Sadly I missed being on Ian’s NMK panel for ‘Clients in the Wild’ as I just had over 200 staples taken out after an op. But it seems the discussion and subsequent blog by Will McInnes has created a stir – causing several blogging PRs some deeper introspection. Antony Mayfield summarises the issues up rather eloquently.

Like Antony , I too am an optimist. I also lived through the similar, if not so public, growing pains of the digital ad agency industry. Back in the 90s these start-ups and specialists departments were dismissed by the powerful TV ad world. And we all know how that has changed now. We now have a very different marketing landscape with digital taking the lead and the more handsome budgets.

Looking at Antony’s four points, here are my thoughts

1. Old models are being disrupted everywhere.

Yes, PR and marketing is mashing together in the digital world. And the change is difficult. Partnering with digital agencies from design through to search is one solution (and one we take). Not so they can lead the strategy as Will suggests happens at WagEd, but so that we can move fast and in collaboration with the marketing skills clients can benefit from.

It is often the case that new innovation is led by two or three champions that trial the new techniques. And Antony examples how many agencies are bringing in or growing their own digital marketing talent. Sadly, in many cases the online talent is disassociated from the ‘normal’ running of the agency – wheeled out for a pitch or strategy meeting. These agencies continue to offer traditional PR and the teams never get to discover what online is really about - beyond the online version of their offline target media. It maybe that when the fee income starts to affect these agencies, the silo walls will come down and in a short space of time, the rest of the agency will catch up. As I said I am an optimist.

And whilst Antony mentions the two big PR players that are embracing online, we are also seeing hot shops and boutiques come into play. Remember the likes of Poke , AKQA and Glue London all started as online hot shops and are now considered major players in digital marketing.

2. PR agency models may be less able to assimilate than be assimilated:

Changing the agency model is difficult. We are moving to fluid account teams to challenge the ‘generalist PR model’: creating core centres of excellence and allowing teams to work in specialisms across clients. The biggest issue is that clients are only now letting go of the traditional model. They understand the way it used to work: that their account manager, director etc knows everything, advises on everything, is their one port of call. It is not an easy change to implement, but once done, the benefits are clear.

3. Spin has no place in networks.

Couldn’t agree more on this point. But I would add that the talent of PR communication is in telling a story. We understand the triggers that spark interest and encourage bloggers and press to positively write and talk about a client. Communicating within social media is a natural step for PRs. We tell the brand story in a way that engages the influencers and advocates. It’s in our bones!

4. You need to understand some hard maths. No excuses.

I would add that some industry collaboration is needed to tackle some of these thorny problems. I was talking to Simon Collister today and we both agreed that PR was one of the few industries that really didn’t like joining forces to resolve wider industry issues. We have a great opportunity to set benchmarks for cornerstone issues such as measurement and influence – much faster than the other marketing disciplines, as this is our territory.

My one question is where is the CIPR and PRCA in all of this? Instead we have new organisations like WOM UK beginning to move in on these issues along with their wider council of cross marketing disciplines. Shame.

Just gave this presentation at the Online Marketing Show. Not sure it makes a lot of sense without the banter over the top, but I thought I would share.

The slides really fall into four categories:

1. How brands are performing in social media
2. The changing landscape online
3. How you can trigger conversations by tapping into passions and interests and creating social currency
4. How Sony BRAVIA used this model to inspire postive discussion, raise search engine visibility and drive website visits

Our latest research looking at brand conversation in social media shows that techie companies, Google, Apple, Yahoo! and Microsoft, take the lead in terms of brand mentions in blogs, social networks and photo and video sharing sites.The study, launched at the Online Marketing Show examines the Interbrand Top 100 global brands and their voice in social media.

Here are the results for the top 25 most discussed brands.

 Technology leads the way, with Disney and Ford just squeezing in  the top 10. But split across the top 100 reveals that the industry sectors are quite evenly spread, with all of Intebrand’s top 100 brands getting a mention in social media.

