A Return to Traditional PR

The Edelman Trust Barometer for 2011 shows a change in trends from previous years that may surprise some. Since 2006, people have looked to their peers as authorities on consumer products, restaurant reviews, and everything else. CEOs have seen a proportionate decline when compared to the increased trust people put in their peers between 2006-2010. But this year is different. CEOs and corporate spokespeople are on the rise again, especially as more and more people expect transparency and want to start conversation with the companies themselves, not just the company’s customers. Granted, people still look to “people like me” when making purchasing decisions but they are also taking stock of the company’s reputation, brand and culture when making these decisions.

Does this change mark the return of traditional PR? Probably not at the expense of digital but integrated strategies seem to be most effective. Don’t ditch all the traditional concepts; learn how to apply them to the digital landscape.

Corporate Spokespeople Getting Their Mojo Back?

Speaking Engagement: Betsy Berkhemer at UCLA Anderson School , Wednesday February 16

Betsy to moderate panel discussing how Business Intelligence and Enterprise Social Media affect managerial decision-making.

Companies are using increasingly creative ways to capture and share information on important business and performance trends. Social media technologies have changed the way individuals engage and communicate and have proven to create reservoirs of expertise and information for companies to leverage. Business Intelligence and Analytics technology use has risen within organizations but challenges remain for leaders making decisions with this information. In this forum, we will examine the convergence of Business Intelligence and Enterprise Social Media tools and discuss their effect on managerial decisions.

This is an annual event for members of the IS Associates organizations and Anderson MBA and FEMBA students. It provides an opportunity for IT business leaders and Anderson students to learn more about each other’s environments and interests, while at the same time to experience a panel discussion for which both the topic and speakers are chosen by the students.

Panel Moderator: Ms. Betsy Berkhemer-Credaire, President, Berkhemer Clayton Inc. and Principal, Trufflepig Search

See Betsy’s complete Bio.
Speakers Include:

Debra Domeyer, CTO, Oversee.net: Debra has over twenty-five years of experience in technology. Prior tojoining Oversee.net, she was the Chief Technology Officer at Internet Brands (INET), an internet media company from 2000 to 2008 In 2001, Debra was named one of the top 25 CTOs by InfoWorld Magazine and listed in the ComputerWorld Premier 100 IT leaders.

Nathan Henson, Sr. Dir, Global Account Management, YesMail: Nathan Henson is an Online Marketing and Customer Retention Management expert with 11+ years experience designing and managing the most advanced online programs in existence today. Extensive experience with subscription-based email, mobile and social media marketing programs, having implemented and managed programs for Warner Bros., Nissan/Infiniti, Macy’s, eBay/PayPal, E*TRADE, Kodak, Barclays Global, Apple, Electronic Arts, Wells Fargo, The Body Shop, Los Angeles Times, Hotwire, and many others.

Ken Lin, Program Manager, RPA: Ken Lin’s extensive experience includes leading the sales and delivery of some of his clients’ largest Business Intelligence initiatives, including Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, Intel, Western Digital, Ingram Micro and Johnson & Johnson..

George Lambert, Associate Partner, Business Analytics and Optimization at IBM Global Business Services: Ken has been in the area of marketing analytics and business intelligence at eHarmony, Snap Technologies, Yahoo! and Ticketmaster working on wide array of topics including display ads, websitea, paid search, e-mail, market research and surveys, customer segmentation, and financial analysis.

 

 

 

Top 9 Career Search Sites

Online job board scams are out there but here’s a source of 9 sites where you can find legitimate job postings for positions that really do exist. That said, the best jobsites online are changing. While Monster and CareerBuilder still lead the pack, there are some new-comers that offer more targeted searches to help with your next career move. Each of these sites offers more than just a job board, they offer consulting services, custom resume tools, self-branding techniques, lists, and useful content for the jobseeker. And if you are a social media communicator, be sure to submit your resume with Trufflepig Search!

Top 9 Sites to Bookmark for your Career Search

 

10 Companies Doing Blogging Right

Most company blogs feature what strategist Mark Schaefer describes as the “killer P’s”: pronouncements, promotions, and product descriptions. The content is typically no different than what you’d find in the pressroom of the company website or the product line information, and offers little more. In fact, these blogs exist more because a company should have a blog, rather than sharing value-added information to the audience.

Interestingly, “only 22% of the Fortune 500 [companies] blog, compared to 45% of the Inc 500, and about 80% of non-profits”—a trend that may surprise many. Mark Schaefer has combed hundreds of company blogs and shared 10 companies that are doing blogging right. Each blog is different, with a different goal, and varied audience. There are many more high technology blogs worth checking out but for these purposes the best Fortune 500 non-tech blogs are listed.

The 10 Best Corporate Blogs in the World

My reaction to most company blogs: “Blah, Blah and Double Blah!”

I recently taught a class on corporate blogging at the amazing social media marketing graduate program at Rutgers University.  In my research for the class, I pored through hundreds of websites looking for examples of the best company blogs in the world…

Interviewing in the New Millennium Workplace

Candidates who used to seek out ways to impress their interviewer at the expense of their own personality are fading out, even in this changing economy. In the new age of employment, the new-millennium workplace features an environment where potential employees interview the company just as critically as the company interviews them. These employees seek to find a company whose brand complements their own personal brand instead of changing their personal brand to reflect that of the company as was seen frequently with the baby-boomer generation. What’s more, companies are increasingly focused on hiring employees whose personal brands align with their company brand—“cultural fit”. Employees who fit the corporate culture of their company tend to take more pride in their work and offer ideas consistent with company goals.

We would welcome your feedback, see The New Rules of Job Interviewing for Boomers by Liz Ryan for some advice on successful interviews today.

Read Liz Ryan’s article in full here.

My inbox is deluged with job-search queries. That’s understandable: the job market remains tepid, and Kiplinger’s doesn’t see the unemployment rate dropping below 9% this year.

Some of my correspondents want suggestions on job-search direction or particular employers. Most of them do not. The vast majority of folks seek guidance…