alyssagardina.com - media

NBC and token social media integration

agardina — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 05:02:44 +0000

Broadcast networks have taken Twitter integration to different levels. For Fox, it involved invasive "live tweets" from show stars. For NBC, it's apparently a token integration to appease both their audience and the athletes taking part in this year's Winter Olympics.

Leading up to the games, there was some confusion with the IOC (International Olympic Committee) about whether or not athletes could even tweet during the Games. It was finally decided that they could tweet - about their personal experiences, and with some severe limitations on what kind of photos and videos they could share.

Those regulations, combined with NBC's apparent reluctance to integrate user-generated content or social media sites, has severely limited the potential richness of their broadcasts. In an ideal world:

Athletes could tweet and share whenever they wanted. There's already live coverage, instantaneous news distribution and people constantly. tweeting. about. the. Olympics. It's not like athletes are going to break a story before Bob Costas can get his hands on it. Odds are, their insight and tweets about nerves, conditions and competition will add to the viewers' experience. Imagine a glimpse of a tweet from Bode Miller before his bronze-medal winning run - a TwitPic right on NBC, describing the emotions before a big race.

NBC would share athletes' and coaches' tweets with information or context. Right now, on NBC's Olympic Pulse page, they're posting tweets from athletes - without timestamps, geotagging or even specifying what country the athlete represents.

Share athlete's videos and photos from the opening and closing ceremonies. Grab a couple of athletes before the Games, recruit them as content creators and give them the tools. Let them lose at the Olympic Village and collect their content as they go. Post the stories, photos and videos as the games go on to show the story behind the competition. NBC makes a darn good dramatic mini-documentary, but that content could be so much richer if gathered by the participants themselves.

What do you think? How would you make the Olympics a richer viewing experience?

Disclosure above all else

agardina — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:59:11 +0000

We'll start this post with a little quiz (and if you follow media controversies closely, it's an easy one.) What is the mission of the organization "Focus on the Family"?

It's a vague sounding name. For all we know, it could be a group put together by Milton Bradley to promote game night and togetherness. However, that's not exactly it. From their website: Our mission is to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with as many people as possible by nurturing and defending the God-ordained institution of the family and promoting biblical truths worldwide.

Have you heard of them? They're the group putting together an anti-abortion Super Bowl ad featuring Tim Tebow. An investment of around $2.5 million, it's CBS's first advocacy ad sold during the big game, and falls in line with the network's new policy of accepting opinion advertisements.

It's controversial, for sure. But putting aside the ad's subject matter, there's a glaring problem. Instead of telling the organization's story, Focus on the Family has hired college football star Tim Tebow and his mother to tell theirs. There's little doubt that the name and mission of the ad's sponsor won't show up until the end - probably as part of some fancy graphic with small print at the bottom. As with all other advocacy ads, the focus is on one-sided opinions, with little or no disclosure as to the funding, purpose or background of the actual organization.

Regardless of your political, social or religious beliefs, an audience deserves to know who's holding the puppet strings: an insurance company making an ad against healthcare reform, a solar power organization dramatically depicting the dangers of oil - it doesn't matter. With the recent Supreme Court ruling overturning a ban political spending by corporations in candidate elections, disclosure and transparency may be all the public has left. The First Amendment protects our right to free speech, but it doesn't protect our right to concealment.

As marketers, advertisers and public relations professionals, it's our ethical responsibility to disclose our biases and agendas.

Do you agree? Is honesty always the best policy?

Is Mashable the CNN of social media?

agardina — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 01:19:38 +0000

CNN is one of the most-watched and most-visited news providers in the country. On TV, they provide round-the-clock coverage of news, entertainment and fluff. Online, they have access to video and articles on news, entertainment and, of course, fluff. The 24-hour news cycle emphasizes quantity over quality, with in-depth reporting falling to the wayside in favor of anything that gets higher ratings.

And that works for them. Viewers can complain all they want about biased reporting or shallow headlines, but, in the end, it's the responsibility of the viewer to be an active consumer of information. Don't agree with one reporter? Look for other sources online. Educate yourself. Cast a critical eye on any and all declarative statement you question.

