Search Matters

In each of the three countries surveyed, search rules. In the U.K., consumers reported using search engines more than any other form of media. A whopping 85 percent of Brazilians use them—on par with the country’s healthy newspaper readership. And in the U.S., search engines are the most heavily used form of digital media and fall closely behind major network and local TV news and local newspapers (and ahead of cable news).

For any company or brand paying attention to its reputation, there is no question that having a search strategy is important. Ketchum’s new media strategist Gur Tsabar discusses why.

	Search Is Maturing . . . Now It Matters More Than Ever By Gur Tsabar, Vice President and New Media Strategist, Ketchum View Bio

Search engines may not literally be “new” anymore, but among new media and old, they matter more than ever.

In the U.S., search engine use has remained steady over the last year, with 59 percent of consumers using them regularly compared to 60 percent in 2007. This suggests that search is maturing. At the same time, the survey results show that trust in search engines is rising; on a 10-point scale, consumers ranked it 7.0 this year, up from 6.5 a year ago.

Consumers rely on search engines to deliver all of the relevant information on any given subject—whether it first appeared on a blog or in a newspaper. That elevates sites such as Google, Yahoo, AOL and MSN to something more than simple search engines. Consumers view them as virtual catalogs of all the information they might ever need.

Each and every search query represents a customer, a prospective customer, a journalist or a blogger telegraphing to the world what it is that they want or need—effectively starting a conversation. A company or brand can earn its way into those conversations by providing the precise information that fills those wants and needs.

Search engines can enable brands to engage stakeholders in an arena that is beyond the reach of traditional earned media by intercepting organic search results to tell the most accurate story possible. In fact, PR practitioners should think of them as mass media—key outlets for announcing a new product, countering negative news, or simply enhancing corporate or brand reputation.

Yet, despite widespread use of search engines among consumers, the latest Media Myths & Realities data show that communications professionals rank search engine optimization fairly low as a priority. The result is a range of missed opportunities to steer conversations about their brands.

In-Person or Online, Word-of-Mouth Is Critical

Authenticity yields credibility. This year’s survey again showed that a recommendation from an unbiased friend or relative carries more weight than any product claim and even some “objective” news sources. So what’s a brand to do to spark credible word-of-mouth?

Dave Kissel is a partner with word-of-mouth marketing agency Zócalo Group, which helps companies create sustainable word-of-mouth programs. Charlene Li is a former analyst for Forrester Research and is co-author of Groundswell, a best-selling book about how businesses must communicate in a world transformed by social media. Fast Company recently named her one of the “12 most creative minds of 2008.” Here, Kissel and Li share their insights on word-of-mouth in both online and offline worlds.

Shaping the 90 Percent
By Dave Kissel, Partner, Zócalo Group
View Bio

If you take a rough average of various research statistics, some 10 percent of all conversations in the U.S. are happening online. That means many more are happening in homes, offices, grocery stores, sporting events and other offline places. And the latest Media Myths & Realities survey indicates that they’re rising.

The 2008 survey shows that 47 percent of U.S. consumers listened to the advice of family and friends, up from 43 percent two years earlier. But more striking was the uptick in advice from co-workers, with 30 percent of consumers listening to it in 2008, compared to just 23 percent in 2006 and 20 percent in 2007. Among influencers—those who help drive change in their communities and in society—reliance on word-of-mouth from both sources is even higher.

The survey doesn’t reveal what accounts for these increases, but one obvious consideration is that 2008 was an unprecedented year. The U.S. had a very dynamic, newsworthy election season that made office talk more common—perhaps both state-side and abroad. At the same time, changes in the economy fostered conversation, too.

But whether it was the election, the economy or something else, one thing is clear: The number of people seeking and getting advice is increasing.

For consumers facing decisions on what products to buy, where to go for vacation, which doctor to see or how to invest for the future, word-of-mouth may count more than ever. So, the brands that can make their way into everyday conversations in a positive light stand to reap huge benefits.

But how can a company shape such conversations?

Listen.

There are no shortcuts. Before trying to relay their own messages, brands should listen to what people are saying and then ask, “How can we provide value to this community?” Once that’s figured out, a brand can begin engaging influencers to help get out its message.

To listen to offline conversations, start with group leaders. The leaders of churches, softball teams, parent groups, and social and civic organizations all can provide direct insights into the concerns and opinions of significant numbers of people. And, ironically, another key way to find out what people are talking about offline is to listen to what’s being said online.

