What have you done for me lately?

A fundamental mistake. It is a mistake a lot of people make, especially in the business world. Well-meaning, hard-working people do it all the time. I am guilty of it, especially in the past with regards to my professional communications experience.

People do not seek the credit for their work as much as they should. “My work speaks for itself.” “They know what I do/contribute/add to the business.”

While the importance was not as obvious when I started out in the communications field, I see it much clearer today in the retail world. If you want people to acknowledge your contributions or give yourself ammunition for a pay raise/promotion, you have to make sure they know what you have done and how that contribution benefits the entire company.

You cannot just let your work speak for itself.

In the communications field, that means making use of research and evaluation tools to not only show the impact of a particular program, but to also put it into context of the overall goal/mission of the organization you are working for – justify the resources you have used and the ones you will need in the future.

Before you start a communications campaign of any kind, you need to understand where you currently stand. What is the perception of your company? Who are the people or audiences you are trying to reach? If you cannot clearly identify your starting point, you will be unable to determine how far you have “moved the needle” toward your overall goal. How do you increase favorable impressions of customers by 25% if you do not have any idea where you stand at the beginning of your campaign?

It may seem obvious and pure common sense to establish a starting point, but there is always pressure to begin delivering results as soon as you can – in any job. Any practitioner is going to want to demonstrate their worth and justify the faith their employer has shown by giving them a job. But there needs to be a measured, methodical process through which not only is a starting point identified, but a means of measuring the impact of any effort made as part of a strategic communication program.

While most of what I have covered to this point is in reference to hard, tangible numbers, a strategic communicator needs to weave in the intangible aspects, too. You can tell a pretty straightforward story with hard numbers, but identifying the intangibles helps to flesh out the context of overall environment in which these hard numbers were achieved. An increase of new donors to a foundation by X% is great, but the ability to achieve that during an economic downturn while closing 15% your company’s manufacturing facilities puts it into a slightly more impressive context.

I noted in one of my course assignments that as communicators, we are essentially storytellers. We weave a particular tale (hopefully nonfiction!) for particular audiences with a desired outcome as a goal. If our story is told to the wrong group, we fail. If our story is boring and no one cares, we fail. If our story is just the bare bones facts, we will not be as successful as the storyteller who can paint a rich, full, vibrant story that not only captures the imaginations of those we are hoping to influence (sales, regulators, etc.) but also inspires others who hear our story to reach further/try more/invest themselves (employees, supporters, etc.).

Have I lost you yet? What I’m saying is that we – as strategic communicators – need to use formative research to define the scope and goals of any communication program or campaign. We need to include process research to gauge the implementation success of any campaign or program. And finally, we need to use summaritive research to measure the outcomes of a program/campaign.

The final step is to put that information in the hands of our employers/supervisors as a means of demonstrating what the impact of a strategic communications program has been able to achieve: celebrate the runaway wins, identify the opportunities to improve, and make recommendations for new efforts in the future or new directions to pursue with additional resources.

Some will recognize your work. Most are too busy trying to achieve their own goals, they may not fully understand the contributions you or your team has made unless you clearly point it out to them. This is the step people fail to make. Pride may be one of the Seven Deadly Sins, it is not just “pride” when you are announce the contributions your efforts as a communicator have made toward the overall success of your organization is not a sin – it’s a necessity in a business environment that takes more of “what have you done for me lately” view of those who consume resources.

About the Author: David is a dedicated husband and proud father of a strapping almost fifteen year-old son and twin five and a half year-old daughters. He has twenty years of professional communication experience, working in the public relations field and six years of professional merchandising experience with the world's largest home improvement retailer. He has worked for public relations firms in Metro Detroit, hospitals and a state-wide faith-based social service organization helping at-risk children and their families. He holds a Bachelor degree from Michigan State University and has just completed his Masters program in Strategic Communication at Troy University. He grew up on a mid-sized Michigan blueberry farm, spent two years in Texas and now resides with his family outside Tampa, Florida. An avid reader and photographer, David also enjoys building furniture using recycled/upcycled wooden pallets.

Social Media: Double-edged sword for communicators during a crisis

Twit1: My brother is a cop in Atlanta. Just busted Home Depot CEO. DUI

Twit2: Just made huge donation to MADD, right?