Of course, this is just a snapshot and, before my friends at Onalytica and Market Sentinel rightly jump in, this research doesn’t take into account influence. Which we agree is essential. But the study does show that brands are being talked about and that is what we set out to confirm.

The full study will be available on the immediate future website on tomorrow or you can pop along to the OMS show at the Business Design Centre in London to get a free copy.

Technorati Tags: Google, Apple, Yahoo!, Microsoft, Interbrand Top 100 global brands, social media, Disney, Ford, Onalytica, Market Sentinel

Positive and negative comments in groups on social network sites, such as Facebook, Flickr and MySpace reveal Disney, Nintendo and Google are the most popular brands. This comes from our latest research, Brands in Social Media.

Social networking groups are proving very popular in the UK. They are a very public demonstration of the connections between people and brands. Popular groups can quickly swell in numbers and influence large numbers of consumers online. 

Understanding the sentiment of brand conversations is crucial. Frequency and popularity in the conversation is meaningless without a clear picture of whether the discussion is positive or negative.

We assessed groups set-up on three of the most popular social network sites: Flickr, Facebook and MySpace. We compared groups against the Interbrand Top 100 Global Brands. Groups that mention the top 100 brands were examined and brand sentiment (positive, negative or neutral in tone) recorded. 

Automotive brands had the most loyal fan-based groups, Microsoft the most negative groups and Google hardly any negative comments at all! In fact, most Google groups were either advocating the search engine or explaining ways of using the technology.

The full report will be on our website on Thursday - for those that want the detail.

Technorati Tags: Facebook, Flickr, MySpace, Disney, Nintendo, Google, Brands in Social Media, Social networking, Microsoft

We are launching research exclusively at the Online Marketing show this week. The study looks at the Interbrand top 100 global brands, to reveal which brands have the largest share of voice and the most positive conversations.

The report measures brand mentions across blogs, social networks, video and photo sharing sites, social bookmarking and news sites, to provide a snapshot of brand share of voice. It also details sentiment (positive and negative conversation) in social network groups. A section of social media that is increasingly being adopted by consumers in order to discuss brands.

Come and visit us on stand V6 at the business design centre (26^th and 27^th June) and you can get your free report, along with a whole range of guides and tips (a social media toolbox).

I am speaking at the workshop too, at 1pm on the 27^th - worth a visit if you prefer an explanation along with case studies on how to engage with social media.

Drop me an email if you want to meet up during the show.

Now off to frantically look for a four-gang adapter so I can power up my laptop at the show.

Trevor Cook and Lee Hopkins at the Corporate Engagement blog have just published their free (second edition) Social Media white paper. Updates on Second Life, Twitter and wikis and some new case study examples of Australian brands experimenting with social media.Great snapshot of the current social media space - a definite read.

We’re exhibiting at the Online Marketing Show this week.

The event will be good. We went last year and found ourselves constantly in the throng of online marketers – discussing Online PR till we were hoarse. Last year, visitors wanted to know what online PR was and how it integrated with online marketing and traditional PR activity.

This year, it is already clear that they want to know how they can get involved with social media. I am quite ebullient at the prospect of talking to companies that are ready to take the plunge into the online conversation

We are managing the press office for the show, and also have our own stand (V6). We will be running an online PR clinic for anyone with social media questions they need answering so do come and say hello.

We are giving away a social media toolbox full of case studies, tips and our social media research (launching at the event). Do visit and pick up one up.

Technorati Tags: Online Marketing Show, social media, online PR

 I am speaking this week at the IAB’s seminar, demystifying online PR. It is interesting that in their blurb on the seminar they say…

Demystifying Online PR - Online PR has changed the roles of creative and PR agencies in a client’s communication strategies. This seminar is aimed at both - showing how you can combine an understanding of online as a powerful marketing channel as well as an appreciation of traditional public relations best practice.  With experts from the industry this event will provide a thorough introduction to the subject, share key case studies and illustrate how you can use online communities to spread your marketing message, monitor online commentary on a brand and distribute press materials online for the best results. 

