The News Group’s Newsroom, Best of the Best
My business partner at The News Group Net - David Henderson – and I consulted recently with a team at one of the world’s most respected corporate advisory organizations. They wanted to know more about our strategic, proprietary model to building corporate online newsrooms that are vastly more effective at managing online brand image and reputation than anything else.
The consultancy, which advises the world’s leading corporations about best practices, had evaluated literally hundreds of corporate online “pressrooms” or newsrooms … and had zeroed in on our work to develop and manage Imperial Sugar’s online newsroom as the best example of using a new online model to effectively enhance corporate brand.
The head of the team said, “In a world of grossly mismanaged corporate brand images,” the Imperial Sugar newsroom is among the best they have seen. And, here’s why … Our model for an online newsroom achieves corporate brand prominence, distinction and competitive differentiation within an industry. It defines leadership online. It uses the appeal of news to become the center of discussion and interest within an industry sector.
When you openly and honestly present the news, you open discussion that results in credible attention. Our online newsroom model is not about the old-fashioned style of pushing out or shouting out marketing messages, meaningless press releases or promotional dribble. Such things are the antithesis of today’s style of online communication, media and brand-building.
A corporation that uses an online newsroom to “market its messages” is making a big mistake that will ultimately harm that corporation’s brand image because it corrupts the fundamental credibility and integrity of news with the self-serving purpose of marketing. Furthermore, it’s not about scampering to try to reach vast numbers of eyeballs because that’s irrelevant; it’s about reaching the right leaders, the most influential and important people within target audiences.
The News Group Net, a corporate journalism consultancy, develops and manages custom turn-key online newsrooms for organizations that want to expeditiously enhance brand positioning online and throughout their respective business and financial sectors by becoming the most respected, trusted, transparent and influential source of industry news. In the area of crisis management, this approach online is singularly the most important step any organization can take. It is a vast difference from what anyone else is attempting online … and, it works!
After three months of presidential campaigning advice and handling by some of the best and brightest advisers, Palin learned what to wear, how to walk and chew gum at the same time, but eventually failed the “don’t be retarded and write on your hand so the media can see” part of the training.
It was a night to remember … Anticipation filled the control room situated above a tanker truck waiting to be loaded at Imperial Sugar Company’s Port Wentworth, Ga refinery.
The room was packed with employees the evening of July 24, ready for a switch to be thrown that would begin filling trucks with granulated sugar, the first produced at the plant in more than 18 months.
Tune into CNN any weekday afternoon and you will see Rick Sanchez promote his stint at the anchor desk as a “National Conversation” because readers can Twitter, Facebook or MySpace instant reactions to CNN stories. During the course of the broadcast Rick will stumble his way through trying to read often-unintelligible usernames, and the off the cuff comments. A “National Conversation”, not.
Not bad – topical anyway. Hey Ed – wanna buy a car?
Sorry Ed, have to disagree. Yes, there are lots of people out there shilling, but there’s also a core group of people using Twitter to share ideas and connect with people who are pursuing similar goals. Usually people trying to move social and business innovation to another level. It’s great, and effective.
You tease, you. Why did you post this topic Ed? To get traffic for your blogpost? To advertise your photography? Or was it to spark a conversation?
I’m with Catherine here. Just because some to make money from a new communication tool doesn’t automatically make it invalid. As for conversation and social media: if the publishing of thoughts and ideas doesn’t require interaction, these responses wouldn’t exist. And you wouldn’t have bothered posting your blog topic.
I love social media. The opportunity to use a new communications tool has certainly opened new opportunities for me, and the clients I work for. If nothing else, it levels the playing field somewhat and gives mass media a good run for it’s money. Here’s to the future. It is social, you know
Twitter is a tool like any other. Sometimes it’s used for good, sometimes for evil. Sometimes good people use it, some use it to spam, flog, annoy and harass.
I totally get the concept that it’s mere self-promotion– but why would that surprise anyone? And, yes, the marketers will get their mitts on it and try to make it into another billable channel for advertising – that’s a foregone conclusion.
But it’s possible to use it skillfully if one understands its role in fulfilling objectives. I don’t twitter (yet) — still waiting on the Web site, blog and opening a checking account for my brand new business. But I can see how using Twitter can reach some people…
Wrong, Ed.
There are plenty of conversations happening on Twitter and Facebook. They’re just not happening in real time the way interactions traditionally occurred. But they’re there just the same. Tweets posted and responded to on Twitter. People writing on each other’s walls on Facebook. All out in the open for everyone to follow. Maybe you’re not looking hard enough.
Every Tweet or post — even the most self-promotional — is in fact an open invitation to anyone to respond and turn it into a conversation. That that doesn’t happen with every message posted doesn’t mean conversations aren’t happening.
…and this posting from my website…..
2 Comment(s)
On Apr 16, 2009, Joanne Dant, Senior Associate, October Strategies said:
I have found Twitter to be a good tool for research and learning, however I am in complete agreement on the rudeness of tweeting while listening to a speaker. I find it very disappointing to see so many people glued to their phones “tweeting” while they should be giving full attention to the speaker.