Recall that 10 percent of conversations happen online. Recognize that many of these conversations simply reflect what is being said offline. If you can understand the 10 percent and shape that, you can understand the 90 percent and shape that, too.

 

Steering Word-of-Mouth Online
By Charlene Li, Co-Author, Groundswell
View Bio

People are talking online, and the people who are listening to them are not all family, friends and co-workers. But the impact of this word-of-mouth is no less powerful.

In fact, Forrester Research recently put out data that indicates that when it comes to, say, product reviews, you might trust unknown sources more because your friends may not have credibility with you on a particular subject. For instance, if you’ve followed someone’s music profile on a social networking site, you’re more likely to take his or her recommendation for a new CD to heart.

The strength of this advice isn’t based on the relationship you have with the person, but on the fact that this person is like you or has similar taste to yours. But just like offline relationships, these online connections are based on trust.

That’s why I’m skeptical when people say, “I’m going to drive word-of-mouth.” You can’t. For better or worse, people will share information about your brand in authentic, organic conversations only if they want to. And paid word-of-mouth—such as contests or other promotions—doesn’t carry the same the weight.

Yet, even if you can’t drive word-of-mouth, you can steer it.

People who voluntarily share information about their experiences with products and services get some “psychic income” out of knowing they’ve helped someone. So, if you recognize that positive conversations about your brand are already happening, it’s a matter of encouraging the people who are saying good things about you and getting them to say it in the right place. This can mean making a ratings and reviews section available on your own Web site or asking a consumer who has shared positive feedback with you to post his or her opinions on a consumer review Web site, such as Epinions.com.

If online conversations about your brand aren’t already happening, then you have to get people to want to talk. That starts with quality—nothing else. If a company offers a quality product that delivers something consumers need, someone will talk about it. And if a product is enhanced or improved in some way, a company can give that information to people who are predisposed to share it.

Even if a company isn’t directly pursuing word-of-mouth, it’s important to prepare for it. At the heart of the survey results is the fact that consumers are relying more and more on each other for credible information on products and services.

The bottom line, then, is that if you don’t plan into your communication program how people will potentially share information online, you’ve missed out.

Viewpoints

Beyond the overarching conclusions of the 2008 study, a few other interesting facts stand out. In the U.S., both seniors and younger consumers have noticeably changed their media habits. Consumers in the U.K. are reading newspapers (yes, newspapers) at a surprising rate. Use of blogs and mobile media is rising in Brazil. And blogs and other consumer-generated media are taking hold everywhere.

In this collection of “Viewpoints,” communications professionals from each of the three countries in the 2008 survey discuss the trends in their countries. And in a Q&A, Andrew Rasiej, founder of the Personal Democracy Forum online community, shares his insights on how blogs and other Web 2.0 media factor into the 2008 U.S. presidential election.

If the World Wide Web Is Maturing, What’s Next? By Jerry Swerling, Director, Strategic Public Relations Center, USC Annenberg View Bio

Just as we started to think we were getting a grip on it, there may be early signs that the Web is stabilizing as a communications channel.

If you think of the use of search engines as an indicator of Web use in general, consider this: Among U.S. consumers ages 45 and older, the use of search engines rose steadily since 2006, and among those 65 and older it increased by more than 60 percent. At the same time, search engine use has fallen among those 18 to 44, with the youngest adult consumers (ages 18 to 24) showing the biggest drop.

The numbers clearly suggest that use of search may be leveling off among younger people, who have already gone through the Web discovery phase, while it is increasing among older people, who are still in the discovery phase.

Does this mean that the online media habits of younger people have been established, relative to those of older people? If so, what does that say about the challenges communicators face in trying to establish new Web presences or develop Web strategies for different age groups?

Who’s using search isn’t the only thing that’s maturing on the Web. When it comes to social networks, 26 percent of consumers reported using them in 2008, up from 17 percent in 2006. But the very nature of a “social network” is changing even as this is written. The common meaning of the term (i.e., places like Facebook and MySpace) may actually understate the challenges and opportunities posed by the concept.

The growing use of shopping Web sites for information is one example. Here’s another one: I recently needed technical help with my TiVo. Did I contact TiVo tech support? Nope. I went to an online forum of TiVo users—a social network—and posted my question. Several very nice, knowledgeable, participants not only answered my question but also provided feedback to each other. The communication bottom line? Consumers are handling tech support and customer relations for TiVo and enhancing the TiVo user experience—at no cost to TiVo!

Social networks are no longer branded sites. They are gatherings of people who share a common interest, and they can be found just about anywhere. They’re a phenomenon, not a place.