Twit1: Man of the Year #HomeDepot

Twit3: Sister works there. Big on values and do the right thing

Twit2: Only applies to the little people

Twit1: Even used handcuffs #resisted

Twit4: Handcuffs? Resisted arrest? #HomeDepot

Twit 5: Home depot CEO resisted arrest for DUI? #HomeDepot

Twit1: My bad-busted someone in front of Home Depot CEO’s house #doublecheck

While the exchange above is completely fictitious and created only for the purposes of this blog entry, it demonstrates how a story can begin on social media and become a public relations practitioner’s worst nightmare in less than 90 seconds.

While television is still the top source for people finding out about breaking news stories, social media has become the third top source of breaking news, virtually tied with newspapers and surpassing radio and all other print publications.

The article touches on, and the exchange above demonstrates, that while social media has become a major source of breaking news information, the accuracy is not always as good as it could be. A number of people were wrongly identified after the Boston Marathon bombing, initially identified on social media and then broadcast to an even wider audience via traditional broadcast media.

In his 2011 thesis paper, Daniel A. Landau noted:

“Partly due to social media’s constant news cycle, this study found that nonstories can become big stories very easily and these stories can last longer then (sic) they would without social media. This finding is indicative of how social media has made crisis communication more difficult for organizations. At the same time though, in some instances, organizations can bypass traditional media entirely and manage a crisis completely with social media. Thus social media has also made crisis communication somewhat easier for crisis communicators.” (pg. 60)

Social media networks – depending on the strategic planning and implementation of a comprehensive communication plan – can be a huge help or an amazing thorn in the side of public relations practitioners.

Stories can appear from nowhere and go viral, completely beyond the control of the PR practitioner(s) if there is no system or process of monitoring various social media platforms. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, Foursquare, Pheed, Tumblr, are just a few of the many social media networks connected to the internet. Citizen journalist blogs, activists’ blogs, websites – the list goes on and on. How can one practitioner or a even two hope to successfully monitor and build those relationships and connections via social media?

The opportunity lies in leveraging one of the biggest assets any company already has: its own workforce. A strategic communication professional knows one of the biggest and influential audience a company can have is it’s own employees. Their ability to spread information via word-of-mouth and “the grapevine” has only been enhanced by recent communication technology and the internet. Why not use that to the advantage of the company?

One of the goals of any strategic communication program is to improve and enhance the internal communication systems among the primary stakeholders: employees, shareholders and retirees. How is that accomplished? By keeping them informed, part of the planning process and engaged. They can serve as de-facto watchdogs among the various social media networks.

Encourage employees to participate on the company’s Facebook page, for example, is a great way to keep them not only engaged, but they will can also serve as a early warning system for communicators if there is an issue that pops up on the page. They may be able to actually address issues in real-time before a communicator even gets involved. The key is to keep employees aware and informed about new initiatives, how their role figures into the overall vision and mission of the company, etc., which is the goal of any internal communication program.

The same can be done with all the major social media networks, utilizing an existing network of stakeholders to ensure issues are identified early, addressed and resolved quickly, hopefully without damage to the company’s name, reputation or bottom line.

As Mr. Landau noted in his thesis, the internet and social media may have made control of a crisis situation impossible, but it has the potential for making it easier to manage providing the strategic communicator makes use of all the tools available to him or her.

About the Author: David is a dedicated husband and proud father of a strapping fourteen year-old son and twin five year-old daughters. He has twenty years of professional communication experience, working in the public relations field. He has worked for public relations firms in Metro Detroit, hospitals and a state-wide faith-based social service organization helping at-risk children and their families. He grew up on a mid-sized Michigan blueberry farm, spent two years in Texas and now resides with his family outside Tampa, Florida. An avid reader and photographer, David also enjoys building furniture using recycled/upcycled wooden pallets.

What is the message?

The answer to this question can vary: a new version of the Bible by Eugene Peterson; a text message sent via mobile phone, or; a greeting enclosed in Voyager 1 and 2 by NASA and sent to the furthest reaches of space.

For our purposes as strategic communicators, the message is the content of the communication process.

