Don't Forget to Track Those Rogue Web Sites
It's clear that PR pros don't wear blinders when it comes to the Web's power to distribute information, but some may be missing other Net opportunities.
Only 17 percent of senior-level communicators use the Net to monitor rogue Web sites, according to "Corporate Communications Policy Concerning the Internet," a study funded by MCI [MCI] for The Institute for Public Relations, Gainesville, Fla.
The findings were based on a survey sent to 236 U.S. PR and corporate communicators. Other findings include:
- 44 percent use the Internet to monitor competition;
- 17 percent use the Internet to contact investors; and
- Only 15 percent find the Web useful in crisis communications. (The Institute for PR, 352/392-0280)
...And Another Reason to Track What's Being Said Online
A study by Wirthlin Worldwide, McLean, Va., supports the argument that PR pros should use chat rooms, listservs and newsgroups to measure company reputations.
Of the 43 million Web users (one in five households), 19 percent are communicating through e-mail or chat rooms. You should regularly use search engines to learn about dominant chat rooms in your industry and log on to them. (Wirthlin Worldwide, 801/226-1524)
Most Companies Have Web Marketing Component
If you're an online pro who's asleep at the cyber wheel, it may cause problems down the line. The Direct Marketing Association reports that 83 percent of direct-marketing execs are using the Web for sales and marketing. Another 13 percent plan to by the end of 1998.
For communications experts, that means you better be clued in about online product and corporate information. Hold meetings with direct marketers to find out what they're transferring to HTML and make sure they keep you updated so you can triage potential customer relations problems. (DMA, 212/790-1525)
IABC to Survey Employee Communications
The IABC Research Foundation has awarded the first research project for a review on the subject of Supervisor/Employee Communication. The foundation is providing $10,000 in funding for Dr. Linda Williams and Dr. Qingwen Dong of the Communications Department at the University of the Pacific. (IABC, 415/433-3400)