And perhaps they are an Internet wish come true: direct, unmediated interaction with and among consumers. But we should be careful what we wish for. In a world without intermediaries, PR practitioners have a greater than ever responsibility to communicate honestly and transparently—both as effective advocates and in the public interest.

More than ever before, the reputation and future of our profession will rest as much on our values and standards as on our mastery of the strategies and tools of effective communication.

Are we up to the challenge???

Use of Search Engines

Age Group	2006	2008
18 – 24	67%	47%
25 – 34	63%	61%
35 – 44	61%	55%
45 – 54	62%	67%
55 – 64	54%	66%
65+	8%	13%

 

	What’s Behind Newspaper Readership in the U.K. By Tom Watson, Bournemouth University View Bio

“Compare and contrast” is a phrase that frequently opens questions on examination papers. In the case of the first look at media usage and credibility in the U.K. through the lens of the Media Myths & Realities survey, this is probably the best way to consider the outcomes in relation to previous data from the U.S.

The most notable difference pointed out by the survey is that consumers in the U.K. read national newspapers at nearly three times the rate of consumers in the U.S. The difference is striking, but there is some explanation.

There is a grand tradition of newspaper consumption and journalism in the “sceptred isle.” The high readership of national newspapers may be driven partly by their success at targeting different consumer interests. Brash “red-tops” peddle sex and scandal; midmarket tabloids showcase a combination of accessible serious news such as home, foreign and consumer news while being aspirational in tone; and “quality” newspapers offer straight reporting with features and political opinions to reflect the views of their readers.

However, style aside, the major advantage U.K. newspapers have over their U.S. counterparts is the much smaller geography of the U.K., which historically has made newspapers easier to distribute and more likely to reflect the whole of the U.K.

Looking at a newsstand in London, the potential buyer will see a world-class financial paper in the form of The Financial Times; four “quality” newspapers represented by The Times, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph and The Independent; two midmarket tabloids in Daily Mail and Daily Express; and three brash “red-tops,” namely The Sun, The Mirror and Daily Star. (Red-tops get their name from the newspapers’ mastheads, which are in red ink.) Travel anywhere around the U.K. and you’ll see the same newspapers on sale, supplemented by major regional dailies and, in Scotland, The Glasgow Herald and The Scotsman.

The wide availability of free newspapers likely contributes to high readership, too. Londoners walking out of a Tube station on the way to or from the office are assailed by offers of two or three free newspapers in morning and evening versions. Returning home, they typically find one or two free local weekly newspapers delivered to their door. But besides being free, these papers also are of a relatively high standard editorially, as many are produced by the national newspapers groups themselves and have some access to their content and resources.

The continued hold of national newspapers is far from a given. There are slightly fewer national dailies than 10 to 15 years ago (and The Independent’s future always seems perilous). With the exception of The Financial Times, there is a continuing decline in overall newspaper sales that affects most titles. And newspaper Web sites are growing in popularity. It is doubtful that the printed newspaper scene will still have all the current titles in five, let alone, 10 years’ time.

For now, though, national newspapers are an important part of any large PR strategy. For best effect, PR practitioners must have a clear understanding of each paper’s marketplace, its political leanings and whether it is into “lifestyle” material or not. Personal contacts are still important and will be ever more so as all news media cut back on staff and information resources.

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	Brazil: The Rise of Blogs and the Facts on Mobile Media Usage By Fernando Neves, Ketchum Interactive Communications Director, Ketchum Estratégia View Bio

The latest Media Myths & Realities survey confirms something that observant communicators already know: Blog use is rising in Brazil.

But the survey also indicates that both the popularity and credibility of this medium will continue to increase. In 2008, 52 percent of Brazilian respondents reported using blogs, compared to 43 percent in 2007. And when it comes to searching for information on the Internet, more and more Brazilians find blogs written by nonjournalists to be just as reliable as the Web sites of highly credible sources such as major newspapers, magazines and TV channels. That underscores the importance of blogs as a media target for anyone trying to reach Brazilian consumers.

For a while now, blogs have been growing as an important source of information and entertainment. Among the most popular are humorous blogs with jokes and satires about ordinary life, politics and Brazilian personalities. In addition to travel, fashion, cooking and cultural tips, other blogs bring news—particularly, technological breakthroughs—with exclusive and high-quality content, competing with specialized publications. Another category of popular blogs are those that teach readers how to create, develop and maintain their own blogs—further evidence of the increasing interest of Brazilians in the blogosphere.

