In its "Employee Engagement Survey," the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) partnered with Buck Consultants, to examine how organizations are communicating with employees to keep them engaged and productive.

Robin McCaseland

"Communicating for optimal employee engagement is always a timely topic, but even more so during challenging economic times," said Robin McCasland, a director in Buck Consultants’ communication practice and 2009-2010 chair of IABC Research Foundation.

"Our results represent opportunities for communicators to have greater influence in delivering messages that encourage employees to remain productive, and to understand how their work contributes toward achieving business priorities."

More than three-quarters (79%) of respondents said they use social media frequently to engage employees and foster productivity, outranking even email (75%). Company blogs are the most popular social media tool currently in use (47%), with discussion boards ranking as the highest for future planned use.

"It’s encouraging to see the rising popularity of social media in employee communication," said Julie Freeman, ABC, APR, president of IABC. "Companies are moving away from the one-way communication model where they would send out information hoping people would read it."

"Using the various social media tools, companies can now engage employees in discussions and foster conversations between teams across geographic and other boundaries."

Current use of social networking sites such as Twitter (21%), Yammer (20%), and Facebook (18%) is significant, but organizations are planning to use those tools even more in the future.

Or $27,500 per Central and Mountain time zone station that presented Ms. Ross’s derriere before 10 PM.

In case you missed the February 25, 2003 pre-Nipplegate episode on its first run, the news of the FCC’s indecency fine has spurred millions to check it out on YouTube. If YouTube deletes it for fear of copyright infringement, likely it’ll pop up again from other users.

If not, the Parents Television Council, who made the initial complaint and who hates any type of raunchiness on TV, has a clip of the raunchiness on their website, along with lots of other titillating and shocking clips.

It’s a good thing, too, because you’d likely have forgotten how appalling it was after five years. And kids that missed it the first time around are surely to see it now, and learn how to be appalled as well.

The FCC, a group of taxpayer-funded grownups who refer to certain unutterable terms as "the s-word" and the like, used some of that taxpayer money to issue a 16-page report officially declaring a semi-nude woman on television indecent. Luckily, the taxpayers will get that money back via the money ABC now owes them, and which will cover other unsuccessful investigations into new words like "hamsterbating."

The 16-page proposal is a must read for entertainment buffs, as the FCC fends off ABC’s argument that views of Ross’s nude body from the back and side were not "lewd, prurient, pandering, or titillating." But the FCC declared that not only was the scene "shocking and titillating," but also that the camera lingered on her buttocks and returned to them.

(And if you’re quick and extra-pervy, you can almost see her whats-it.)

The argument follows then, that if ABC had only shown her buttocks once and went on, then they’d be in the clear. Mo Rocca interviews Dennis Franz’ buttocks, which have also appeared on the show, and Franz’ buttocks are pretty upset. But according to the FCC’s logic, Franz’ buttocks, while perhaps shocking, were not all that titillating.

ABC disagreed that buttocks are a sexual organ as the FCC declared, but the FCC was unanimous in the proclamation that while "shocked and titillated" are hard to define, they know it when they feel it.

That the little boy’s ears where aptly placed in the full frontal shot didn’t seem to help ABC’s cause either.
 

In a statement, FCC Commissioner Deborah Tate said, " Our action today should serve as a reminder to all broadcasters that Congress and American families continue to be concerned about protecting children from harmful material and that the FCC will enforce the laws of the land vigilantly.  In fact, pursuant to the Broadcast Decency Act of 2005, Congress increased the maximum authorized fines ten-fold.  The law is simple.  If a broadcaster makes the decision to show indecent programming, it must air between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.  This is neither difficult to understand nor burdensome to implement."

If you want to see a semi-nude woman before that, you should go to an art museum or look in your dad’s underwear drawer like everybody else. And yes, you’re right if it appears they’re applying a penalty instituted in 2005 to an infraction that occurred in 2003. Whatever happened to ex post facto?

The PTC, as expected, was very happy. The organization published a statement on its site, part of which reads:

“Despite the TV networks’ scurrilous lawsuits claiming a ‘right’ to air profanity, and that a striptease in the middle of the Super Bowl was somehow not indecent, this order should serve as a reminder to every broadcaster and every network that they must use the public airwaves responsibly and in a manner which serves the public interest."

