Nicki Hensley doubts they exist anymore. Call them PR relics.
"If you can find me a [PR] person who can come in the morning, kick his feet up with a hot cup of coffee and then leisurely go through the Times, the Journal and The Washington
Post, I want that job," says Hensley, VP for the media crisis and litigation practice at Hill & Knowlton. "The days of going through all the newspapers are gone," she adds.
"It's a lot more helpful to get the information online and cut and paste to send to clients and colleagues. Cutting and pasting has really changed the way we do things."
Before she even gets into the office in the morning Hensley has soaked up the online versions of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post as well as
the Reuters and Associated Press Web sites. It's a pretty big change for Hensley, who used to regularly read the print versions of the Times, the Journal et al. But she no longer
has that luxury. "I need to get things in real time and also streamline the process through key words because I have to look for specific items for my clients," she says.
For Hensley and other PR executives at Hill & Knowlton, one of the most influential PR firms in the nation's capital, online has become the information outlet of choice.
She takes pains to point out that newspapers enable her to think more strategically than the Web. But with the media moving like warp speed these days Hensley won't go to the
expense of subscribing to a slew of newspapers that are "dead fish" by the time she can get to read them. For Hensley, reading Sunday newspapers -- and their emphasis on review
and outlook -- is an exception to the rule.
Now, a new survey helps to substantiate Hensley's increasing reliance on the Internet, particularly when it comes to communicating to political players. The survey, conducted
by Mindshare Internet Campaigns, an online public affairs firm, found that inside-the-Beltway decision-makers tend to rely on and respond to online information and outreach.
The survey, which was conducted March 31 through April 8, was promoted via online ads and e-mail alerts on NationalJournal.com, The Hotline, CongressDaily and TechnologyDaily
publications. A total of 293 individuals participated in the survey; among those, 32% were from congressional, federal agency and executive branch staffs. About 21% were from law,
lobbying, PR and political consulting circles while 20% were from corporations, associations and interest groups and approximately 9% were from media organizations.
According to the study, opinion leaders do click and respond to online advertising if content and messages are relevant and compelling. The survey found that 80% of
respondents indicated they want to access advertised links to policy information provided by industry groups. Ads promoting the survey on NationalJournal.com produced an overall
click-through rate of 1.39%, nearly twice the industry average and a 54% conversion rate to completed action, which is five times the industry average.
"There is no doubt that congressional staffers and even members of Congress rely on the Internet to get information," says Dan Solomon, CEO of Washington, D.C.-based Mindshare
Internet Campaigns. "The Internet, along with other forms of contact, works well."
Solomon stressed, however, that as opposed to targeting messages via the company Web site, e-mails still have a tough time getting through to Congress because of the daily
deluge there as well as increasing amounts of spam, or unsolicited e-mail, sent to the Hill.
But having a robust Web site with multiple links can have an impact with decision-makers. The most important source for congressional staff during the 24 hours before a
scheduled vote, for example, is the Internet, according to the study.
Half of respondents, or 49%, indicated they prefer "online resources" instead of in-person visits and snail mail for access to policy analysis, research and information from
interest groups and lobbyists. Combined with 35% of Hill staffers preferring e-mail, the study shows that 84% of congressional staff wants online resources or e-mail for policy
analysis during that time. "Activities change very quickly before a vote," Solomon says. "If you have already established a relationship, pointing members to the Web site at the
last minute can help."
The Web provides credibility and allows decision-makers to digest information. Notes Solomon: "It's not a silver bullet but too often it's ignored and decision-makers are much
more sophisticated than that."
Focusing on members of the media, the survey also found that a majority of media surveyed (54%) indicated that, when researching news stories, Web sites are their "most trusted
source" (excluding direct personal contacts). Only 17% said they rely on news alerts, 13% on press releases and 4% on e-mail newsletters.
Contacts: Nicki Hensley, 202-944-1996; [email protected]; Dan Solomon, 202.654.0810; [email protected]