But to be effective, that message has to be sent and received with a minimal level of ambiguity, or “noise,” between the sender and receiver. Breaking a message down, as communicators do, we look for the three elements of rhetoric to determine if the message was persuasive: logos, ethos and pathos.

However, as audiences have become more and more sophisticated receptors of the deluge of messages aimed at them every day, the strategic communicator needs to develop a comprehensive plan for not only message development, but also placement of those messages.

Cacioppo and Petty conducted research looking at the Effects of Message Repetition and Position on Cognitive Response, Recall, and Persuasion (1979) and while repetition influences learning, the more exposure to the message over time showed an initial increase in persuasive result of the message, over time, that persuasiveness actually decreased (pg 105).

What does that mean? Get your message out there, but do not over do it? Or does it point to the need for messages to be a little more covert and not quite so obvious. The hero in the latest summer blockbuster movie sports a retro type of Ray-Ban sunglasses and always asks for a Coca-Cola. Is that message linking the hero with those products subtle enough to increase learning and liking and, thereby, drive sales for Coke and Ray-Ban? Was the message successful?

When I was Director of Communications for Boysville of Michigan, I was put in charge of developing a statewide billboard campaign, celebrating the agency’s 50^th anniversary providing successful child care and family reunification services in the State of Michigan.

Despite being a part of the social services industry in the state for five decades, knowledge of what the agency actually did was fairly limited to those who worked in the various state court systems who placed adjudicated children with Boysville. The average citizen may have had a positive associated with the name, but no real knowledge of what the agency actually did.

Determining what the goal of a statewide billboard campaign, at first, seemed elusive as everyone had their own idea of what information needed to be included on the billboards. At the time, the state was poised to open up placements to for-profit companies who had no track record with the various court systems. But the Boysville management team felt it was critical to use the billboard campaign to let everyone know how our agency helped children and families.

With the aid of a PR firm, I convinced the management team that the billboards should merely celebrate the 50 years of service (without specifically noting what service) and raise the level of awareness among Michigan citizens that we helped children and families. The longevity of the agency spoke to its expertise: an organization won’t be around for 50 years if they do not know what they are doing. And building on the positive name recognition that we do good work (help children and families) would help to position Boysville ahead of the newly-come-to-town for-profit companies who had zero track record with the citizens of the state.

We educated subtly. We raised awareness subtly. We appeared everywhere.

The billboard campaign, considered a success, was not the magic bullet that would solve all the organizations issues with new competition, but it allowed us to frame the context in terms of who was already in place, who had a proven track-record and even more subtly, we did it as a faith-based organization, based on our mission, not just in the pursuit of profits like the companies looking to move into the state that were essentially the same companies who ran prisons. In fact, we got all the billboards donated for the campaign, leaving the only expense on the creative design side and printing (yes, this was back in the day of actual paper sheet billboards, not the newer one-piece mylar material used today).

One of my favorite public relations practitioners, Leland K. Bassett, would often tell his team of new communication counselors and managers (including me), that the art of persuasion was often in concealing the art. That adage hold true today. The message does not have to be so ridiculously blunt and obvious to be successful. It needs to be present where people will see/hear/receive it, it needs to be consistent and it needs to be measured (before and after) to determine its success.

About the Author: David is a dedicated husband and proud father of a strapping fourteen year-old son and twin five year-old daughters. He has twenty years of professional communication experience, working in the public relations field. He has worked for public relations firms in Metro Detroit, hospitals and a state-wide faith-based social service organization helping at-risk children and their families. He grew up on a mid-sized Michigan blueberry farm, spent two years in Texas and now resides with his family outside Tampa, Florida. An avid reader and photographer, David also enjoys building furniture using recycled/upcycled wooden pallets.

Social Media Networks: Get used to them

My post last week about the diffusion of innovations offers a great gateway to my post today about social media networks.

Social media – defined as “media for social interaction, using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques [and] web-based technologies to transform and broadcast media monologues into social media dialogues” by Wikipedia and these networks are changing the communication landscape for communicators in all areas.

