News Evolution
June 25, 2008
Opinions and News Converging Into One Source
The Internet has opened a myriad of sources where news can be delivered. People access their in-boxes daily to find out what the latest business news is, what the economy is doing, which way the real estate market and gas prices are leaning and even what the latest Britney Spears gossip is! The search for the news is unquenchable and consumers are finding more and more creative ways to satisfy their editorial thirst.
There are so many ways that one can absorb the news that there is not necessarily a “right” way or a “wrong” way to get current events. With so many venues available for sharing, it is not uncommon to receive news via Internet, radio, print and even in public forums.
News and Expectations
Fine journalism warrants that the reader will be enlightened and possibly even take action after having absorbed, digested and pondered on the food for thought by the writer. Effective news sharing dictates that information is shared that is not readily available or even easily attainable and which will be informative to the reader. Quality is of the utmost importance since many rely heavily on the printed word to get their fix of news happenings. Facts outweigh opinions, but opinions give the reader entertainment. But where does that fine line end between opinion…and entertainment?
The media has a large responsibility to play in how news is received and perceived by the masses. Even in light of our current political climate, news is slanted for or against the candidate of choice in hopes that this will sway the reader and give the candidate an advantage. This method actually does work on some, however, those who are skilled in the techniques of the news media know that it can be a deceptive technique and should be looked at very closely
Accurate Assessments
In order to fairly judge news sources and scrutinize media publicity, all one has to do is to analyze the source from which their news is derived. This would give a person a complete understanding of what the underlying motive is (if any) and whether or not the source can be trusted. Does that mean we should more readily trust a source from the New York Times than we should from a local, low-circulated news press? Absolutely not.
Analyzing media sources for accuracy and journalistic ethics requires us to simply look at the history of the source, the quotes or information that it offers and compare it against what others sources are saying. For instance, if several media outlets cite the same source for the same information, it is usually an outlet that can be trusted as well as its source. Likewise, a news outlet who claims that they have the “spoof” story is almost always one that has incorrect facts, questionable information and stories that cannot be confirmed. Although there are journalists who can get the first-hand story account, they have been in the business for a while and have developed relationships and a reputation in the industry for having the edge on their journalistic approaches.
The media is responsible for shaping much of what consumers view as news and what they form their individual opinions on. This is a power that no one can deny that they do have nor can they really rival it when it comes to delivering news that is accurate and emotional. The media desires to sway the opinions of the reader and will do almost anything to have the story go in the direction that benefits them the most. Aside from unethical practices, media outlets can make the news say just about anything they want it to. Shading and coloring the facts are considered harmless if the outcome is positive to all involved. But, just because no one is hurt, does that make their responsibility less effective? Or, does that mean it’s just good journalism?
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Talking to retail investors
June 25, 2008
What proportion of your investors are individuals? How are you connecting with them?
For Dell, that percentage is about 20%, and, as reported on the Dell IR blog, they’ve set up a series of opportunities for individuals to meet with investor relations professionals at conferences across America.
SAP do the same; you can find out where they’ll be on their financial calendar.
This seems like a good idea, particularly for those companies with a high proportion of retail investors. After all, the professionals often get a lot of attention …
This will be costly, particularly on a per-investor-head basis. Each of these individuals’ investments are probably pretty small, relatively. (Yes, I know there is a wider PR value in these meetings). Is there a way in which you could connect with the individual investors without having to travel out to meet them?
We’ve mentioned the Petrobras live chat sessions before.
Telecom Italia, for whom retail investors are 34% of their investor base, take communication with their retail investors very seriously. They have several pages of their corporate site dedicated to this group, as well as a specific website, which seems to be unavailable today, but the idea is that daily communication can be maintained between shareholders and TI. In addition, they have a third site, a club for retail investors, which can provide newsletters, a weekly stock market report, email alerts and daily text messages including the daily closing price of the share (ordinary and savings shares) and the change in price compared to the day before, in addition to the closing price of the S&P/MIB index.
How many retail investors have you made contact with this week?
Our Elders Should Know Better
June 25, 2008
Embedded within the human race’s shared psyche there is one memory every child has: the wagging finger and stern expression of an elder scolding you for your latest transgression.
Along with it is one of those hallelujah moments which act as milestones on the path from child to adulthood: the realisation that elders aren’t actually supreme beings who are wholly infallible.
With this comes further understanding that rules can be broken with justification but that it’s all too easy to slip into hypocrisy, which in turn leads directly to a lack of credibility from which it is difficult to recover.
The London Stock Exchange is such an elder organisation, its remit being to police how company ownership is traded on all London’s stock markets.
However if London is to move forwards as a centre of sustainability it needs to examine its own performance in this area, lest its current failings lead companies to look elsewhere for a suitable base in the future.
Read more
What’s On The Minds Of CEOs (Part 1)
June 24, 2008
I must admit, I have a strange hobby. I like to collect surveys of CEOs. But there is a benefit, I learn what issues CEOs say they are confronting. Now I would like to share some learnings from my hobby.
I will present summary results from four current surveys and indicate where you may obtain copies of the full surveys. Finally I will discuss items common in the surveys. Because of the length of the content, there will be two parts. This post will cover surveys from IBM and Forum consulting. The second post will cover PWC’s and CCL’s surveys and will include a summary review.
- IBM’s “Global CEO Study”
- Forum Consulting’s “Growth, Talent, and the Three C’s: A Review of Global Business Trends
- PricewaterhouseCoopers’ “11th Annual Global CEO Survey”
- The Center For Creative Leadership’s “Ten Trends”
3 Steps to Generate Emotional Involvement in Your Brand
June 24, 2008
As a follow up to my post earlier this week about how emotional involvement in a brand drives brand loyalty, today I will provide three steps to generate emotional involvement in your brand. I call these three steps the 3 S’s of Customer Loyalty. It’s a concept I first introduced in my book that was just released in the U.K. (coming to the U.S. in August), Harry Potter: The Story of a Global Business Phenomenon. By ensuring your brand offers customers the 3 S’s of customer loyalty, customers will become emotionally involved in your brand. Let’s take a closer look. Read more