Vanguard Communications InSites | Blogging for Social Change » communication

InSites for the Future: 2012 Will Set A New Standard for Green/Sustainable Events

Rachael Siefert — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 15:45:53 +0000

This weekend people around the world will gather to celebrate one of the biggest events of the year, New Year’s Eve. To wrap up our InSites for the Future series, Vanguard’s event manager Scott LaLonde looks at the future of event planning.

2012 Will Set A New Standard for Green/Sustainable Events

Source: Convention Industry Council

Associations, government organizations and nonprofits that pride themselves on hosting “green” events may have an eye-opening 2012. The event industry’s first-ever guidelines for environmentally sustainable events are in the final stages of creation and will be rolled out in the new year. The guidelines, created through a partnership of the Convention Industry Council, ASTM Standards (formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials), Green Meeting Industry Council and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will set new standards and criteria measuring the environmental impact of event components, including venue, food and beverage, transportation, audio/visual production and accommodations. Given the potential for media and communicators to scrutinize the legitimacy of “green” events, those who want to promote sustainable events in 2012 and beyond will need to evaluate their plans using these new standards.

– By Scott LaLonde

InSites for the Future: The Use of Visuals in Communication in 2012

Rachael Siefert — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:38:20 +0000

Visuals can be more important to effective communication than the words we use. Vanguard’s Integrated Media Services group leader Crystal Borde predicts digital media will become more visual in 2012, while editorial director LeAnne DeFrancesco argues for the power of images when communicating your message.

A More Visually Appealing New Year

In 2011, websites, media outlets and social networks became more visual. In 2012, everything online will need to be visual. Accessing content through personal, dynamic technology, such as smart phones, tablets, electronic readers, etc., is increasing user appetites for visuals. Time constraints and a growing global audience will force websites to use more photographs and infographics to tell stories and communicate information. Image-dominant social networking sites, such as Pinterest, will become the new norm and grow in popularity. As Facebook is already learning from its new timeline format, mainstream website and social networks will need to catch up by applying more visually appealing style to content. Communicators can get ahead by thinking more visually and consider graphic design options when transmitting information to our audiences.

– By Crystal Borde

Be Stingy: Let Images Do (Most of) the Work

Last Friday, I was waiting at a coffee shop for my weekly ritual caramel macchiato when I noticed that of the six people in line ahead of me, every one of them was looking down at a smart phone. Every one. There were holiday images on the windows, gift displays throughout the space and holiday music on the PA, but all of it was lost on these people who were engaged elsewhere.

It made me wonder how communicators — writers in particular — can interrupt a person’s tunnel vision long enough to take in the messages around them. And then, that lesson from Advertising 101 hit me: Don’t TELL me. SHOW me.

Source: http://psd.tutsplus.com/articles/web/40-brilliantly-photoshopped-print-ads/

In 2012, people will use even less time to consume content in an advertising campaign or website. But if they can get the message via a powerful visual — along with a few words, of course — the chances are greater that they’ll stick around to learn more, or even take action. (I’m ready to personalize M&Ms as gifts for the next 12 months.) Although in marketing efforts PR professionals can sometimes be pressed to over-communicate, we shouldn’t be afraid to let design do (most of) the talking. Expansive vocabularies can be used elsewhere.

– By LeAnne DeFrancesco

InSites for the Future: Multicultural Communication in 2012

Rachael Siefert — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:25:00 +0000

Today, as part of Vanguard’s “InSites for the Future” series, we’re looking at the future of multicultural communication. Vanguard’s multicultural services leader, Leah Holmes-Bonilla, predicts that cultural relevancy will become even more critical in a fast-paced world, while Kirana Bammarito sees that multicultural approaches will expand from a PR specialty service to an essential ingredient in all aspects of communication.

Keeping Pace with Culturally Relevant Communications

“Everyone here has the sense that right now is one of those moments when we are influencing the future.” – Steve Jobs

Social media has facilitated unprecedented social change – from the Arab Spring to Occupy Wall Street and beyond. The lightning speed and mobility with which social change can happen will only accelerate in 2012. But with great speed will come great responsibility to ensure communications are culturally relevant and personal. Effective communication happens between people who trust each other, so social change will happen most successfully in spheres that are responsible, competent and real. Beyond providing accurate information, communicators will find it critical to be culturally responsive in order to remain a credible resource. A piece of advice for communicators in 2012: Never be afraid to listen to and learn from your audience. If you don’t, they will tell you and many others in their social network, exactly what they think. And you may not like the results.