Who has not heard of Facebook? Twitter? YouTube? In one of my readings this week, dated 2013, Facebook was credited with having more than 1 billion active users – there are only 319 million people in the United States! While I do not have a specific number for Facebook in terms of United States users, I think it is probably safe to say we are past “Innovators,” “Early Adopters,” and possibly through “Early Majority” to the “Late Majority” in the Diffusion of Innovations classifications in terms of how Facebook alone has permeated the United States daily life. Even my 71 year-old mother recently asked my wife to help her “set up the Facebook” on her computer. And this social media phenomenon is not going away any time soon.

But what does that mean for strategic communicators? It means that these communicators have to realize there are great opportunities as well as great risks through the use of social media networks. The opportunity is to make personal, direct, real-time connections – relationships – with a wide array of stakeholders: customers, stockholders, employees, regulators, general public, detractors, and even competitors.

But opening those gates of access can be akin to opening Pandora’s Box – though the use of social media networks, there is the potential for tremendous harm. If a company is not using social media networks – or at least monitoring them – there may be complaints, negative information, videos, photos, etc. circulating on the internet damaging the organization’s credibility and image without the company even being aware of it. Granted, they may not be able to remove the information, but if it circulates without even being addressed by the company, the silence could be perceived as an admission the information is accurate.

In an article by Soumitra Dutta that appeared in the Harvard Business Review (2010), the author provides a great discussion of how individuals can develop their own personal media strategy. Careful consideration should be given to what the goals are of being on social media networks, which networks are most appropriately suited for achieving the goals, etc.

Veteran internet marketer Adam DeGraide also wrote an insightful article that appeared in the marketing trade journal Rough Notes (2013) about choosing what social media network(s) to focus on, where spending time will result in the most ‘bang for the buck.”

A word or two of caution, though. As with any component of an overall strategic communication plan, careful consideration and investigation should be employed to determine not only which social media networks to use, but what the goal of that use is. Some social media networks may not be ones your particular stakeholders (customers, shareholders, employees, regulators, etc.) utilize, so occasional monitoring may be sufficient. Some networks like Facebook and Twitter may require active, daily participation – both monitoring as well as posting/responding.

While it may seem logical that this type of activity falls under the purview of the Senior Communications Manager, there may be more benefit by having members of the senior management team (President, Chairman, CEO, COO, CFO, etc.) maintain a presence on the various social media networks.

A particular area of concern for any company is photos and videos going viral on the internet. Social media networks like YouTube, Tumblr, Flickr and Instragram are closely linked with static images or photos and videos. For a time “planking” was all the rage on YouTube, but when it started showing up on employees’ personal Facebook accounts, demonstrating safety standards were being ignored, companies like The Home Depot issued communiqués reminding employees purposely ignoring safety standards and standard operating procedures was a major work rule violation and could result in discipline up to and including termination of employment.

Kevin Allocca, Trends Manager for YouTube said during a TEDYouth Talk video that what makes a video go viral is usually a result of three things: Tastemakers, Communities of Participation and Unexpectedness. Essentially, a video can be posted today and receive no notice or views for months, but all it takes is someone mentioning it, like a Jimmy Fallon, Jay Leno, etc. to bring attention to the video. That attention can turn into communities of participation (people “sharing” the video) among all their friends, etc.

Again, what does that mean for strategic communicators? That means that today’s harmless, meant-to-be-funny video posted by an employee could turn into tomorrow’s crisis media relations event because the video showcased workers ignoring safety practices, or putting customers in harm’s way, or conveying an attitude, bias or stereotype that is not consistent with  the corporate public image.

The bottom line is this: The traditional mediums of print (newspapers, magazines, brochures, flyers) and broadcast (television, radio) are now competing with digital media channels like websites, blogs, social media networks and podcasts. And it is the savvy strategic communicator who incorporates all the various mediums to work in concert to successfully achieve the communication goals for an organization or client.

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About the Author: David is a dedicated husband and proud father of a strapping fourteen year-old son and twin five year-old daughters. He has twenty years of professional communication experience, working in the public relations field. He has worked for public relations firms in Metro Detroit, hospitals and a state-wide faith-based social service organization helping at-risk children and their families. He grew up on a mid-sized Michigan blueberry farm, spent two years in Texas and now resides with his family outside Tampa, Florida. An avid reader and photographer, David also enjoys building furniture using recycled/upcycled wooden pallets.