If blogs represent what consumers are reading, where they are reading is just as important. Our survey also points to an increase in use of mobile media, with 33 percent of respondents saying they get information from their mobile phones, up from 30 percent in 2007. One factor behind the increase might be the expansion of third-generation (3G) networks, which have been in operation in the country for almost one year but are present only in major cities. With 3G mobile phones enabling high-speed Internet and video, more and more medium-size and large companies have been using them to improve communication among employees, customers and suppliers.

Still, the potential is far greater. With a large mobile phone base–around 140 million customers, according to official data–the Brazilian market has a lot of opportunity to apply more and more mobile applications. Most people already use their mobile phones to send short messages and download small files, such as ringtones. But only a small part of the population accesses the Internet, sends e-mails or multimedia messages, or employs video-conferencing functions on their handsets.

Use of these features by influencers is expected to grow fast, since influencers in our country consume media at a higher rate than other consumers. But once more mobile phones are able to receive information from the Web, it may not be long before the general population, too, is getting its blogs on the go.

 

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	Why Blogging and Consumer-Generated Media Matter: Q&A with Personal Democracy Forum Founder Andrew Rasiej View Bio

There has been a great deal of commentary about the role of the Web in the 2008 U.S. presidential election, and it’s clear that more people are engaging with online media. This year’s Media Myths & Realities survey shows that the number of American adults using blogs as a source of information has nearly doubled since 2006, from 13 to 24 percent. And while the percentage of respondents who said they would rely on blogs and social networking sites for election information was nominal, influencers reported plans to use these sources at as much as four times the rate of the general population. (The survey was conducted prior to the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 4.)

Few people understand the dynamics of the Web and elections better than Andrew Rasiej, founder of Personal Democracy Forum, an annual conference and a community Web site that promotes the use of technology in politics. Rasiej also was a co-founder of techPresident, a group blog that covered how the 2008 presidential candidates used the Web and how voter-generated content affected the campaign.

Perspectives recently asked Rasiej (via e-mail, of course) about how blogging and other consumer-generated media affected the 2008 election.

Perspectives: A lot of your work focuses on the intersection of technology and politics. What role did you see blogs playing in the election? What did they bring to this election that may have been absent from previous ones?

Andrew Rasiej: Since blogs first demonstrated their power to help form communities online during the Howard Dean campaign, political blogs have continued to proliferate and became a major source of news information about not only the candidates for office during the 2008 election cycle, but also about every facet of the election process itself.

As newspapers cut back on detailed coverage of the elections and, especially, local contests due to lack of space, blogs filled the void and in some cases have even provided more timely and better information about the candidates, the issues facing voters, and even less obvious topics like polling, mainstream media coverage, the use of social media, ballot access, and mobile campaigning.

Perspectives: Besides blogs, what new media technologies had an impact on the election and how?

Rasiej: In addition to blogs, social networking platforms like Facebook and MySpace, video sharing sites like YouTube, and microblogging through Twitter all impacted the election because these tools allowed citizens to connect with each other and to easily promote their chosen candidates at no cost. These sites also allowed candidates to reach potential supporters in new ways that challenged the time-honored methods of television and direct mail.

Political opinion is formed in our country by people talking to each other, and they do so in the most common of places, such as around a dining table, at the water cooler, on the playground or in the market. In this election, those conversations happened not only in these traditional settings but also online, with new media platforms and tools making them exponentially more powerful and reaching far more people in less time than would have been possible in any previous election cycle. The political media ecology has been dramatically changed, with more power now distributed to individuals and less control being available to the parties, the candidates, or the mainstream press that covers them.

Perspectives: How do you see new media technologies impacting the way people receive political information in the future?

Rasiej: The new media technologies not only allow people to receive information but also to modify it or to create it. They can then send it to anyone they like in an effort to inform and/or persuade that person. As these technologies become more powerful, more ubiquitous, and even easier to use, more and more political information will be sent person-to-person, further eroding the power of the mainstream media to influence the political landscape.

Perspectives: The survey results also show both the general population and so-called influencers using nonjournalist blogs at a higher rate than journalist blogs. As a blogger, why do you think nonjournalist sites might be more popular?

Rasiej: It’s not that journalist sites are less popular than nonjournalist sites; it’s that so many more nonjournalist sites exist than ever before, and as their numbers increase, they capture a large percentage share of the available eyeballs.

