4. The World is Flat
In today’s global marketplace ...
We need to master the evolving
communications techniques of the global
digital environment ... in order to bring
value to our work.
5. Communications has Changed
• Top-down communication is failing.
• Talking “at” has been replaced by
conversations “with.”
• Organizations must release control, stop selling
& promoting ... begin listening and
participating in conversations.
• We have enhanced ability today to manage
brand image with more credibility.
6. Communications has Changed
Traditional tactics of public relations,
advertising and marketing ... which promote,
sell & push messages ... are less effective in the
digital era.
7. Facts About Online
If you talk “about” your organization ... no one
cares ... and no one will listen.
Today’s audiences only care about themselves
and value to themselves.
8. Facts About Online
• Only 14% of people online trust advertisements.
• 25% of search results for top 20 brands are user
generated material.
• 78% of consumers online trust peer opinions
over ads.
• There are approximately 200 million blogs.
Source: Erik Qualman, author, Socialnomics
9. Facts About Online
• Content is essential as consumers look for
information that is most convenient.
• 346,000,000 people globally read blogs.
• 77% of active Internet users read blogs.
• 900,000 blog posts every 24 hours.
• People online actively seek new information.
Source: eMarketer.com
17. Successful Second Internet companies are powered
by similar features, including:
•Platforms open their API to developers, giving
code developers essential building blocks to
enhance a site or application.
•Continuous and rapid pace of innovation (such as
Facebook and Huffington Post).
•The company/brand must listen to the dialogue
and participate with customers.
•Customer contribution is a large percent of the
value/experience.
•Every customer has a personalized experience.
•Social graph connections drive discovery rather
than search.
18. Who is Today’s Media?
• Mainstream papers, magazines, TV, radio, cable
• Blogs, social media, forums
• Online news services
• Online news aggregators
• Maybe someone you never heard of ...
• Lines have become blurred between pure
journalism, entertainment and opinion
19. Who is a Journalist?
• Trained, experience reporter
• Blogger, with or without experience
• Celebrity, notable, attorney
• Someone with absolutely no skills or experience
in journalism
20. What is Brand Journalism?
Using the credibility and influence
of news to tell a corporate story to
achieve competitive
differentiation.
21. What is Brand Journalism?
A completely different style, technical and
approach than PR.
Brand journalism is news, not PR.
PR is promotion & “pushing.”
22. Value of Brand Journalism
“In the Internet age, executives have to learn
how to shape information about themselves and
their companies ... or the Internet will do it for
them, and it won’t be pretty!”
Mark Cuban, billionaire entrepreneur, Chairman of HD Net
23. Brand Journalism
• Accomplished communicators with journalism
experience.
• Knowledge to create and strength original
online content, deepen engagement through
online communities and develop new brand
awareness models.
• Clear purpose-driven objectives and results.
• Commitment to openness, transparency,
accuracy and balance.
24. Why Use the Blog Platform?
• Easily adapted for news sites and other
purposes.
• Easily updated with no technical skills
required.
• Dynamic, interactive and highly search engine
friendly.
• Provides greatest online awareness.
• Represents the latest online software
developments.
30. Bad Habits
• “About” boilerplace. No one cares!
• Blast, unsolicited emails.
• Press releases that are not stories.
• Pushing out self-serving messages.
• Being inaccessible.
• Not listening.
46. Essentials of Brand Journalism
1. Cast off old or bad habits.
2. It is journalism ... not PR or marketing.
3. Sharpen focus to achieve more impact.
4. Seek clarity of journalism, not bureaucracy.
5. Constant updates and news style.
6. News style writing, stories, photos, video.
7. Drive traffic to your news relentlessly.
48. Strategic Directions
• Advocate change - Learn new styles, trends &
protocols.
• Avoid compulsively marketing and
promoting ... start to listen and engage.
• Use plain language.
• Embrace storytelling.
• Become the credible voice and face.
• Reach out to fewer to achieve more.