One to Watch for 2012: The Social TV Convergence

There was a time, a long long time ago before the internet, The X Factor and Pringles existed, when the phase ‘water-cooler moment’ was coined. This was a moment of community and shared experience, where the tele-visual event of last night was watched by the majority so they could be involved in the conversation. Then, as time passed, the number of channels grew and digital recorders such as Sky Plus and online catch-up sites like 4oD and iPlayer evolved, and the relevance of the event diminished to a point where advertisers withdrew and ratings dropped.

Now, however, an online revolution is changing all that, it’s no longer the water cooler but the social media moment, and it happens live, as the programme is broadcast. Suddenly a two screen revolution is under-way as internet access and multi-platform applications such as Twitter and Facebook are used in unison with the television to analyse, discuss and ridicule the exploits of soap characters, reality ‘stars’ and world events. No longer does it take any great effort to access the social media platforms for the average viewer, of a certain demographic, has mobile phones, tablets and laptops at their sides while they watch TV. There are even services like Zeebox springing up that embrace this trend and give users a one stop social media stop.

This is a sign of the future where all forms of media channel (YouTube, ITVPlayer and Sky TV) are viewed within a web environment that is not confined to the window of that company. So what does this mean? Well, for the consumer it means more feedback which could lead to better programming but also more power to those who air their views. For the businesses involved, the broadcasters lose control over image but have more metrics by which to show value to advertisers and these advertisers will no doubt be the target of the social media platforms collecting opinions.

Technology, Life and our addiction to smartphones

Last Saturday evening I had the misfortune (or luck) to place my low-battery mobile phone in a “safe place” at home (I think). Mid-way through the week and I still hadn’t managed to locate it but as a persistent and positive PR I refused to give in and report it lost.

Coincidentally, this also happened to be the week that RIM went into meltdown, leaving millions of Blackberry users without access to the internet so at least I wasn’t suffering alone. An Ofcom survey released this summer highlighted that a quarter of adults and nearly half of teenagers admitted to being highly addicted to their smartphones. We spend hours with them and rarely have them out of arm’s reach (even if we are in the bathroom). A Sheila’s Wheel’s survey found that partners love their phones more than their partners and on the average night out 48 minutes are spent on these techy toys. I, for one, admit to spending an unnecessary amount of time with my phone, whether it’s keeping up with the latest news, looking at Twitter, playing games and emailing not to mention normal calls, texts etc. Pre loss I was checking my phone for news in the bath, slept next to it, checked it in bed once the alarm went off in the morning, in the bus on the way to work, on the way home, at lunch with colleagues and the list goes on. This is not a unique situation and though colleagues say that checking my emails in the bath is a little on the extreme side, most admit to being unable to cope without their mobiles.

So what is it like not having a smartphone? I have to say, after the initial feeling of missing a limb wears off, it’s actually not that bad. I had to use landlines, traditional maps, be on time and started to read again. My tech hits were limited to laptops and my work PC, but I noticed a sense of freedom, better concentration and that my eyes weren’t as strained. I also talked to people without worrying about what my trusty little electronic pal was up to. I went to an event in Shoreditch called Slow Tech last month, which examined ways to detach from tech for a while. Whilst recognising that technology plays an important part in our lives, the event also looked at our inability to not check phones every few minutes. Interesting solutions included the Tamagochi style living plant which is looked after when your phone or iPad is plugged in and not touched, the innovative pulley system which lifts your phone out of reach until it’s fully charged and a tech blocking gizmo which blocks signals and apps – very handy when you’re having a dinner party. A friend and I had dinner the other night and I found myself increasingly irritated with his need to reply to texts and check his phone. Slow Tech speakers argued that no one’s going to die when you don’t look at your phone for a couple of hours – something that I agree wholeheartedly with. I may have caved in and finally ordered a replacement phone, but I certainly think it helped me realise our obsession with being constantly connected is unnecessary. I wonder how many Blackberry users feel the same?

