Dear Readers,
Scarcely a day goes by without the media going on and on about social networks. Discussions about data safety, Facebook parties getting out of hand and running up costs (remember “Tessa“?) or even new services like Google+ are “sexy subjects” guaranteed to elicit a great deal of attention and hence yield high circulation and viewer figures. However, one thing becomes apparent very quickly when faced with the flood of different opinions: there is no single, correct path to safe and low-effort participation in all social networks. To avoid being overwhelmed by the sheer abundance of offers, it is a good idea for all users – private individuals and corporations alike – to identify the platform(s) most important or helpful to them, and to learn how to use them correctly. Companies are therefore well advised to first analyze the target group(s) they want to address, and to identify which of the countless networks their target groups are active in, to prevent their own social media efforts from going nowhere or worse yet, from backfiring on them.
And after going to the trouble of settling for a social network and joining it, there are new dangers and booby traps lurking right around the corner, which may in worst-case scenarios even lead to legal implications! Violations of personality or copyrights or warnings about incorrect website credits are just a few of the scary buzzwords.
The 2nd Munich Marcom Roundtable held in June gave us a glimpse of just how burning urgent these issues are, especially to corporate communications managers. In addition to providing a lot of food for thought, cyberlaw specialist attorney Thomas Feldmann also caused the audience to hold its collective breath on a number of occasions. More opinions and insights gained from the event are recapped in this newsletter.
The Fleishman-Hillard Technology team hopes you will enjoy reading this newsletter!
Cordially yours,
Markus Hermsen
The Wisdom of Many – a Challenge and an Opportunity for Corporate Communication
In June, Fleishman-Hillard Munich invited to the 2. Munich Marcom Round Table. The event series for customers, prospects, communication experts and friends of FH was launched successfully last year. While the last Marcom Round Table dealt with collaboration with publishing houses in the light of social media in general, the second event took a closer look at social media networks and explored the legal implications for companies engaging in social media.
Arne Klempert, Digital Director for Fleishman-Hillard, kicked off the Marcom Round Table with a brief introductory note on most recent examples of crowd intelligence, the most famous of which (Guttenplag) revealed plagiarism in the doctorate thesis of now former economics minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg. He pointed out that what seems like crowd intelligence actually is the work of individuals that start waves of activities. The guest speaker, Thorsten Feldmann, attorney-at-law specialized in copyright and media law, pointed out the legal implications for companies that are active in social media. He explained that companies are skating on thin ice if they share press releases, photos or videos with the community. There are many stumbling blocks, from copyright law all the way to personal rights that need to be considered to avoid legal consequences. This led to an animated discussion among the 30 participants on the discrepancy between local laws and the global digital trends.
The 2. Marcom Round Table received such positive feedback that the third session of the series will presumably be held already at the end of the year.
Texas Instruments: The fascination of speed
Supporting the introduction of complex technologies communicatively is always challenging. Traditional press releases usually fall short in this case. To demonstrate the advantages of a product and its benefits, it is more convincing to show them at work. The joint press event of Texas Instruments and eROCKIT has proven how successful this approach can be.
In June, Texas Instruments introduced its new microcontroller (MCU) “Concerto” as part of the C2000-series. It was developed for environmentally friendly applications, such as renewable energies, intelligent grids, digital power-supply and e-mobility. The usage of a similar component, the C2000 microcontroller “Piccolo”, for example, enables the eBikes of the Berlin-based company eROCKIT to have a V-max of 80km/h (50mi/h) – simply by using muscle strength.
At the event on the company’s premises in the Berlin industrial park Marzahn, journalists got the chance to experience how easily one can attain high speeds at low levels of exertion. Firstly, eROCKIT founder Stefan Gulas explained how the “Human Hybrid”-vehicle works. The integrated electronics intensifies the pedaling by up to 50 times. This is why the eBikes can attain the speed of small motorcycles. During the following test drive, journalists were able to experience at firsthand how Texas Instrument’s C2000 MCUs can support energy-efficient design.