Because the public, as illustrated by the millions of views on YouTube, is not interested in, not in the slightest, Charlotte Ross’s should-be-immortalized-with-oil-on-canvas form.

And we wonder why Europe thinks we’re uptight. 
 

The September/October edition, which arrived in the mail today, is packed full of great content and is one of the better issues I’ve read in a while.

One excellent feature is “How do blogs measure up” by Katie Paine.

With a deserved reputation as someone who really knows about communication measurement, Katie writes about a topic that should be required reading for every corporate communicator:

Forget reach and frequency. Success in today’s marketplace is measured not by how broad your reach is but how deep your network is.

The four-page article discusses the thorny issues surrounding blogs and bloggers, and what to measure.

As Katie points out:

[…] The standard maxim in the communication world is: “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” The problem is not so much how to measure blogs, but rather that “managing” them is impossible: You simply can’t manage what 10 million independent-minded, opinionated people are saying.

She then goes into what you can do to assess the impact and relevance of bloggers and blogosphere content as it relates to your business.

The feature includes some sensible and credible suggestions on what to track and why, including how to measure your own blog if you write one, how blogs affect your organizational goals, advice on what to consider if you’re thinking about starting a blog, and links to social measurement tools on the web.

IABC members can download a PDF of the article.

It’s well worth your time in reading.

Comments

I’m only aware of the associations that serve my profession, the likes of PRSA, CPRS, and the organization to which I’ve belonged since 1977, IABC.

These associations have fulfilled several vital needs for a long time, primarily networking and professional development. However, practitioners don’t need associations for these activities any more. Social media have enabled self-organizing groups to satisfy these professional needs. Some examples:

• While the last Global PR Web Week was nearly two years ago, it shows what can hapen online when a group of volunteers throw their hats in the ring.
• CaseCamp is a self-organizing “unconference” focused on marketing, although anyone interested in any profession could use the same model to put together a similar unconference focused on their own field. In fact, CaseCamp is based on BarCamp, which focuses on web applications, and DemoCamp, a BarCamp offshoot that allows for more regular networking.
• PodCamp, another unconference based on the BarCamp/CaseCamp model, focuses on podcasting. I mention it separately because the recent New York PodCamp drew more than 1,000 participants (only about 400 shy of the typical attendance at an IABC international conference) and some heavyweight sponsors. Like all of these unconferences, the registration is free and the agenda is self-organized using a wiki.
• Third Thursday is a monthly meeting of Bay Area PR and marketing pros interested in learning more about the practical applications of new media in business. It’s currently jointly sponsored by The Social Media Club and The Society for New Communications Research, but was organized by four practitioners who saw a need and started Third Thursday to meet it. In Toronto, the effort has been duplicated with Third Tuesday, while Ottawa offers Third Monday.
• Social networks focused on communications offer individuals another cost-free alternative for networking and knowledge sharing. MyRagan has already attracted several thousand members.

The point is that, given the social network that allows individuals to self-organize for networking and professional development, these benefits of association membership—at a cost of several hundred dollars per year—may lose their appeal. That’s not to suggest these associations can’t provide genuine value that makes the dues worthwhile. And it’s not to suggest that the 14,000 members of IABC are ready to jump ship for online networking just yet. It’s still pretty much the early adopters who have figured out that the network itself can provide the benefits for which they used to rely on their associations. So IABC, PRSA, CPRS—and all those other associations in other professions—still have time to define that role that the social media space cannot play.

But they’d better get started now. Things move fast these days.

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In a press release yesterday, IABC said:

[…] Leaders of both associations signed an agreement today in which IABC will conduct a formal accreditation completion program with members of SPRA that will enable them to complete the IABC accreditation program. This is the first step of a multi-year process that will confer IABC accreditation on qualified SPRA members and train volunteers to administer the program for other local communicators in China.

[…] As part of the agreement, a select group of highly qualified SPRA members who are interested in earning the ABC will be mentored by ABCs from around the world. They will attend rigorous training sessions to develop their portfolios for review and prepare for the examinations. Once their portfolios are accepted, they will be eligible to complete the four-hour written and half-hour oral examinations.