The importance of checking your facts

Today and yesterday saw the confirmation of a huge hoax. Last week a large piece of research was released which highlighted that Internet Explorer Users were stupid. News coverage appeared in the likes of the BBC,CNN and several nationals including the Telegraph and the Mail. According to the Aptiquant “research” which tested 100,000 people and included a table, there was a substantial relationship between a users’ cognitive ability and their choice of browser. IE 6 users came bottom in the IQ stakes, which became a huge story.

How did the study come about? Someone who was frustrated with their browser decided to lash out by sending though a press release with the attention grabbing headline “Is Internet Explorer For The Dumb? A New Study Suggests Exactly That.” They obviously went to a lot of trouble – creating a fake website and even stealing the corporate identity from another website. Some questioned the credibility of the results, but not quickly enough to stop the story getting widespread coverage worldwide. Though an investigation was launched, it took a little while for the survey to be exposed. Interestingly, there were a couple of ways that the hoax could have been spotted quickly which the creator has blogged about. I’ve highlighted a couple of suggestions below.

• A link to the website AtCheap.com was in the footer
• Checking the address on Google would have revealed that it didn’t exist
• The IQ test mentioned in the report cannot be administered online due to copyright

Whilst this fake survey could have negative ramifications for future PR surveys, there are many reasons why it shouldn’t. Surveysare a great way to give brands exposure and reach out to a wider audience. Legitimate surveys can reveal some interesting and sometimes controversial results which appeal to readers for example.

Today and yesterday have seen more stories covering the Aptiquant survey hoax and there have been quite a few red faces, but perhaps it has exposed just how overworked and under pressure journalists really are. One big lesson that everyone can learn from the whole experience is that it does pay to spend even 5 minutes checking the validity of a source, even if you are pressed for time.

10 Top Tips for the Perfect PR Press Trip

It’s not just all about social media. Some of the original ‘tactics’ still have a worthy place in campaigns and the PR industry is famous for organising press trips. It sounds very glamorous, and it definitely can be, but it should always be rewarding and fun for those that go. Whether it’s for building media relations or securing a fantastic piece of coverage, press trips need to be remembered for all of the right reasons. At onechocolate we’re lucky enough to host press trips on a regular basis and, as such, thought we’d share some of our nuggets of wisdom with you:

1. Invite people who you think will not only enjoy the trip, but will also get on with other people – to help create a good atmosphere
2. Be very organised – eg have everyone’s contact details and make sure everyone has your number in case there’s a problem
3. Do remind guests if they need to bring something eg a valid passport, swimming trunks (people sometimes forget)
4. Keep things simple eg arrange a reasonable meet-up time and obvious meeting point
5. Don’t push press releases constantly at your guests, it’s annoying and will probably irritate them
6. Make sure your client is briefed properly
7. Set your client’s expectations for the trip
8. Be nice, courteous, calm and helpful – if you’re in control, it will rub off on others
9. Do enjoy a drink with journos and clients if the occasion arises – but remember you’re working
10. Have fun!

What’s the influence of social media on PR and journalist relationships?

A recent survey analysing the rise of social media within journalism caught my eye. Over 900 journalists were surveyed by Darly Willcox Publishing and the results have been analysed in a white paper by FT journalist Martin Stabe.

According to the survey, 75% of journalists claim social media is important for their work with 90% using it more than they did a year ago.

But what got me most interested was what the survey has to say about the effect of social media on how PR professionals and journalists interact.

A finding of the report is that ‘communicating with PR professionals currently has a relatively insignificant role in journalists’ use of social media. What’s more 44% of journalists believe  PR professionals aren’t making the most of the medium.

Reasons cited included some PR professionals failing to understand the need to build genuine relationships using social media, and lack of resources to respond quickly to journalists.

Working in PR, the value social media is immeasurable. We take pride in developing and maintaining relationships with journalists but traditional methods of contact remain essential. That’s what PRs said in the same survey with use of email and phone significantly exceeding contact by social media. Of the social media PRs use most to communicate with the media.

Social media is paramount in keeping engaged with journalists yet unless combined with traditional communications, from picking up the phone, to face to face drinks, no amount of Tweeting someone would be effective. It is all about maintaining the right balance of new and traditional ways of engaging the press.