The idea that online PR is another marketing channel is a common mistake. And completely forgivable. We all want to fit online PR in a box: to understand how it integrates with our other marketing and PR efforts. So it is easy to see why it has been billed this way.

But online PR and social media relations is unique. Why? Because it is the only medium in which your brand can be ‘marketed’ without you!

OK, maybe not marketed. But it is the only space where your advocates will shout and your detractors will shout louder! To approach the discipline with the intention of spreading a marketing message is to misunderstand the huge shift in brand ownership online.

It requires marketers to change their mindset completely. I often get asked to justify budgets against recognised online marketing ROI. Online agencies and brands want to push all online activity together and create metrics that work across the board. They want to compare online PR campaigns with ad campaigns, affiliate marketing, SEM.

But it doesn’t work that way. There are no comparisons for reputation in the blogosphere. No way to benchmark the feedback and loyalty you engender by being active in communities.  

Yes, online PR will drive traffic to your site, it will increase your visibility, done right it can also generate advocacy and positive sentiment. But it is a much more complex discourse. It requires greater integration with a company’s ethos, transparency, adaptability, and basically a change in marketing mindset, from pushing messages to starting dialogue.  

Technorati Tags: Online PR, social media, online marketing, blogosphere

A rather clever idea by our friends over at Picture Production Company has just launched: a wiki for Fox’s Fantastic Four film release.

The idea is simple, viewers can change, edit and submit to the website in Wikipedia style. The base level content is everything you expect to find on a film site - background, trailers and more about the Marvel comics.

Without the need for registration, no one is accredited for adding to the site. And I wonder if this makes a difference. Do fans want to have their names associated with the film content? My gut feel is that they would love their names in lights – an ego thing!

It is also rather difficult to see what has been recently added. So looking through, it is impossible to asses whether fans have made a contribution yet. It seems the site has only just gone live so may take some time to develop. May really take off when the film launches in each country and the trailers and PR machines start up proper.

A quick check on Google shows that it already has 19 links from niche sites and bloggers. Technorati uncovers 30 sites linking to the URL and a good positive sentiment. One would hope that this increases as the film rolls out.

I have to say, I love the idea. It is participation, and relinquishing control of a brand, at its best. Created in multiple languages it allows for regional variations too. There is also a sister site that lets you download and grab games for your blog and website. A very cute way of ensuring the spread of information and branding across the web.

The bit that appears to be missing, and in all fairness might be in the pipeline, is alerting the blogosphere. A bit of relationship building with influencers would help spread the word. The conversation activity so far seems to be a bit organic and random. A general thumbs up from me though: great to see companies experimenting with wikis.

Technorati Tags: wiki, Wikipedia, participation, blogosphere

Well I am posting again on infographics sooner than I first expected! Two separate initiatives have recently gone live on the BBC – showcasing great use of visual online tools.

The first is a visual timeline allowing the viewer to ‘explore all of British history, from the Neolithic to the present day’. You can zoom in and out of different periods in history, following pre-set themes or jump around to learn about specific points in time.

The second again is based upon a timeline, showing the seven ages of rock music. Designed to support a TV series, the site also incorporates some great functionality – from video content that can be grabbed and posted on blogs and social network personal profile pages, to ‘tag clouds’, showing what music acts people are most interested in.

So the US isn’t as far ahead as I first thought! There is plenty of functionality that brands can use here to support their marketing activity online. If the BBC simplify something as complicated as Britain’s extensive history from Neolithic times, there is plenty of scope to describe products and services in an interactive, engaging way.

Also, the more something can be grabbed and shared with family and friends the more success you’ll have in this spread across the web and reaching the right people. The BBC definitely has cottoned onto this – will be interesting to see where this ends up.

Technorati Tags: infographics