Another factor is that nonjournalist sites can sometimes be more timely and break stories faster than traditional journalist sites, which often need to fact-check and double-check their sources to guard their reputations. This dynamic puts journalists’ blogs at a disadvantage in the world of 15-minute news cycles.

 

 

Roundtable

Participants:

Bill Agee, Marketing Director, IKEA U.S., Conshohocken, Pa. View Bio

Allison Costello, Vice President and Media Strategist, Ketchum, Pittsburgh View Bio

Jean Drummond, President, HCD International, Inc., Lanham, Md. View Bio

David Gallagher, Senior Partner, EMEA, and CEO, London, Ketchum View Bio

Fernando Neves, Director, Ketchum Interactive Communications, Ketchum Estratégia, São Paulo View Bio

James Peters, Vice President and Corporate Group Manager, Ketchum, Atlanta View Bio

Perspectives: The results of the U.S. survey point to the fact that the lines separating media channels continue to blur, with many channels providing various kinds of content in one location—from news to social networking to product information. What do you see as the implications of this melding of media, for both professional communicators and consumers?

Bill Agee: While it has always been important that a brand like IKEA meets a potential customer in a consistent way wherever their paths cross, the current blurring of media makes this doubly important today. It is no longer acceptable to make one offer in one medium and a different offer elsewhere because people will catch you! And the idea that we ask consumers to interact with us one way in one medium and another way in different media no longer mirrors consumer behavior. Our job as marketers has evolved. It is no longer about trying to figure out what relevant information to place where, but rather we must figure out how to make all information accessible in all the media we use.

Allison Costello: The blurring of media boundaries bodes well for PR because it gives us an opportunity to truly add dimensions to the stories we tell. Already, it is pushing us to approach reporters with fully conceived story ideas—with corresponding elements, customized for each respective medium. Also, given that journalists are so strapped for resources, the blurring of boundaries puts us in an even better position to be true resources for them. Finally, the influence and pervasiveness of social media will continue to push the industry to visual storytelling in a way that we haven’t yet seen.

Jean Drummond: The biggest implication I see is change. The melding of media is just the continual evolution of media, and that is being driven by changes in technology as well as by our open borders, globalization and a range of other factors. For instance, as consumers in an increasingly smaller world, we want to protect each other; so, we are going to use online media sources to tell the truth—whether it’s on our own blog or in the comments of an online news story.

The major implication for professional communicators is that we have to get in on the act, too. At HCD International, we work with a lot of government agencies, and we’re now seeing them go on sites like Facebook and YouTube to offer services such as assistance with heating bills or information about mortgages. They’re following consumers to the media that they are using, and that means unexpected information is turning up there. We will see more of this over time, and the result will be consumers who are much more informed—by us and by each other.

Perspectives: This year’s survey included consumers in the U.K. for the first time. What was the most surprising finding about media usage in that country? And what implications do you see for communicators trying to reach consumers in the U.K.?

David Gallagher: The findings weren’t surprising so much as they were confirmations of anecdotal observations, particularly on the dominance of big media brands. Traditional “newspaper” brands like The Guardian and The Telegraph are actually quite influential through channels beyond print, and predictions of their imminent demise seem to have been very premature. Likewise, TV giants like BBC are now major sources of influence online, and television news here has long drawn content from “print” outlets. News distribution has become more complicated for the major brands, but richer in content and no less powerful than before.

One obvious implication for those trying to reach U.K. consumers is that they won’t be able to bypass traditional news outlets if they want to reach critical mass with sufficient credibility. I think there was a hope (or fear) among some that professional media gatekeepers–journalists, editors and producers–would somehow be cut out of the information chain, making it easier (for better or worse) to distribute information unfiltered to consumers. I don’t see that happening.

Perspectives: One of the most notable differences among the general population and influencers in the U.S. and the U.K. was the fact that influencers—the 10 to 15 percent of the population who drive change in society and their communities—have much higher media usage across all channels than do general consumers. As a communicator, in what ways have you factored influencers into your plans or campaigns?

Costello: Influencer outreach is a critical component of the PR marketing mix. I often view influencers through a media and nonmedia lens, as there is a definitive group of influencers that sit in the media set for any given industry. So whether the influencers are journalists or other consumers, ensuring that we reach them helps better extend buy-in and, ultimately, consumer awareness. It also enables us to create ambassadors to help carry our messages. And it’s a terrific way to troubleshoot or gain rich insight for future R&D efforts.

Drummond: In many cases, the work that we do at HCD International is customized for special populations. These can range from ethnicity to age to psychographic profile. Sometimes the influencers of these groups are not immediately obvious. So, often the first place that we begin is with focus groups of our target consumers. This allows us to test how messages will resonate with a broader audience, which is a role that often is filled by influencers.