– By Leah Holmes-Bonilla

Multicultural Communications Will No Longer Be a Specialty – It Will Be Expected

Source: Staff reports. The Washington Post.

More and more public relations agencies are listing multicultural communications as one of their specialties, but eventually this will be a standard service not a niche one. In 2012, I predict that communications agencies will be expected to incorporate multicultural needs into all their services, much like clients have come to expect social media expertise. Demographics are shifting, and communicators must adapt to the change. The U.S. is quickly approaching complete majority-minority status, meaning that non-Hispanic Whites will no longer comprise the majority of the population. Washington, D.C., along with seven other major cities, achieved this status in 2000. Beyond racial, ethnic and linguistic cultural competence, savvy communicators will apply a broad definition of culture to include LGBTQI, youth, seniors and any other audience segment that requires tailored attention. Successful public relations in 2012 means understanding that one size no longer fits all.

– By Kirana Bammarito

Quick! Grab Me!

Helen Mitternight — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 20:05:56 +0000

Last night, I decided to go shoe-shopping from the comfort of my sofa, so I whipped out my iPad and went to a popular shoe site. A screen popped up saying that the site had an app for shoe-shopping. Heaven! Three pairs of shoes later, my idle desire to go shoe-shopping had turned into a “need” for shoes. Why? Because the site grabbed me by making it so darn easy!

Photo courtesy of Steve Rhodes on Flickr

I thought of this as I read that mobile devices, such as my iPad, have outpaced PCs in using wi-fi bandwidth. Just as the shoe site reached out and grabbed me on my sofa, smart communicators are taking advantage of this format evolution to make sure their audiences receive their messages.

Studies show that our brains change when we spend more time browsing the Internet than reading books — our brains become “trained” to be flexible and grasp ideas quickly. So, it stands to reason that people who are using mobile devices to get their information need quick bursts of information and not the “War and Peace” of press releases.

Mobile isn’t just for youngsters anymore. Communicators wanting to reach adults can forgo in-depth prose, because the latest stats show that adults are using wireless more. The trend is even more striking among African-Americans and English-speaking Latinos, who not only outpace whites in cell phone ownership, but also in the use of the phones’ features.

So, the question for communicators:

Hw fst cn u commnic8?

Metaphors: As Powerful As (Insert Metaphor Here)

Helen Mitternight — Wed, 18 May 2011 18:52:59 +0000

Photo courtesy of wwarby on Flickr

You remember Superman, don’t you? He’s the guy who is “faster than a speeding bullet.” That’s pretty fast — in fact, my research shows that it’s around 400 miles per hour. The comparison probably isn’t realistic, because a 400-mile-per-hour trip in Superman’s arms would likely dismember Lois Lane. But the bottom line is Superman is fast, and in describing him this way his creators probably wanted to convey that he is not only speedy, but also sleek and dangerous — like a bullet. Of course, ostriches are pretty fast too, but comparing Superman to an ostrich somehow makes him sound less…super.

Clearly, metaphors matter.

A new article in Psychology Today describes research from Stanford University that considers the power of metaphors. It turns out that the metaphors people use to define things stick with us, even if the comparisons are way off base. The researchers found that we are largely unaware of the influence of metaphors; we like to believe we are influenced by facts. If you got a hug from a great grizzly bear of a man, for example, you can bet it would be a different experience than if you received one from a big “Teddy bear,” and your perception of that hug — whether you knew it or not — would depend on which bear profile had been used in advance to describe the man.

Metaphors are a fun short-hand to convey not just information, but also emotion. Because they tap into feelings, the researchers found that we remember them. There is a difference, however, between using short-hand and just being linguistically lazy, and when the metaphors we use to describe people — especially in relation to race or class — are less than flattering, that metaphor worms its way into our minds (speaking of unflattering metaphors!) and tends to stick around.

As communicators, we have the ability to influence behavior simply by choosing positive metaphors over negative ones. Metaphors wield great power. Like Superman, it’s up to us to use the power we’ve been given responsibly.