If you have any questions on product demonstrations or similar events, please contact Andrea Hauptfleisch.
Avaya: The live experience of a new product
We all know the old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words. But taking this approach even further and letting people try out a new product hands-on will leave a lasting impression and yield results that even the flashiest press release or the smartest manual can’t begin to accomplish. Such was the reasoning behind Fleishman-Hilliard’s invitation to the launch of Avaya’s new solution for mid-sized enterprises, IP Office 7, at Avaya’s show room in Munich, giving industry journalists the opportunity to obtain a first-hand impression of the product portfolio for mid-sized enterprises and a glimpse of the new solution “in action”. The presentation’s highlights were the state-of-the-art multimedia functions currently coveted by everyone from small companies all the way to major corporations. Tel-Team, Avaya’s Karlsruhe-based distribution partner of twelve years for Southern Germany, provided the knowledgeable information on which of these functions are actually in demand by the industry.
Not surprisingly, this unique combination of new product presentation, live demonstration and Q&A by professional partners was met with great interest by the media, which just goes to show that there are still ways to “bait” the journalists with “classic events”, even in times of shrinking publications and downsizing editorial offices – provided the concept promises information interesting enough to make the trip worthwhile.
Blogger Relations: A New Approach to Public Relations Work
The internet has become the number-one source of information when making purchasing decisions. Some 55% of all German citizens search the internet for prices and product features before deciding to make a purchase [1]. A joint study conducted last year by Fleishman-Hillard and Harris Interactive shows that numerous users are increasingly turning to blogs to find answers to their questions: whereas 13% of all prospective buyers of electrical appliances will follow the recommendations blogged by other consumers, it is a whopping 20% of those planning to purchase things for their own children.[2]
The corporate world has become aware of this route towards winning new customers and has for some years been stepping up contacts with bloggers. That is why numerous companies have been making their products available for testing or are even involving a select group of bloggers in their product development.
However, as most Weblog operators are known for their sensitive reaction to the slightest suspicion of being instrumentalized, it is very important to observe a couple of rules:
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Blog vs. newspaper: A blogger is not a journalist. Bloggers are not under pressure to follow an editorial schedule, or live in fear of losing advertisers, or are accountable to an editor-in-chief. So don’t be surprised if a product test yields negative results.
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Don’t spread yourself too thin! Identify a small number of bloggers whose opinions are relevant within the community and keep following them continuously – which also applies to the comments. This is a time-consuming task given the sheer number of blogs, but pays if taken seriously.
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Catch up on your reading! Bloggers expect corporations to be familiar with their blogs and to know exactly what the operators are writing about, what their preferences are and what is especially important to them. It is therefore a good idea to limit yourself to a small number of blogs.
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Talk to people! The increasing focus of corporations on bloggers has been instrumental in the increase of test products on offer. However, blogger’s capacities will usually be limited since their blogs are mostly either “moonlighting projects“ or entirely private endeavors. It is therefore a matter of respect to first determine beforehand whether or not a blogger is interested in a test and what his or her framework conditions are.
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Transparency and fairness rule! Be sure to communicate your request openly and honestly right from the outset. Let your blogger know right away e.g. whether or not he or she gets to keep your product. Be honest about any defects the product may still have. A great way to win over people is by admitting honestly that a new product is still having “teething trouble“ and by letting the bloggers know that you are hoping to receive honest feedback from independent tests.
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Act like a partner! It is the technical products more than anything else which need support. Bloggers are rarely professionals but treat their topics of interest as a sideline or as a hobby. Offer them an introduction to the product and give them a point of contact who is available at all times. More often than not, negative test reports are simply a cause of misunderstandings.
Fleishman-Hillard regularly cooperates with a variety of bloggers from all walks of life. Successful testing projects include e.g. Fujitsu’s Eco Mouse (Test report) or Xerox’s ColorQube (Test report). Interested in blogger relations or in need of support for identifying and addressing bloggers? Please don’t hesitate to contact Julia Richter.