This same idea applies to blogs and social media. Mashable, an online social media news source & educational guide, has over 2.3 million followers, fans and subscribers. They are frequently the first to break Internet news and rumors, and their links fill the tweet streams of almost every person on Twitter. Mashable provides great information & tools, but the danger of the 24-hour news cycle remains. Their top user lists are chosen by individual writers, articles dictated by newsworthiness and other priorities, and polls filled with responses from (obviously) biased readers.

There's an ocean of analysis and how-to guides online, beyond the behemoth that is Mashable. By being an active participant in the world of online information, you'll contribute more, learn more and build better and stronger relationships. Mashable is the CNN of social media - a great starting point and overview, but not a source you can count on in any situation, 100% of the time.

Need some suggestions for some new blogs to read? Check out the Social Media Challenge (#smchallenge).

Giving the public a voice - and what it means for your nonprofit

agardina — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 02:16:43 +0000

CNN's iReport, New York Times using Twitter to build commentary, it seems like major news outlets are turning more and more to citizen journalists for photos, videos and context for current events. Anyone with an iPhone or a Flip camera can now be the source for the next front page story. While the consequences for journalism are numerous, this trend will also have an impact on your nonprofit in a variety of ways:

Transparency
Even if your organization doesn't currently have a substantial online or social media presence, the rise of citizen journalism means an inevitable increase in the transparency of your industry, if not your organization. Attendees can share their experiences from your events and programs on their blogs, and now, even in major publications and on major news networks. A commentary on your use of funding may no longer be contained to Twitter, but can be a headline on CNN. Public relations moves from press releases to responsiveness plans, and knowing what people are saying about you becomes more critical than ever.

Listening
Which brings me to my next point. Social media aficionados love to tout the importance of listening as part of a social media strategy. However, even if your organization isn't ready to take the step into social media, it's still important to keep track of what's being said about you on these networks. Set up Google Alerts, check Twitter Search every now and then, and look through Flickr and YouTube after major events, programs or giving campaigns to see if any new content has shown up there. You may be able to head off a problem, provide customer service, or share in content with your perspective before it gets picked up by these big players.

Content creation
Who says you can't be your own citizen journalist? Now, I'm not saying to post content other a different name - be sure to own your brand and don't decieve the public. But, if you have quality video, photos or a story to tell, get that content out there. You can share content with publications to make their lives easier, but also get some press for your cause. It's a win-win situation - the first step is to sign up and start posting.

Citizen journalism isn't a fad, it's a longterm trend, and I believe it's here to stay. With preparation, listening and giving video or photos a shot, nonprofits can prepare for this next step in journalism.

Non-Profits on Twitter - Figuring Out the Basics

siteadmin — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 03:54:29 +0000

My foray into social media (beyond using Facebook to "friend" people I haven't seen since middle school) began very very late. Over the past summer, I tried out Twitter with my own personal account. In June, I began working for The Women's Museum, a national women's history museum in Dallas, Texas. I did some research and, in October, told my boss that I wanted to Twitter. The following conversation ensued.

Me: I'd like to start a Twitter account for the Museum. I think it will help with our awareness.
Boss: You want to WHAT?
Me: ...

Thus, our Twitter account (and the related innuendo comments) was born. It's been a journey of trial and error, and we currently have over 3,000 followers built through a completely grassroots network. I'm not going to tell anyone how to get that many followers overnight or the exact steps to success. Because, to tell the truth, I don't know them. I don't think anyone else does either - social media is still relatively new, and we're all still feeling our way through it and seeing how it goes. I will share where we faltered and where we succeeded, in hopes that I can help other non-profits and museums who want to start building relationships on these networks.

To start, I think that non-profits stand to gain more from social media than just about any other user. In a world of shrinking financial means, non-profits continue to have to find affordable ways to market themselves and communicate with their audiences. Social media, give or take a Flickr membership and some staff time, is essentially free. Add to that the fact that non-profits don't just market and don't just advertise - getting awareness of your organization is all about relationships. Social media has been more effective than our website could ever be. I'm there to answer questions, receive feedback and ask for opinions. It's helped with our exhibits, our programs and even gotten us answers to some of our IT questions.