How well do you know your 'friends' on social media networks?

I would like to think I have a vast following of readers for this blog, hanging on my every post about various topics relating to strategic communication. There are thousands of IP addresses clicking in each day, seeking my lofty, unbiased opinions about strategic communication trends, successes, and failures. However, I have access to the “traffic stats” for my blog and I know my vast following has yet to arrive.

I am surprised by the level of traffic I do have, but it is nothing to get excited about just yet.

What makes for a successful opinion leader? Can opinion leaders use social media networks as a channel to reach even more followers than they might already have on traditional media networks? Would you know an opinion leader is using the social media network for commercial purposes?

Think about your own life. If you are in the market for a new TV, will you be seeking out the opinion of your computer geek/nerd friend or the opinion of the gym rat friend who does not even own a TV and hikes 150 miles every weekend just for fun?

According to Diffusion of Innovations theory, the first 2.5% of people who try a new product or innovation are called “Innovators.” The next 13.5%, called “Early Adopters” encompass most of the opinion leaders relating to the particular subject matter at hand. These are the people the rest of us take our cues from when making decisions relating to a particular topic.

For our example, you will rely more heavily on the opinion of the one you feel has more of a relevant insight into which TV is a better value for the money. But what if you have never met face-to-face this “friend,” this opinion leader about all things electronic? The study of electronic word of mouth marketing (WOMM), specifically in online communities, is extremely interesting and may make you wonder about some of your “friends” online.

A study conducted by Robert V. Kozinets and published in the Journal of Marketing (2010) broke down how opinion leaders were viewed after they participated in a marketing campaign, depending on how they presented the information: did not announce it was a campaign, announced the campaign, recommended the product or did not, etc.

Three things Kozinets observed: the message was communicated, the communicators staked their reputation on the message, and the message was converted by the communicators to fit the various online communities.

Back to our TV opinion leader you have never met face-to-face. What if you were to learn your “friend” is actually an employee of BetterBought electronics superstore? Does that change your opinion of the recommendation he made? How would you even know?

This makes me think about my own social media network affiliations. I am a member of a number of general social media networks (Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, Google+) as well as some special-interest networks (Deviant, LumberJocks, Flickr, Instagram). As I note in my profile, I make rustic furniture from recycled wooden pallets. I post pictures and simple descriptions of the various pieces of furniture I design and create. I upload them on LumberJocks, for example, and there are usually a number of comments left by other members about how wonderful the project turned out, what a great way to be “green” or questions about designs/tools, etc.

What if Irwin Tools were paying me to weave into my discussion or responses mentions of their wood drill bits or clamping tools? Would the other members of the community know? What would their reaction be to the use of our little social network community for commercial gain through my “name dropping?” What if I raved about how much easier it was to do a particular project with the tools from Krebs for pocket-hole joinery?

[Writer’s Note: Irwin Tools, Krebs nor any of the social media networks mentioned have employed me to hawk their goods, sing their praises, or drop their names in any of my blog entries. I will entertain all offers, though.]

With the proliferation of social media networks and use of the internet touching almost every facet of our lives, WOMM is a growing field, ripe with huge potential. In additional to the obvious ethical questions about disclosure and transparency, how will these online opinion leaders remain significant over time? In a TED Talk presentation from May 2011, Eli Pariser warned of the “filter bubbles” that can be created as internet companies incorporate relevance filters and algorithms designed to “learn” the user and automatically filter out things it deems as not of interest to the user based on the choices previously made.

If you routinely click on headlines about sports events and rarely click on headlines about art shows, your searches on your web browser will load query results with more of a connection to sports because it has learned this is of more interest to you than query results related to art shows. Pariser warned that these algorithms had the potential for creating a “filter bubble” around your interactions on the web, inadvertently sheltering the user from information that may be different, uncomfortable or just thought to be of no relevance.

As we become more and more entrenched in the use of social media networks and the internet in general, those opinion leaders who use primarily the internet as their source of information have the potential for being shielded by filter bubbles, skewing not only the information they use to formulate their opinions, but as a result, skew their opinions in general about topics that may be important to you. Rely on a single source opinion leader? Not likely. Not anymore.