[1] Cf. http://www.bitkom.org/de/markt_statistik/64038_62717.aspx
[2] Cf. http://digitalinfluence.fleishmanhillard.de/
Making the Next PR Generation Media Savvy: DPRG Juniors Visit Fleishman-Hillard
Handling journalists is an acquired skill, which many a PR professional or even business manager has had to learn the hard way. Because dealing with journalists can at times instigate fear even in the most seasoned and toughest businesspeople. That is why Robert Belle, a director of Fleishman-Hillard, hosted a basic workshop designed to tell some 20 new-generation PR consultants how to support their customers in their dealings with the media and what a press conference is all about. The workshop’s attendees were recruited from DPRG‘S Junioren Bayern, the premier association for communications professionals in Germany.
The introduction to the topic was made by Robert Belle, who has for many years been coaching managing boards, managing directors or sales managers from a wide range of companies in how to become media savvy: What are the two levels of an interview? How do I present my company? What am I trying to convey? What do the journalists want to hear? And how do I manage to get them to print what I want?
Naturally, doing proves more difficult than theory, as was illustrated by a video example. But it became quickly evident from the joint discussions what really matters: 1. Be well-prepared. 2. Pay attention to content level and emotional level alike. 3. Never allow yourself to be provoked. These rules, combined with a bit of professional routine, are the perfect tool for mastering even demanding interview situations.
The workshop was followed by a discussion with the young PR crowd. A participant summarized her personal impression of the evening on the Juniors‘ Facebook Fanpage: ”A super presentation. Very professionally done, very interesting communication of the topic, a worthwhile evening“.
Says Robert Belle: “The DPRG Junioren Bayern’s monthly Communication Corner gives young PR people a fantastic platform for skill development and networking – which we are happy to support with our experience and know-how“.
The events are usually held on the third Thursday of every month at different locations in Munich and comprise both specialist presentations on a wide range of different topics and trends of the communications industry and networking evenings in a relaxed atmosphere.
Please contact Robert Belle if you are interested in media training sessions or wish to find out more about how best to support the DPRG’s next generation.
Location Tip: “Gregorelli’s“ – Italian Ambiance in Frankfurt‘s Freßgass‘ Lane
Frankfurt’s inner city has come a long way from being a veritable “gastronomic diaspora” until not too long ago. The trend reversal of late is nothing short of astounding, with charming restaurants opening up at every corner and inviting the harried inner-city crowd on a relaxed business lunch or after-work dinner. Gregorelli’s in Meisengasse/intersection Freßgass‘ lane is run by the former owners of Garibaldi’s, and is a mere 5-minute walk from Opernplatz square (parking garage/subway station). It has fast become a favorite meeting place and with its large terrace is a great destination for taking a break, especially during the summer season.
A boon for business lunchers: the restaurant is adequately sized and the tables are not spaced too closely, providing the guests with enough privacy for confidential talks. Thanks to its quiet side street location, the restaurant is still “right in the middle of downtown” and offers an excellent transport infrastructure while shielding the guests sitting on the terrace from being bombarded by traffic noise or excessive audience. The restaurant offers both sophisticated Italian cuisine and snacks or pizzas for a quick lunch. All in all a great concept catering to a variety of needs and tastes.
For detailed information please go to http://www.gregorellis.de.
Have you got an interesting location tip worth sharing with us? Julia Richter will be happy to receive your suggestions.
Contact
Fleishman-Hillard Germany GmbH
Markus Hermsen
Herzog-Wilhelm-Straße 26
80331 München
Tel.: +49-(0)89-23 03 16-62
Fax: +49-(0)89-23 03 16-66
markus.hermsen@fleishmaneurope.com
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— Multimedia
Soundbites from the 2nd Marcom-Round
