Fear of new tricks may be keeping old dogs in the PR industry from integrating Web chats into their strategic communications plans. But the truth is, hosted text chats aren't
excruciatingly scientific, and at roughly $3,000 to $4,000 a pop (if you work with an outside vendor) they're not all that costly.
"We're starting to see more CEOs in corporate America doing live Web chats as a means of personalizing their messages and connecting with customers," says Mike Spataro, EVP
with Weber Shandwick Interactive in Boston. "It's not hard -- a guy can be on a cell phone on an airplane and [dictating] his responses for a chat. It really couldn't be any
more low-tech."
Web chats have long been a staple in entertainment PR (the mere utterance of the name "Britney" can draw thousands of pre-pubescent oglers to a Web site faster than fireflies
to a bright light). Corporate denizens are warming up to the tactic, too, as a booster for product launches, earnings reports, public policy discussions, customer service
efficiency and sheer branding.
Savvier businesses tend to leverage not only their execs, but also outside experts as chat hosts - a practice that's standard protocol in traditional satellite media tours - to
discuss issues that tie back to the company and its products. Kodak, for example, invites professional photographers to host chats on its site, encouraging them to discuss tricks
of the trade, equipment preferences and their own career interests. If this concept sounds old school, that's because it is. (PR has always been predicated on third-party
endorsements.)
Web chats can be especially effective when they're used to build buzz around other online programs. Last month, Aventis Pharmaceuticals partnered with the American Association
of Diabetes Educators (AADE) to host a 24-hour online "chat-a-thon" during the launch of its new disease management site, http://www.DiabetesWATCH.com. Roughly 500 participants logged on to talk with certified diabetes educators about glucose control, physician
choices and other health matters specific to diabetics. The average user's session: 68 minutes.
"Aventis launched the site and sponsored the event because of its commitment to diabetes and portfolio of products," says Melissa Leier, associate manager, U.S. product
communications for the international drug company. "We made the chat 24 hours [long] because diabetes is something that's with you 24/7. It isn't something you can put on
vacation." Participation in the chat never stopped during the marathon, proving Leier's point.
Of course chats can also be useful as a media relations tool. A password-protected gab session, accessed through an online pressroom, will cost less than a live press
conference and can reach journalists anywhere in the nation or world. But, Spataro cautions, communicators who only consider chats valuable in a media context are missing the
point. "A lot of PR people think that if it's not solely a press opportunity, why put it in the communications budget or plan?" Chats offer a great way to talk directly with
other stakeholders, he says.
"How much can it hurt to make your CFO available online for an hour on the day you release earnings to talk to shareholders? Or to have your [R&D] manager talk to
customers for an hour on the day of a product launch?" he says. "Have them come down from their ivory towers."
Editor's note: Spataro will conduct a "High-Tech 101" interactive lab at the PR NEWS Strategic Online Communications Seminar, June 15 in Boston. For more information, visit
http://www.PRandMarketing.com.
Talk is Cheap. . .Here's How
Want to host a successful chat? Here are tips from the experts:
Go where the action is. Online communities tend to be fragmented and elusive so it may be better to post your chat in a place where your target audience already congregates
instead of trying to draw visitors to your own site, Spataro suggests. Reach more women through iVillage.com or use an industry trade association Web site to draw traffic.
Personalize the service. If your chat is a password-protected event,issue invitations and pre-register participants. Follow-up prior to the chat, recommends Oveda Hancock, a
Washington, DC business consultant who works with Fortune 500s and smaller e-businesses. Invite participants to submit chat questions ahead of time and follow-up after the chat
with a transcript that converts chat shorthand into plain English.
Prepare stock questions. Make sure your moderator has ten generic questions ready to type in at a moment's notice, says Peter Shankman, CEO of the Geek Factory in New York, a
former AOL newsroom editor. "If you hit a lull and no one writes anything, your guest expert will look like an idiot."
Consider content syndication. Get more mileage out of your tran-scripts by licensing or giving the content to other Web sites after the fact, suggests Andrew Rider, VP at
Fleishman-Hillard Interactive in DC. Float highlights from the dialog to important stakeholders through other channels, such as e-newsletters.
Make sure your topic is chat-worthy. If you're not sure, pre-test the subject matter with a few questions to a select audience before your event. "The Web is the world's
largest customer focus group," Spataro observes.
Gathering Places
Chats-R-Us
Vendors offering technological assistance in Web chat logistics...
http://www.chats-r-us.com
LiveWorld
(previously Talk City Marketing Group)
http://www.tcmg.com
Yahoo! Chat
America OnLine (AOL)
Placeware
Peak Presentations
http://www.peakpresentations.com
IMeet
(Contacts: Mike Spataro, Weber Shandwick, 617/536-0470; Oveda Hancock, The AdevoGroup, 202/544-3046; PeterShankman, The Geek Factory, 212/840-9858; Andrew Rider, Fleishman-
Hillard Interactive, 202/828-5071