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About the Author: David is a dedicated husband and proud father of a strapping fourteen year-old son and twin five year-old daughters. He has twenty years of professional communication experience, working in the public relations field. He has worked for public relations firms in Metro Detroit, hospitals and a state-wide faith-based social service organization helping at-risk children and their families. He grew up on a mid-sized Michigan blueberry farm, spent two years in Texas and now resides with his family outside Tampa, Florida. An avid reader and photographer, David also enjoys building furniture using recycled/upcycled wooden pallets.

Remaining Relevant

Welcome to the resurgence of my (mostly) professional blog, focused on topics relating to strategic communications and the topics that impact the field, including diffusion of innovations, opinion leadership, social media, government communication, strategic vision, message development, crisis communication, successful communication and measurement, and many more.

My name is David Jablonski. No, not the world renowned geophysical sciences professor from the University of Chicago. Nor the urologist working in the Orlando, Florida area. I’m the guy who graduated from Michigan State University in 1987 with a Communications degree and has 20 years of professional communications experience, working in the public relations field.

After the economic downturn in 2007, I left the field and thought I would explore the retail/merchandising field. And while I have enjoyed progressive success in this new (for me) field, my heart and true love is still the communication field and how it influences almost every aspect of every field you can imagine.

In order to remain relevant return to the field, I felt I needed to expand and grow my own skills and knowledge base, so I enrolled in the Strategic Communications Master’s program at Troy University. One of my professors (Dr. Steven Padgett) requires a professional blog as part of the coursework and I am embarking on the second course under his direction; thus the “resurgence” of this blog.

Thank you for reading this far. For your future reference, the address for this blog is:

http://davidstroyuniversityprofessionalblog.blogspot.com/

My goal (in addition to an ‘A’ in this class) is to publish a new post each week for the next nine weeks and beyond. While this blog is a requirement for my course, it goes beyond simply checking off an item on a list of things to do. This will give me an opportunity and outlet to provide some insight and thought-provoking information for fellow communicators as well as those looking to understand what a strategic communicator utilizes (tools, skills, research, etc.) when developing a specific course of action or a strategic communication plan.

The Asset-Light Generation

A great discussion about the difficulties faced by newspaper publishers written by Alan D. Mutter, media consultant, introduced me to the term ‘asset-light generation,’ a term coined by Mary Meeker, a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, one of the top venture-capital firms in Silicon Valley, according to Mutter’s post.

Mutter’s post and the report by Meeker (linked in Mutter’s post) outline one of the most significant challenges faced by newspaper publishers: remaining relevant to the younger generations who have grown up with digital devices like computers, video games, cell phones, and tablets – and who rely on those devices for news instead of traditional printed newspapers.

According to Meeker, the asset-light generation prefers to have services do “chores” for them (grocery shopping, home/car cleaning, laundry/dry cleaning, lawn care, etc.) and do more from their smartphones or other computing devices (banking, investing, shopping, reading, etc.), thereby keeping their “assets” minimalized and mobile.

How do publishers connect with this segment of the population? How do they transform their existing product (printed newspapers) and make it not only accessible to the asset-light generation, but also desired and relevant? It’s a question yet to be answered, but from this communicator’s viewpoint, the starting point is better understanding the audience segment in question. What drives this group? What are the important beliefs and values held by the asset-light? What are the things that will turn them away?

Understanding the diffusion of innovations research would be a great place to start for publishers. Les Robinson’s article “A summary of Diffusion of Innovations” notes a key component for tapping into the diffusion of innovations five distinct categories – Innovators, Early Adopters, Early Majority, Late Majority, and Laggards – is to recognize each of these categories has its own “personality” and there will be different approaches needed to connect with each group.