What Killed the Soaps? Stay Tuned…

Helen Mitternight — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 17:39:50 +0000

Last week, ABC announced the cancellation of two iconic soap operas: All My Children and One Life to Live.

As a closeted soap fan, I have to say that I am sorry to see these soaps go. I grew up with Erica Kane on All My Children, and I watched soaps tackle issues like abortion, lesbian marriage, and interracial relationships long before society as a whole was more accepting. The soap world was a place that was larger than life and even larger than death (the good characters never seemed to stay dead, they’d just come back with amnesia or a different face played by a different actor). Even today, soaps are a guilty pleasure, although my watching is confined to recordings on my DVR.

But for my 21-year-old daughter, the antics of soap characters can’t hold a candle to the antics of the “stars” of reality television. Want cheating and fighting? Watch “Jersey Shore.” Want to peek at the wealthy? Watch the Kardashians.

The “soapier” real life got, the more quaint the soaps seemed. And for many, it will seem that reality TV killed soaps.

But some of the new dramas getting good ratings on evening network television prove that there is an audience for solid drama that isn’t necessarily edgy. The truth is that the writers of these soaps forgot a critical communication lesson: listen to your audience. There was a lot that went wrong with All My Children and One Life to Live, including writers who rewrote history for a quick story (Erica Kane’s abortion way back when never really happened and the baby-who-was-never-aborted came to town later as a full-grown man — don’t ask!) or ignored legacy characters in favor of newer, cheaper actors. Fans responded at first with letters to the soap magazines, and the soap writers begged the script writers to listen.

But the soaps continued to slash costs and beloved characters’ onscreen time.

In response, the fans tuned out.

Will the remaining soaps take direction from their key audience, or will they ignore the very people they are trying to reach? Stay tuned.

Surname Translation Can Challenge Cultural and Linguistic Competency

Crystal Borde — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 20:25:41 +0000

Romanization of character language systems, such as Chinese, can pose cultural and linguistic challenges for communicators. Photo credit: Our Signature by 2493™ on Flickr

Have you noticed in the coverage about the protests in Libya that the name of the country’s leader is spelled differently depending on the news organization? I’ve seen his name reported as Muammar el-Qaddafi, Moammar Gadhafi, Muammar Qaddafi or Muammar Gaddafi. Are some reporters spelling his name incorrectly? If so, which is the correct spelling?

Slate recently posted an article exploring this issue. The answer? All of them are correct. According to Slate, each version is an acknowledged transliteration — changing letters or words from one alphabet into the corresponding letters or words from another alphabet — or Romanization — converting a language from another alphabet or a pictographic system into the Latin alphabet — of his Arabic name. However, the article did not answer an important question — which version is the most culturally and linguistically appropriate?

When communicating with audiences who speak a language other than English, it is critically important that translation extend beyond the alphabet. Culturally and linguistically competent communications takes into account both native language and culture, and is a key component to ensuring that a message is understood.

Languages based on alphabets or pictographic language systems, such as Arabic, Asian, Mediterranean and Eastern European, can present unique challenges when we attempt translation. Because these languages are written using characters that are vastly different from the Latin-based alphabet, adaptation may require the use of transliteration or Romanization for translating names and cultural terms. However, its important to test your adaptation and your messages with your audience to be sure that the transliteration does not affect the meaning. For example, how a name or word is spelled impacts how it is pronounced; pronunciations alone can confuse terms, such as Slate’s example regarding the spelling of Muslim.

Finally, Kathy Park wants to know why “Moslem” is considered an offensive spelling. The problem with spelling the Arabic word meaning “one who surrenders to God” as “Moslem” and not “Muslim” is that people end up pronouncing it mawslem, which is a different word that means “oppressor.”

When in doubt of how best to spell a name or word from a non-Latin alphabet language, create an informal focus group of your target multicultural audience for guidance. While you may receive differing opinions, you should be able to gather at least an informed recommendation to guide your spelling and provide the backup you need, if your language selection is questioned.

Set your DVR – It’s Super Grover 2.0 Week!

Mary Pat King — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 13:39:49 +0000

While this may not be big news to you – for a family with two kids in diapers – it’s HUGE! Beginning today, Sesame Street will feature a daily segment with Super Grover, whose powers involve the “ability to observe, investigate, question and report phenomenon to help kids solve problems.”