Other times, influencers are easier to find and we leverage them from the beginning. In fact, in some situations, their involvement is essential for us even to be able to conduct focus groups. For instance, the National Institutes of Health engaged us in a campaign in which we had to customize materials for low-income minority communities. All the communication had to be done within a housing complex. For the most part, we located the primary influencers within the buildings, shared information with them and got them to sanction it and essentially vouch for our presence in the buildings. In those cases, we gathered focus groups with no problem. But in one case, we didn’t identify the right person to influence residents and no one showed up to take part in the focus group because it was not sanctioned by this person. Fliers and other communication we put out had no effect. We found the influencer within that building and we recovered, but the experience showed us that influencers can help a communication program and they can shut it down, too.

Gallagher: I would guess that in most cultures and over most of time, a similarly small percentage of people have had a proportionately far greater hold on information relative to the general population–that’s what makes them influencers in the first place. In the past, we reached them simply because they flocked to information. Now, with their active participation on the Internet, we see opportunities to identify these influencers more quickly and accurately through the social networks they use, and this is factored into program planning.

James Peters: Identifying and focusing on influencers is critical to many of the communication campaigns we have been engaged in. We strongly counsel our clients to identify and engage with key influencers early on in the process. I believe influencers are more than potential vocal supporters; they also can offer insight and feedback during the early stages of a program or campaign that is invaluable to the direction of the campaign going forward.

Perspectives: Word-of-mouth continues to rank fairly high in both usage and credibility, but it can be the most difficult media channel to influence. In what ways have you counseled clients to make the best use of it?

Drummond: This goes hand-in-hand with the question about influencers. Among the special populations that our clients tend to target, we find that for minorities (primarily African-Americans and Hispanics), in particular, word-of-mouth is huge. It is the trusted source. In healthcare, for instance, it’s common to find that a patient will choose to use a particular medicine because it worked for her friend, despite what her own doctor is saying. Also, because we often develop programs for government agencies, such as the Department of Housing and Urban Development or the Environmental Protection Agency, there is an added element of distrust that makes word-of-mouth even more important. It varies based on education levels, but minorities seem more likely to distrust government because of past incidents such as the Tuskegee experiment, in which the U.S. Public Health Service allowed hundreds of black men to die unknowingly from syphilis.

We counsel clients to always be aware of word-of-mouth and to place a priority on identifying its primary sources in any community. Once those sources are identified, we engage them to get our messages out. For many of the programs we’re involved with, if you go into a community and fail to identify the trusted sources, you have failed. It’s as simple as that.

Gallagher: Here’s the advantage of operating in a relatively contained national media market: Success in mainstream media generally generates word-of-mouth buzz, and vice versa. The main message for clients, however, is that families and friends talk about things differently than journalists. What is viewed positively in one environment might be perceived negatively in the other. This has implications for message design, and we work with clients to understand that what they want to say and how it gets filtered by audiences are different things. The desired outcome requires careful architecture.

Fernando Neves: In recent times, word-of-mouth has grown through the new communication tools created with the Internet. Until recently in Brazil, the Internet was considered a high-credibility communication channel directed to a strict circle of influencers who were hard to track and control. Today, it has become a global tool through the usage of blogs, forums and social networks. This new reality represents a threat and also an opportunity for corporations.

Companies that sell products directly to consumers are usually more vulnerable to the word-of-mouth movement, in a positive or negative way, and they have more difficulties managing it. In Brazil, the Ketchum Interactive Communications group has counseled our clients to use the new communication tools, and we are having good experiences with word-of-mouth management and the stimulation of dialogue in the digital atmosphere.

Perspectives: Our survey results show that more influencers use nonjournalist blogs than use journalist blogs, yet influencers find journalist blogs to be more credible. In what ways have you included nonjournalist blogs into your communication programs in a credible way?

Agee: At IKEA, we have actively included nonjournalist bloggers in our media outreach efforts over the past two years, treating them as conveyers of information. We include them in press activities and keep in regular contact with those who cover the home. The size and makeup of their readership is the key measure that we use to determine how much effort we place in them.

The big issue for us right now is that there are just so many and the audience is so fragmented that it can be difficult to find the sweet spot. And this really applies to all of the Web. If it was hard to be heard above the hubbub of non-Web media, it sometimes feels impossible today!