Social Media Networks

According to the Diffusions of Innovations (DoI) theory as outlined by EverettRodgers (1995), diffusion is the process by which an innovation (1) is communicated through certain channels (2) over time (3) among the members of a social system(4). What will be critical for newspaper publishers to understand is that the rise of social media networks (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, Pheed, etc.) has dramatically changed three of those major ingredients: channels, time, and social system.
 The sheer number of social media networks available presents a daunting task: which networks do the publishers study? The channel along which information flows is now greater than any time in the past. While it may all have a common core channel – the internet – it is further fragmented by as many social media networks as there exist. Wifi, smartphones, and tablets allow almost anyone to spread information instantaneously. Whether at work, school, driving, shopping or recreating, people can instantly share data and images almost as quickly as events occur, sometimes in real-time (remember the Boston Marathon bombing?). Identifying the opinion leaders as identified in DoI has now become more challenging. The low-keyed, meek person at the office who is virtually non-existent in the workplace may have a social network following of thousands online. How do publishers identify these opinion leaders? These are all the issues publishers will need to consider as they look for ways to remain not only relevant, but to merely exist in the future. Just as I look to return to my chosen field, the the bottom line answer is that there won't be a simple, single quick-fix for publishers. It will require creative, strategic thinking and planning with input from those familiar with the changing landscape in the communications field.

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About the Author: David is a dedicated husband and proud father of a strapping fourteen year-old son and twin five year-old daughters. He has twenty years of professional communication experience, working in the public relations field. He has worked for public relations firms in Metro Detroit, hospitals and a state-wide faith-based social service organization helping at-risk children and their families. He grew up on a mid-sized Michigan blueberry farm, spent two years in Texas and now resides with his family outside Tampa, Florida. An avid reader and photographer, David also enjoys building furniture using recycled/upcycled wooden pallets.

Technology & Learning: Legos in the dark

When is it appropriate to give children technology? Do you give a infant a cell phone? Can toddlers operate radio controlled toys?

This week we looked at technology and learning. There are a couple main thoughts: does exposure to technology help or hurt children? Why do children seem to know intuitively how to operate technology (smartphones, VCRs, MP3 players, tablets, etc.)

Having grown up in the technology age, I don't believe technology has hurt me, but of course, I am hardly objective about it. My son has been using a computer of one type or another since he was four or five years old (or younger). He learned to use a mouse and/or trackball pointing device quickly and then applied that to other devices (toys) that tried to be computer-like. As he has gotten older, he has learned to use touch screens (smartphones, tablets) as well as the mouse.

Learning to read improved his ability to navigate through various technology devices (VCRs, video game consoles, etc.) and learning the meaning of words like "source," "menu," "auxiliary," etc., has further empowered him to navigate his way autonomously across devices.

Of the newer devices we have in our home because of our twin four-year old daughters, I notice device manufacturers and/or software developers are pairing words with images on the controls (Leapster, Leapfrog tablet) of devices for children, allowing kids to navigate through the various screens to play games by themselves at even younger ages. What's interesting is that I notice these same "icons" on devices (Kindle, smartphones, etc.) for adults, too.

I think manufacturers are working to make the interfaces more simple and intuitive for all ages, reducing reading as a barrier for use. Much the way the universal roadway signs are used across the globe now, ensuring drivers know the road ahead is "curvy" because of the picture on the sign, not because the driver can read the words "sharp turn ahead" if the sign is in English and the driver is fluent in French.

There has been some research (oddly, much of it coming from the UK) trying to determine if the early use of technology is harmful to children. My review of the literature seems to point that the findings are far from conclusive one way or another. As a parent, I can see where unsupervised and non-age appropriate exposure to the use of technology could lead to potential issues, but if the children are using the technology in an age-appropriate manner with parent or adult supervision and involvement, I believe that should ensure no harm comes to the child.

In our house (much to the chagrin of my son), we have established "screen time" allotments for every day. For instance, he is allowed three hours total for recreational screen time: television, video games, computer use (other than school work) or movies. And further ruining his life, we don't allow him to use video games on his Xbox or Wii unless they are rated appropriately for his age group, regardless of what "all his other friends are allowed to" do. Even some of the ones rated for "teen" are banned in our home if they are too graphic, violent or sexual in nature. Yes, we are those parents: involved.

At four years old, the twins rarely use their Leapster video games -- which are actually educational games teaching them to count, colors, letters, etc. -- for a combined three hours each day.

