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Submitted by admin on Thu, 2008-02-07 16:53.
influencer relationship management | Rob Cross | social networking | word of mouth
Contact:
Allison Slotnick
+1-646-935-4068
New York, N.Y., February 7, 2008 - Precisely identifying and energizing the connections and influence of individuals within social networks is so crucial to successful brand and reputation building that Ketchum, a top-10 PR firm, has partnered with a leading social network expert to help clients accelerate the movement of opinions, ideas and actions across networks. The exclusive partnership, announced today, is with Rob Cross, the author of The Hidden Power of Social Networks and a professor at the University of Virginia (UVA). Cross also leads The Network Roundtable, a consortium of companies and experts focused on social networking, housed at UVA. The partnership gives Ketchum and its clients a highly precise methodology for mapping networks of influencers.
The approach, proprietary to Cross and UVA, will now be used by a host of business units at Ketchum that already specialize in targeting and leveraging connections within networks. In particular, this sophisticated network mapping approach will enhance the work of Ketchum’s Stromberg Consulting unit, which focuses on change management and employee engagement; Zócalo Group, a Ketchum unit that helps brands drive sustainable word-of-mouth; and Ketchum Global Research Network, which provides research and measurement services to many of Ketchum’s multinational clients.
This first-ever partnership between Cross and a PR firm gives Ketchum’s clients a scientifically valid tool to map networks of influencers within their organizations and identify the roles and relative influence of opinion makers within and across such networks. These “influencers” within consumer, business-to-business or employee communities are increasingly pivotal in how brand reputation is shaped and how companies manage change.
“As the public relations industry evolves, social network engagement will enhance our work in change management, brand marketing and corporate reputation building,” said Rob Flaherty, senior partner, Ketchum. “Combining Ketchum’s resources with Rob Cross’s expertise gives clients deep insight into the networks of influence that matter to them.”
About Ketchum
A communications innovator, Ketchum ranks among the largest global public relations agencies, operating in more than 50 countries. With five global practices – Brand Marketing, Corporate, Healthcare, Food and Nutrition, and Technology – and specialty areas that include Concentric Communications (experiential marketing, events and meetings), Ketchum Entertainment Marketing, Ketchum Global Research, Ketchum Sports Network, Stromberg Consulting (change management and workplace communications) and The Washington Group (lobbying and government relations), Ketchum leverages its marketing and corporate communications expertise to build brands and reputations for clients. For more information on Ketchum, a unit of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE:OMC), visit www.ketchum.com.
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Submitted by admin on Mon, 2007-12-10 15:06.
Global Media Network | Jerry Swerling | Media Myths & Realities | media myths survey | Nicholas Scibetta | Public of One | word of mouth
Consumers Rely Most on Personal Experiences and Experts When Making Decisions
Contact:
Robyn Massey
+1-646-935-3911
New York, December 10, 2007 - The way communicators dispense information is out of sync with the way consumers use media, according to Media, Myths & Realities, a comprehensive survey of media usage among consumers and communications professionals conducted by global public relations firm Ketchum and the University of Southern California Annenberg Strategic Public Relations Center. Advice from family and friends is the No. 1 source that consumers turn to when making a variety of decisions – ranging from purchasing consumer electronics to planning a vacation – and advice from an expert rates highest when making medical decisions and purchases based on a product’s environmental impact. Despite the strong evidence that friends, family and experts play a key role in influencing decisions, only 24 percent of communicators report having a word-of-mouth program in place.
Another indication of this communication gap is the differing reliance on company Web sites. Communicators rank their companies’ own Web sites as the most effective way to share corporate news or issue a response to a crisis, but consumers rank company Web sites sixth and seventh among places they turn to for corporate news and crisis response, respectively.
In its second year, the Media Myths & Realities survey examines the use of more than 40 media channels, ranging from newspapers to social networking sites. This year’s survey was expanded to include the fast-growing BRIC countries – Brazil, Russia, India and China. The theme “public of one” emerged from this year’s findings to represent the way communicators should view today’s consumer audience. With digital media giving rise to increasing media choice, fragmentation and personal empowerment, the term “mass market” is being outmoded. As a result, it is imperative that communicators view their audience as distinct groupings of individuals.
“This year’s findings magnify the point of last year’s benchmark survey, which showed that communications professionals need to vigorously reassess their communication priorities to meet consumers’ needs in this multimedia channel world,” said Nicholas Scibetta, Ketchum Senior Vice President and Global Director, Global Media Network.