Add “and build mutually beneficial relationships” to the end of that sentence and Grover becomes a PR Super Hero!

So what does it take to be a PR Super Hero? Of course, everything our wise professors and Grunig, Grunig and Dozier explain in The Public Relations Excellence Theory, but beyond that it’s a matter of opinion. Here’s mine:

A nose for news (Grover’s is pink, but any old nose will do)

Curiosity that can’t be satisfied

Constant yearning for learning (Rhyme inspired by too many children’s books)

An open mind to all perspectives

A belief that “mutually beneficial” can be achieved

Flexibility and adaptability to rapid change

Impeccable writing and presentation skills

An urge for constructive criticism (because you know it can only get better)

Passion for your cause

A sense of humor, genuine smile and – a cape would be nice too!

What do you think it takes to be a Public Relations Super Hero?

A Year of InSites: Sticking to Goals Leads to Success

Juanita Panlener — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 19:44:20 +0000

This guest blog post is from Juanita Panlener, an Account Supervisor at Vanguard Communications.

This past year, I’ve been reminded of one of the most important aspects of social marketing — creating and sticking to a communications plan that guides and drives outreach strategy and activities.

A trusted colleague recently compared the role of strategic communications plans to the work of career counselors. Sometimes, people simply don’t know what career or line of work fits with their vision of themselves. Career counselors help people uncover (and often, untangle) their interests and talents, and identify how to make the best of them in the workplace. This can be a tough job because people tend to have many more interests than talents — the trick is to match interests and talents in a way that translates into a physically and emotionally rewarding employment situation.

The strategic communications process is similar in that it involves identifying, as clearly as possible, what we want the end result of our efforts to be. Along the way, we can be tempted to add other interesting but unrelated endeavors to our work — but our goal is our anchor that brings us back to our core strategic plan.

As professional communicators, it is our job to help those who’ve entrusted us with their mission to keep them on track, no matter how exciting or popular that latest communications tool may seem. If it doesn’t in some way contribute to the communications goal, we should be the ones to steer them away from it (unless it’s time to adjust that goal).

But doing so is not easy. At times, it can be very challenging to be the ones to repeat and reinforce the communications goal, objectives, audiences, messages, strategies, and tactics. I admire and endeavor to learn from my fellow communicators who do so confidently, persuasively, always tactfully, and without discouraging creativity. After all, despite our knowledge of communications and years of experience, we never want to think so much of ourselves that we dismiss the knowledge and insights of those whose mission we support. We also don’t want to be so accommodating that we allow our clients to head into a direction that might hurt them in the long run.

But time after time, we’ve seen how leaning on the strategic communications plan leads to positive outcomes for our clients, and ultimately, for us as communicators.

A Year of InSites: New Tools, Same Rules

Rachael Siefert — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 16:57:26 +0000

It seemed like every time you turned around in 2010, there was a hot, new social media tool or a story about the innovative ways people were using these tools, such as in the aftermath of the earthquake in Chile. While it has been tempting for public relations professionals and their clients to jump on the bandwagon and sign up for every new tool out there, we have to remember that the “old” rules of public relations and communication still apply. Some of these include:

Know your audience. To communicate effectively with your audience, you have to know who they are, where they spend their time, what they care about, and what they want. It has been tempting to blast information across all channels, new and traditional alike, but those efforts can be a waste of time if they’re not targeted. Knowing where your audience spends time, whether it’s on Twitter or reading the local newspaper, can help you to communicate your message more effectively to the people that matter to you.
Talk with your audience, not at them. Social media allows for an unprecedented level of interaction with your audience. Why not take advantage of it? Start by responding to tweets or comments on your Facebook page, blog or website. Conversing with your audience will make them more engaged and loyal to your brand.
Grammar and spelling will always be important. There has been some speculation this year about whether or not social media tools and texting are destroying the English language — perhaps it is because most of us are using the same tools in our personal and professional lives. But we must all be mindful to use grammatically correct language in all professional communication, whether it is a tweet, blog post, or e-mail. Of course, it wouldn’t hurt to use the same grammatically correct language in our personal communication as well.

As we move into 2011, let’s all embrace the new communication tools that come our way while remembering and applying the key elements of successful public relations and communications campaigns.