I believe that IABC’s accreditation programme is second to none, anywhere in the world, as an excellent way to enable communicators to measure their acquired knowledge against a credible and recognized international standard. It also lets you benchmark yourself.

Opening up opportunities for communicators in China to gain an internationally-recognized professional qualification is great news.

Full details in IABC’s press release: Exciting New Partnership Brings IABC Accreditation to China. Also, the SPRA’s release.

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Tag:

I use several examples when I talk about content on the edge and how it applies to the work of organizational communicators. One example is the classified advertising service EdgeIO. Under the old model, you sent your classified ad to a newspaper because the newspaper’s reach exceeded that which you could achieve with a 3×5-inch index card tacked to a community bulletin board in a supermarket.

Along comes the web and the process stays exactly the same. Whether you use eBay or Craig’s List, you still send your content for publishing in a central location. EdgeIO changes that model by letting you publish to your venue—your blog. With so many people publishing on their own, the content exists on the edge. By adding an EdgeIO tag to your used car, your vacation rental, or your casting call for that great video podcast you’re going to produce, EdgeIO finds your listing and adds it. You don’t have to send them anything.

Microformats work the same way. When Neville Hobson, Joseph Jaffe, and I had our geek dinner in New York last June, I created a listing using microformat tags and it appeared automatically in a calendar of upcoming events over at the Technorati Kitchen.

Still, these examples are a bit confounding for the typical communicator. Now there’s an example that will be easy to explain. Shannon Whitley, the guy behind PRX Builder (a site that lets you use a wizard to build a social media press release) has introduced FetchWire. I think Shannon pitched me about it; I’ve had a note to self on my desk for a while reminding me to blog about FetchWire. So I went and took a look this afternoon and thought, “Edge content for press releases.”

That’s the idea. FetchWire touts its value proposition this way: “Post a news release to your blog. We’ll fetch it and display it.”

so you have a blog. You want to distribute a press release. Post the release to your blog (presumably a social media press release, of course), adding the appropriate tags. The tags can link to your blog post or your RSS (or Atom) feed. The folks at FetchWire insist that people are subscribing to the service’s feed through the use of keywords; they provide a TagBuilder tool to make sure you add the keywords to your post that people are using in their subscriptions.

The Discussion Tracker lets you see who has posted a blog item about the press release you “distributed” through FetchWire. This clearly is an opportunity to get spammed via blogs: Nearly all the tracker items listed under one press release were links to online pharmacies.

Still, the interface is clean, the categories make sense,

I have no idea how many people actually subscribe or whether FetchWire stands a chance of turning the wire service model on its head. But it’s a simple example of edge content I can use in my presentation. And, I believe it’s further evidence that there’s a future in edge content that offers communicators a real advantage.

I sense a “10 list” on the horizon: “10 uses of edge content for communicators.” Watch for it.

Comments

I’ve just founded a group in Second Life called ‘IABC Second Life’ ‘IABC Members in Second Life’ [see edit below] that I hope will become a focal point for IABC members who would like to get more out of this virtual world that’s relevant to being an IABC member.

It’s brand new so I haven’t yet fleshed out any specific goals for the group. I can see that being something the membership will develop as the group itself develops.

To start with, though, I see the group as being a place where IABC members who have some experience in Second Life can share their knowledge and experience as well as provide help and assistance to members who are new to Second Life.

If you’re an IABC member and would like to belong, let me know your Second Life avatar name and I’ll send you an invitation. In world, IM Jangles Junot.

[Edit @ 8.15pm] Amanda’s comments got me thinking. This group is unofficial and not supported by IABC. As I said, it’s purely an informal group of members who want to get together in Second Life.

But to be sure I’m wholly clear on this, and not leave any doubt about that in anyone’s mind, I’ve changed the name of the group to ‘IABC Members in Second Life.’ The original name “IABC Second Life” was too ambiguous.

So I’ve removed the little logo I created and which was included in this post when I first published it; a replacement will be back just as soon as I can make one. [now made and included].

Comments

Leading figures of the UK PR world are to hold a debate at the University of Westminster on whether ‘PR has a duty to tell the truth’.