“The survey results also show that today, more than ever, each consumer can search out the specific information he or she is seeking while tuning out the media sources that aren’t personally relevant or meaningful,” Scibetta added. “Communicators must focus on speaking to individuals, not just broadcasting to the masses, when getting their messages across to this new ‘public of one.’”
Other Key Findings
- Consumers in emerging markets may be setting the pace for media use. “This year’s survey deflated a major myth that the 2006 survey didn’t explore: the notion that emerging markets are less media-savvy than the U.S.,” said Jerry Swerling, Founder and Director of the USC Annenberg Strategic Public Relations Center. “Consumers in the BRIC countries are tech-savvy, they are accessing more mobile media and they deem media outlets to be more credible than do their U.S. counterparts. As more corporations operate globally, communicators must be aware of these differences.” Furthermore, overall media consumption in the BRIC countries is heavier than in the U.S., and BRIC consumers generally rate media sources higher in credibility than do U.S. consumers. For instance, in the U.S., 65 percent of consumers report using major television network news, compared to 85 percent in Brazil, 79 percent in Russia, 72 percent in India and 60 percent in China. Meanwhile, only Russian consumers rank major network news lower in credibility than U.S. consumers. On a scale of 0 to 10, major network news ranks 7.6 in Brazil, 7.6 in India and 7.4 in China. It ranks 6.7 and 6.2 in the U.S. and Russia, respectively.
- U.S. consumers are more skeptical of nearly all media outlets. Another key finding underscores the fact that while U.S. consumers are using more media sources than ever before, they are less likely than they were a year ago to take the information they receive at face value. Consumers rated all media sources, with the exception of cable network news, as being less credible than in the 2006 survey. While local television news was seen as most credible, it dropped from 7.4 last year to 6.9 on a scale of 0 to 10. Celebrity endorsements ranked last, at 3.7, down from 4.7 last year. Cable network news ranked 6.8, compared to 6.4 in 2006.
- Media preferences are more personalized than ever. The study reveals that 22 percent of U.S. consumers use social networking sites, up from 17 percent in 2006, and 19 percent of consumers use blogs, up from 13 percent. Among consumers over the age of 55, use of blogs and social networking sites more than doubled. At the same time, use of most other media outlets slipped from a year earlier. Search engines continue to be a gateway to consumer choice in information, with 60 percent of U.S. consumers using them to find and select the news and other information they want to receive. The trend toward more personalized media is even stronger among “influencers” – the 10 to 15 percent of the population who initiate changes in their community or society through a variety of activities – with 35 percent using both social networking sites and blogs and 72 percent using search engines.
Takeaways for Communicators
- Treat audiences as groupings of individuals rather than faceless masses. Rather than rely on the reputation of a media outlet to carry your message, relate to the public by creating content that is relevant, authentic, and engaging, and motivates consumers to share information with like-minded people. The opportunity for communications professionals is to help provide context, rather than sheer content, and give consumers more of what they are seeking. Quantity of media impressions should not be the sole focus of a campaign – media should be used as a vehicle for reaching stakeholders in a way that is meaningful or useful.
- Put word-of-mouth and search-engine-optimization strategies in place or miss out on tremendous potential for audience reach and sales. In addition to advice from family and friends being the No. 1 source that U.S. consumers turn to when making select decisions, search engines (such as Google, Yahoo, Cadê, Yandex, Baidu, etc.) rank No. 1 or 2 among all media channels in overall usage for BRIC countries and No. 3 in the U.S. among influencers.
- Be wary of the communication flavor of the month. Be sure to stay on top of the latest research and avoid becoming reliant on any single communication technique regardless of how new or exciting it may seem. For example, usage of podcasts is registering in the single digit range with the exception of the 18-24 age group, which grew from 8 percent to 13 percent.
- A company’s own Web site should not be the primary choice when communicating to stakeholders. While a company Web site provides communicators with a high degree of control over their message, consumers often turn elsewhere for information.
About the survey
The survey compares the media usage habits of 1,229 adult Americans (including 200 influential citizens, or “influencers” – the 10 to 15 percent of the population who initiate changes in their community or society through a variety of activities) and 500 communications industry professionals. The sample of 1,229 U.S. consumers was oversized to ensure inclusion of 300 Hispanics and 200 influencers.
