game story this year. This interview was recorded to help public relations firms more effectively engage this reporter and newspaper in a manner most likely to result in news media coverage for their clients.

On the Record...Online with Former Sun Microsystems VP Andy Lark

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 11 Apr 2005 22:45:08 GMT

Andy Lark, formerly VP of Communications at Sun Microsystems is an expert on the subject of blogging, and how participatory journalism is reshaping the business of public relations. I was delighted to hear his keynote at the NewComm Forum in Napa earlier this year. Named by PR Week as one of the “Most Influential” high tech public relations communicators, Lark goes talks about the latest trends in Online communications on the new podcast program "On the Record...Online" hosted by Eric Schwartzman.

On the Record...Online with San Jose Mercury News Managing Editor David Satterfield

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 11 Apr 2005 21:50:04 GMT

Pulitzer Prize-winning San Jose Mercury News Managing Editor David Satterfield talks about what kind of information he expects to find in corporate online news rooms, how the 24 hour news cycle impacts the Merc's editorial decisions, how the newspapers decides what to run on the front page, how the Internet is challenging the A.P., how unprecedented access to information via the Net is changing the news business and the technology inspired factors playing a role in what they decide to write about.

On the Record...Online with Legendary PR Man Howard Bragman

Eric Schwartzman — Mon, 11 Apr 2005 18:37:33 GMT

Find out why Howard Bragman, founder of BNC, Bragman, Nyman and Cafarelli, and Fifteenminutes.com isn't sunbathing on a yacht in France. Bragman goes On the Record Online about his return to PR.