The result? According to Martin Moore who was there:

PR does not have a duty to tell the truth…according to an audience of over 260 public relations executives (and me). 138 voted against the motion in last night’s PR Week sponsored debate that ‘PR has a duty to tell the truth’, vs 124 for.

Moore notes in his post that PR does not have a ‘duty’ to tell the truth but a duty to serve its client. Surely a confusing situation for any PR practitioner.

Here’s the definition of PR according to the CIPR:

Public relations is the discipline which looks after reputation, with the aim of earning understanding and support and influencing opinion and behaviour. It is the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organisation and its publics.

There’s nothing there about telling the truth. Now take a look at the CIPR’s code of conduct (or IABC’s code of ethics where the word ‘truthful’ is mentioned).

This may seem like quite an ethical dilemma, not to mention a sorry indictment of the PR profession. But it’s not really. The decision for you is crystal clear – if you know what you’re about to communicate is untruthful, you do not communicate. That applies whether you’re on the agency or on the client side.

Here’s the thing – while the ‘duty’ of PR might not be to tell the truth, the duty for you as a communicator is. Telling the truth and serving your employer’s/client’s interests are not mutually exclusive.

Does anyone disagree?

(Via Jeff Jarvis)

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Nominations are being accepted by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) for the 2007 Excellence in Communication Leadership (EXCEL) Award where nominees meet these criteria:

• Skills: Demonstration of exceptional leadership, management and communication skills
• Diverse communications audience: Experience and involvement in communication with diverse audiences; some experience in communicating with international or multi-cultural audiences is preferred
• Strategy: Use of a communication strategy that demonstrates creativity and innovation and that contributes to the business success of the organization
• Commitment to communication: Commitment to the communication programs of all audiences of the organization – internal and external at local, national, and international levels
• Personal communication: Effective personal communication with all these audiences; i.e., he or she must be shown to participate in communication, not simply to direct the communication staff in their efforts
• Ethics and professionalism in communication: Commitment to the highest ethical and professional standards

Are you a CEO who can rise to this challenge? If you’re a communicator, does your organization have such a leader?

It’s quite a challenge.

IABC press release: Who’s the Top CEO Communicator of the Year?

Neville Hobson is the author of the popular NevilleHobson.com blog which focuses on business communication and technology.

Neville is currentlly the VP of New Marketing at Crayon. Visit Neville Hobson’s blog: NevilleHobson.com.

Here are three at which I’m speaking/presenting:

• PRWeek Forum, November 6-8, Meriden, UK. The exclusive networking and meetings event for senior in-house PR directors, according to organizers PR Week UK. I’ll be leading an interactive session on the role organizations can play not only in dealing with the spread of online opinion (what people are saying about you and your brand) but also taking part in the conversation.
• Delivering The New PR, November 10, London. The fifth and final (this year) event in a successful sell-out conference series run by the University of Sunderland. I’m very much looking forward to collaborating again with Philip Young, Tom Murphy, Elizabeth Albrycht, StuartBruce and Chris Rushton in helping communicators figure out how to deliver the new PR. As before, my segment will be on business podcasting.
• Le Web 3, December 11-12, Paris. This event has evolved out of the two “Les Blogs” conferences that took place in Paris during 2005 and is now a substantial and signficant conference sponsored by TechCrunch among others. Le Web 3 is focused on the next generation web (aka Web 2.0), mobile services, virtual communities, old and new media and other themes. I’m part of a panel that will lead discussion on the theme “Life 2.0: are digital worlds creating a virtual life better than our real life?”
  If you plan to be at any of these events, do let me know.

Also, the sixth annual IABC EuroComm conference takes place in Dublin on November 13-14. I can’t be at this event, more’s the pity. As an IABC member in Europe, I recommend IABC EuroComm to any communicator, whether you’re an IABC member of not, who’s looking for an unparalled professional development opportunity that otherwise you’d need to travel to the US to experience.

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Neville Hobson is the author of the popular NevilleHobson.com blog which focuses on business communication and technology.

Neville is currentlly the VP of New Marketing at Crayon. Visit Neville Hobson’s blog: NevilleHobson.com.