Costello: I work a lot with clients in the food industry, and nonjournalist blog outreach is a critical and essential part of what we do. Knowing that journalists are more strapped for resources than ever before and are now turning to the blogosphere for story ideas or sources puts the onus on us to cultivate real relationships with bloggers—not just “one-off pitches.” When we work with nonjournalist bloggers, our goal is to create a pool of evangelists and give them the tools they need to help tell our story for us . . . in their own relevant way, of course.

Peters: Blogs are just one of many channels that need to be part of your media landscape. When we identify media outlets for a client’s program, we look at all of the blogs that focus on the topic and pay less attention to whether it is a journalist blog or consumer blog. In some cases, consumer blogs have more influence and reach. Of course, as with all media conversations, including blogs, transparency about who we are and represent is key to formulate the relationship and participate in the dialogue.

Perspectives: The 2008 survey reiterated previous years’ findings in the U.S. and Brazil that podcasts haven’t taken off in a significant way with consumers. They also aren’t widely consumed in the U.K. Similarly, use of mobile media in the U.S. and U.K. is low. What do you see as barriers to people using podcasts and mobile media as sources of information? Are you aware of any notably successful programs using either?

Gallagher: I think these are two different issues. Podcasts, I think, prove the point that just because the technology makes it possible to deliver content in a specific way, it doesn’t make it desirable. So podcasts seem to work best as extensions of content that was already “audio-ready” – like radio programs. Maybe they’re analogous to audio books, which have their niche but don’t seem to be on the verge of replacing old-fashioned readable text.

Mobile media, on the other hand, perhaps are just now reaching a sufficient level of sophistication to become a more appealing form of receiving information. We’ve grown accustomed to fast, high-quality visual and audio content, and we’re just now seeing mass-market mobile devices capable of providing information as we now expect to receive it.

Neves: Every new technology has a unique maturation process. With a great expansion of channel offerings and an increase in the number of communication tools, it is natural that some of them are more quickly absorbed by consumers and others have a late acceptance or are even forgotten. Nowadays, we realize that people want the information fast, no matter what media is used. At least in Brazil, people are not listening to podcasts in their MP3 players; they listen to them directly from their computers. Given that, we try to integrate audio files into electronic newsletters and 2.0 press releases for clients such as Carrefour and Danone. At the same time, actions involving mobile media are still very restricted in Brazil because of privacy issues and lack of governmental regulation.

Both podcasts and mobile media present an enormous growth potential. I believe both will become important parts of a mix of communication tools but may not be used on as large a scale as it was figured they would be a short time ago.

Drummond: Timing is everything. I believe what has happened with podcasts, in particular, reflects the fact that new technology needs time to catch on. Technology is coming out so fast that by the time a consumer is ready to use X, Y is out and might catch on faster. For consumers who have quickly grown accustomed to online video content, audio-only podcasts simply might have missed their time.

Peters: I believe the infancy of the channels is the main barrier and that as more and more people become engaged with mobile media, the more popular they will become. IBM has launched a series of podcasts in conjunction with its Smarter Planet initiative, and these have been great platforms to share with the news media and others information about particular subjects, such as smart utility grids or technology to ease traffic congestion.

I see these channels as one more addition beneath the overall media umbrella to ensure that messages are being communicated across all applicable channels. This gives audiences the opportunity (and the choice) to pick up the content in the manner that they want to digest it.

Perspectives: Consumer use of social networking sites is growing in the U.S. and continues to be strong in Brazil. How can communicators effectively tap into such networks with marketing messages—without appearing too commercial?

Agee: At IKEA we have seen social networking as a real plus because our brand is one that many people have an opinion about because the products we offer so often are linked to major life events, such as moving into a new home or the addition of a new baby to the family. People have strong views about IKEA, and they readily share them online. We also have this terrific group of co-workers and fans who are active participants in many different social networking sites.

Our experience has been that if we are providing a good product, store experience and stories through our marketing, this gets translated into good word-of-mouth on these sites. Our co-workers and fans tell our stories for us. We still have a lot to learn, but there are many possibilities for us in this area.

Costello: Interestingly, a recent New York Times article pointed to the fact that folks want to interact with real people online and not necessarily with brands. If we’re pushing brand agendas in the social networking space, it becomes even more critical that we provide someone whom consumers can interact with in an authentic and natural way. This person could act as a brand advocate and could be either in-house or a third-party. It’s doubly critical that products or services truly speak to a relevant core need or anxiety of the social networking group.

