â–¶ Social Media Habits: Euro RSCG’s study of more than 1,200 social media users offers insights on how communications pros are using a myriad of options available in social and online media today. According to the study, the world is expanding and narrowing at the same time because of social media’s “hyperlocalization” quotient. And “cyberdisinhibition”—being willing to behave in ways they wouldn’t do in person—has both emboldened users and led them to inappropriate behavior. Significant findings include:
• While 60% saydigital engagement is more convenient, 49% yearn for more face-to-face interaction.
• 40% of respondents agree that social groupings online can be truly social, while just 14% disagree, and the figures differ vary little across age, gender, ethnic or income groups.
• Social media users say they are not only more involved with family and friends, but they have also increased their involvement in political and humanitarian issues.
• 26% of respondents say they feel less inhibited interacting online than face-to-face.
• 20 percent said they lashed out at companies or products thanks to the anonymity of online interaction
• 28% of respondents say social media online enhances their social life offline; 23% say social media online makes them more social offline; and 14% say social media online makes them less social offline; and,
• The biggest source of influence for consumer purchases is offline friends/colleagues, followed closely by online friends/colleagues.
Source: Euro RSCG
â–¶ Closing the Gap in a Brand Crisis: In a Harvard Business Review article “Let the Response Fit the Scandal,” authors Alice Tybout and Michelle Roehm write about the gap between managers’ and customers’ perceptions of a crisis involving a brand, and list four ways to close that gap:
1. Assess the incident. Adopt the customers’ point of view rather than management’s perspective.
2. Acknowledge the problem. Avoid premature statements related to the cause, focus on the process of investigation, and prevent further harm
3. Formulate a response. Evaluate the benefits and costs of the response in terms of customer relationships over the long run.
4. Implement the response. Align scandal communications with customers’ perceptions of the brand’s function.
Source: HarvardBusiness.org
â–¶ Role of Marketing Mix in 2010: Vocus surveyed more 1,800 marketing and PR executives on the topic of PR planning for 2010. A key takeaway: Though social media has ben a primary catalyst for change in the PR industry, respondents see PR’s role in the overall marketing mix becoming increasingly more important. Other key findings include:
• 64% of respondents either agree or strongly agree that PR planning will be more difficult in 2010.
• 42% indicate PR budgets will remain flat in 2010, though one-third say they anticipated their budget increasing slightly (24%) or significantly (5%).
• 63% plan to refine processes in 2010 while 51% will invest in new technology in order to do more with less.
• 80% of respondents say they will focus on 2010; multimedia is close behind with 63%, while measuring results, SEO and viral campaigns trail with 58%, 57% and 56% respectively.
Source: Vocus
â–¶ Getting Connected: Researchers Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler give new meaning to the word “viral” in their book Connected: The Surprising Power of our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives. Through meticulous research the pair have come up with provocative findings such as:
• Happiness is contagious;
• Your future spouse is likely to be your friend’s friend; and,
• Your friends’ friends’ friends can make you fat, or thin.
Connected contends that the world is governed by the Three Degrees of Influence Rule: We influence and are influenced by people up to three degrees removed from us. For social media and PR practitioners, the authors’ summation that “…like schools of fish changing direction in unison, we are unconsciously led by the people around us” should be a shot of pure adrenalin. PRN
Source: Connected: The Surprising Power of our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives