filter by tag: Trust

Let’s talk ethics. Why? Because in today’s world, we need to keep this conversation alive as much as possible. And because considering ethics is like exercising a muscle – if you don’t do it every so often, your ability atrophies.

The recent Federal Communications Commission (FCC) investigation of “fake” news has certainly pushed the discussion of ethics, or lack thereof in some cases, back into the headlines. Questions from the U.S. Government in 2005 about the authenticity of video news releases spurred new allegations and legislation for the PR industry. For quite some time, federal guidelines have required sponsored segments or “pay-to-play” stories be disclosed by broadcasters; however, the Policy Council for the Free Press says they are not being enforced.

Even the Better Business Bureau, which aims to build trust, maintain a positive track record and advertise honestly, is under investigation for allegedly awarding "A+" ratings to businesses that paid an accreditation fee and "F" grades to those opting not to join the organization. These ratings, often promoted by organizations and their PR teams to build credibility and trust among consumers, can be a key decision-making resource for consumers looking for the right business to patronize.

Adding another layer of complexity to the discussion is the explosive growth of social media. This consumer-generated “24/7 media” did not start with rules – people made them up as they blogged, posted and tagged online. And, the FCC is still trying to keep up and enforce disclosure rules to prevent such tactics as astroturfing.

These recent developments are prompting more colleges and organizations to offer classes in PR and business ethics, host ethics hotlines and hold transparent discussions to explore the decision-making process. Indiana State University hosted a discussion for students with a fictitious scenario regarding investor relations. And at Cone, we host our own seminars and orientation sessions in communications ethics to help employees explore a variety of situations and the guidelines that can assist in making the appropriate ethical decisions.

There seems to be a trend emerging wherein agencies and clients use new media and Web analytics to catch each other sleeping. It started with the Zappos agency review in July in which one respondent, Ignited, tracked Zappos’ review of its submission and found the company had spent fewer than 15 seconds per page viewing only five of the 25 pages submitted. Right, wrong or otherwise – as usual both sides have their story – the point is that Zappos was “found out” thanks to Google Analytics.

And just yesterday, Marty St. George, senior vice president of marketing and commercial at JetBlue, tweeted the following:

We're pitching our advertising AOR. Curious on digital savvy....first test is how many of the agencies will find me on twitter. #sneaky
10:57 AM Feb 17th from UberTwitter

I would look at these examples as an eye opener for parties on both sides – you better be on top of new media or it’s likely to bite you in the “you-know-what.” The hashtag #sneaky at the end of JetBlue’s tweet gives me a sense of the spirit in which it was done. But, for Ignited, I think it was a legitimate test to see if there was any valuable return on its hours of time invested.

Some follow-up tweets from JetBlue indicate the sneak attack may not have been as fun as initially thought, but it was a great wake-up call to agencies on the types of metrics some clients are beginning to use. No longer should we just view new media as a way to communicate, but realize that they’re also a way to track us, like a bloodhound. Sarbanes-Oxley would be proud – you can run, but you can’t hide.

As someone involved in business development, these tactics initially make me question the authenticity of a relationship we might be about to embark upon. If the client and/or agency is setting up “tests” for us to fail or pass and we don’t even know we’re being tested, it seems sneaky (no hashtag needed) to me – the wrong way to lay the foundation of a trusting relationship. Shouldn’t the quality of our work, the quality of our strategies speak volumes? Isn’t that what they are hiring us for?

The JetBlue example also feels arrogant. But even if I “passed” the test, found the tweet and presumably were as smart as the client, I’d constantly have to wonder what next test was being administered. Would I start to think up some of my own tests to get the upper hand (even if I never told the other party)? Wow, this could get interesting…

--Cici Gordon, Senior Brand Strategist

I had the good fortune on Friday, May 15 to attend the gala celebration for the grand opening of the Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago; a near flawless addition designed by famed architect Renzo Piano. The building is beautifully concepted, and executed so well that it truly celebrates the art it was created to house.

It is nice to see that an organization like the Institute has the vision and commitment to raise the funds necessary to build a wing of the finest materials and workmanship and does not merely raise enough to just meet current needs. This is a building that will be enjoyed by generations long after we have all left this earth.

Too often today you see organizations just making do or letting budget constraints drive short term thinking and decisions.  I love it when organizations understand the value of "doing it right," hiring the top experts in their fields and then giving them the license to truly practice their craft.  Often you see the client "playing designer,"  making significant changes that compromise the integrity of the concept, or cutting corners to save a few dollars.  But when people have the courage and commitment to avoid these pitfalls, it is a gift to all of us of near perfection.

Kudos to the Institute and Mr. Piano for a remarkable achievement.

From today's eMarketer newsletter comes some very interesting stats regarding trust of various media:

- Not surprisingly, recommendations from friends (word of mouth) is #1 at 48%.

- Online news is slightly more trusted than newspapers.

- Trust of private blogs is DISMAL. (Fewer than 1 in 10 people say they are an 8, 9 or 10 on a scale of 1-10 where 1 = "don't trust at all" and 10 = "trust completely")

What does this mean?

My gut reaction is BALANCE. A balance of: online and offline media; traditional and non-traditional; media focus and direct-to-consumer buzz generation through social networks. A program that garners millions of blog impressions but does not inspire consumer trust may be less likely to move the business needle than a well executed online media relations campaign and direct-to-consumer outreach.

Mike Hollywood, Director of New Media