In Brazil, Russia, India and China, 300 consumers and 200 influencers were surveyed in each country. The definition of an influencer was consistent for the U.S. and the BRIC countries, allowing for cultural and political differences within each country. The survey did not include communications professionals in the BRIC countries.
The survey was conducted through online distribution between Sept. 30 and Oct. 5, 2007.
About the University of Southern California Annenberg Strategic Public Relations Center
The USC Annenberg Strategic Public Relations Center (SPRC) plays a major role in the continuing evolution, professionalization and expansion of the public relations discipline. A unit of the USC Annenberg School for Communication’s Public Relations Studies Program, the Center’s mission is to advance the study, practice and value of public relations by conducting applied research in partnership with leading industry groups.
About Ketchum
A communications innovator, Ketchum ranks among the largest global public relations agencies, operating in more than 50 countries. With five global practices – Brand Marketing, Corporate, Healthcare, Food and Nutrition, and Technology – and specialty areas that include Concentric Communications (experiential marketing, events and meetings), Ketchum Entertainment Marketing, Ketchum Global Research, Ketchum Sports Network, Stromberg Consulting (change management and workplace communications) and The Washington Group (lobbying and government relations), Ketchum leverages its marketing and corporate communications expertise to build brands and reputations for clients. For more information on Ketchum, a unit of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE:OMC), visit www.ketchum.com.
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Submitted by admin on Thu, 2007-05-24 23:16.
word of mouth | Zócalo Group
Chicago, April 9, 2007 -- Zócalo Group, a new word-of-mouth marketing agency, launched today to help clients develop measurable, systematic and disciplined initiatives to create sustainable word of mouth and customer evangelism. Led by Paul Rand, formerly Ketchum's Global Chief Development and Innovation officer, Zócalo Group marks the addition of Omnicom Group's first agency dedicated solely to word of mouth. Based out of Chicago, Zócalo Group is serving clients nationwide.
Thomas Harrison, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Omnicom Group's Diversified Agency Services noted that word of mouth has become a distinct and measurable part of the marketing mix. "Word of mouth and customer evangelism is increasingly becoming top of mind for many of our clients, yet the space is still being defined," Harrison said. "Listening to chief marketing officers today, their primary interest is to first create demand for a product or service and secondly to sustain it. The Zócalo Group approach provides the kind of sophisticated, rigorous and disciplined methodology that is needed to become a credible part of the marketing mix."
A member of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association’s (WOMMA) executive board, Rand has been actively involved in defining word of mouth marketing as a strategic communications medium. Prior to Ketchum, Rand founded Corporate Technology Communications, a public relations agency that Ketchum acquired in 2001.
Joining Rand at Zócalo Group as a Partner will be Patrick Rooney, formerly of Ketchum and most recently president of Expand Communications, along with a number of other word-of-mouth marketing specialists.
"Whereas traditional word of mouth has been focused on buzz, we've created proprietary methodologies that help companies, brands and organizations identify and build sustainable connections and drive word of mouth beyond their 15 minutes of fame," said Rand, Zócalo Group President and Chief Executive Officer. Zócalo Group employs a measurable, database-driven approach in identifying the factors in creating and maintaining (positive) word of mouth for products and companies. Through ongoing engagement with key customers, clients can create the type of evangelism that provides an ongoing competitive advantage.
Zócalo Group, an Omnicom and Ketchum company, is the second new agency launched by Ketchum in a year's time in response to the evolving demand from clients for diversified services. In 2006, it introduced Emanate, a separate communications agency that combines the power of research, psychology and integrated marketing to generate results for its clients.
"Today's dynamic communication landscape challenges our clients, and thus Ketchum, to continuously develop and bring to the marketplace innovative and effective methods for delivering authentic and compelling content," said Raymond L. Kotcher, Senior Partner and Chief Executive Officer of Ketchum. "Zócalo Group offers yet another targeted approach to help our clients reach and motivate their audiences."
Zócalo Group will be located at its new offices at 670 North Clark Street in Chicago. For more information, visit www.zocalogroup.com.
About Omnicom Group
Ketchum and Zócalo Group are both a part of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) ( www.omnicomgroup.com). Omnicom is a leading global advertising, marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive, direct and promotional marketing, public relations, and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries.
Contact:
Caroline Mikula
Ketchum
312-228-6884
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