Neves: Social networks are a real phenomenon in Brazil. They are used by people of every age and social class. Consumers of these networks do not want their communities to be invaded by commercial messages, but like every consumer, they are eager for relevant information.

Communities of specific interest on social networks such as Orkut, MySpace, Facebook, and others provide big opportunities for companies to establish direct communication with consumers. Although the Internet and especially social networks are considered mass media, they are composed of individuals who are looking for differentiation. Information should be directed to these individuals with this in mind. Conversation is key. Listening to what this audience says and then developing messages for targeted, direct communication is the main factor in helping our clients succeed on social networks.

Street Smarts

Compare and Contrast

In its third year, Media Myths & Realities now has enough data to offer year-to-year comparisons of media usage since 2006 in the U.S. and since 2007 in Brazil. At the same time, the addition of the U.K. in 2008 enables a look at the latest media consumption habits among consumers in all three countries. There are many points of comparison and contrast; this section of “Street Smarts” highlights five that are notable.

National newspapers are key information sources in the U.K. and Brazil

• Consumers in Brazil read national newspapers at more than three times the rate of consumers in the U.S. (62 percent compared to 18 percent), and U.K. consumers are close behind (53 percent).

Blogs are gaining traction in the U.S. and Brazil

• Consumers in the U.S. and Brazil reported significant increases in blog use in 2008. In the U.S., 24 percent of consumers used them, compared to 19 percent in 2007 and just 13 percent in 2006, while in Brazil, 52 percent used them, up from 43 percent in 2007.
• In the U.K., just 13 percent of consumers read nonjournalist blogs, and a mere 9 percent read blogs by journalists.

Cable network news is growing in importance

• Use of cable network news rose in both the U.S. (up to 49 percent from 46 percent in 2007) and in Brazil (up to 58 percent from 55 percent). But it is less popular in the U.K., with just 35 percent of consumers using it.

Shopping Web sites are an information destination

• Among U.S. consumers, the use of shopping Web sites for information has doubled since 2006, up to 35 percent from 17 percent. But they are even more popular in the U.K. (46 percent) and Brazil (53 percent).

Magazines are winners in Brazil

• Brazilians read magazines at much higher rates than consumers in the U.S. and the U.K., and news magazines are the biggest winners, with 67 percent of Brazilians reading them. Business and consumer magazines tie for reader attention, with 48 percent of consumers saying they read both.
• In the U.K., 23 percent of consumers read consumer magazines, while just 8 percent and 4 percent read news and business publications, respectively.
• In the U.S., 18 percent of consumers read magazines. (No data are available for business and news publications.)

Where Consumers Turn First for News and Information

Consumers in the U.S., the U.K. and Brazil turn first to television and the Internet to get information. But in Brazil, consumers turn first to the Internet at more than twice the rate of television.

Methodology

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	A Note from David Rockland, Partner and Managing Director, Global Research, Consulting and Interactive Communications, Ketchum View Bio
	and Eryn Taylor, Senior Project Manager, Ketchum Global Research Network View Bio
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Since we launched the benchmark Media Myths & Realities study in 2006, our research methodology has been consistent.

In 2006 and 2007, Ketchum partnered with the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Strategic Public Relations Center to examine media use in the U.S. and other countries. In 2008, Bournemouth University’s Media School joined our partnership, and we extended the survey to the U.K. for the first time. This study covers media usage in the U.S., the U.K. and Brazil.

The survey compares the media usage habits of 1,000 adult Americans (including 200 influential citizens, or “influencers”–the 10 to 15 percent of the population who initiate changes in their community or society through a variety of activities) and 500 communications industry professionals.

The communications professionals surveyed all have five or more years of experience in the communications or marketing fields and were responsible for what their company communicates to external audiences in terms of company news, products and services, stock information, corporate earnings or other announcements. Of the communications professionals, 14 percent of respondents worked for companies with 10,000 or more employees, 9 percent worked for companies with 5,000 to 9,999 employees, 20 percent for companies employing 1,000 to 4,999 people, 18 percent for companies with 500 to 999 employees, and 38 percent for companies with 100 to 499 employees.

In the U.K. and Brazil, 300 consumers and 200 influencers were surveyed in each country for a total of 500 consumers. The definition of an influencer was consistent for these countries, allowing for cultural and political differences within each country.

The survey did not include communications professionals in these countries. The survey was conducted through online distribution between Sept. 30 and Oct. 18, 2008.

Questions about the Media Myths & Realities methodology may be directed to David or Eryn at david.rockland@ketchum.com or eryn.taylor@ketchum.com.