The twins are more likely to play for 20 minutes and move on to some other toy. They utilize more TV screen time than video games or computer use. Again, their TV use is geared more for educational programming, so the use of technology is far from harmful. And, of course, Family Movie & Pizza Night (Fridays) doesn't count toward any one's screen time, as it is family time which means my wife and I are actively involved in whatever movie or program we happen to be watching together as a family.

My son actually learned to read by using the computer program Hooked on Phonics, further combining technology with learning. My youngest daughter is well on her way to the same outcome using her Leapster. The technology has allowed both children to learn at their own pace, despite being nearly 10 years apart.

Back to my original questions: Of course, an infant can't independently use a cell phone, but they can learn from mimicking the behavior they see others engaging in as to the use of a cell phone. A toddler most likely cannot successfully use a radio controlled helicopter or car as his or her fine motor skills aren't refined enough, but toddlers definitely can successfully utilize age-appropriate technology, allowing them to be prepared for adoption of more technologically advanced devices as they get older.

I am excited about the marvels my children will have the opportunity to experience as they get older and more and more advances are made in the technology we use in our everyday lives. And the advances they will get to share with their own kids, someday? Very exciting, heady stuff.

With active parental supervision and involvement, age-appropriate technology wouldn't be any more harmful -- or potentially harmful -- than any other toy. Any toy, regardless of its level of technology, can be dangerous if used incorrectly. Ever stepped on a Lego block in the dark? I believe I have made my case.

~~~~~~
David has three children under the age of 14, including four-year old twin daughters. His wife, a web designer getting a Master's degree in Psychology,  is a self-professed techno-geek and an early adopter of all cool gadgets that do not include the ability to photograph her. Despite the dangers and terror Lego blocks bring to the night shadows, they believe advanced technology promotes early learning and creativity even with Legos.

Crowdsourcing: The new R&D

It is sort of funny when you have been participating in a particular activity for a long period of time, only to find out that there is an actual name for the activity and a whole field of study developing and devoted to it. I will discuss how I have already been using this method long before I knew it had a name at the end of this entry.

The activity is called “crowdsourcing.” As I have recently completed some research in this area, the most simplistic definition is this:

'Crowdsourcing' is an open call to a variety of sources to gather information, ideas and/or innovations.

But what does that mean? To the neophyte, it might sound like a new way to describe a focus group. And, in fact, it kind of is. The main difference is, in today's high-tech world, crowdsourcing utilizes the internet, social media and word of mouth.

Let talk about what crowdsourcing can do and that might help fill out the definition for those less acquainted with the emerging media and technology that is changing the business landscape almost daily. Let's pretend I make widgets. They are good, quality widgets and I have a fairly stable customer base that buys my widgets. But there is rumor floating in the trade press (online, of course) that my biggest rival is looking at ways to improve their widget and it will revolutionize the whole widget industry. What can I do? I call in my own Research and Development (R&D) team and ask them what improvements could be made to make the widgets better. They have nothing. So I turn to my Executive Vice President (EVP) of Strategic Communication (a product of Troy University, of course) and ask her how she can help.

My EVP suggests floating the issue out on a variety of social media sites, seeking input from users about how widgets could be improved. She also suggests finding user groups that are made of people similar (but not exact) in knowledge and background to our R&D team and create a challenge -- with a $10,000 prize to the winner -- for workable ideas to improve our standard widget.

Her suggestions are, in effect, outsourcing the R&D to people who might have a slightly different view of widgets (production, features, manufacture, etc.) with a sizable reward for the winning idea as well as outsourcing some marketing research through user-oriented focus group information gathering about what the end user would like to see different about widgets in general.

The cost? Ultimately, it’s just time spent online, connecting and collecting information from the various groups and then number-crunching (for the research) and verification of the improvement submissions (at least the R&D people can do something productive). If there are no submissions that warrant awarding a prize, there is no prize to award (money saved).

If there is a prize to be awarded, my EVP can use this unconventional method of product improvement/manufacture as a public relations tool to position our widget company as not only a leader in widget development but also a progressive leader in advanced communication technology to operate smarter and more effectively within our industry.

That is an example of crowdsourcing. A recent high-profile example of crowdsourcing was the use of private citizen videos and images collected from people attending the Boston Marathon earlier this month. The authorities used traditional media as well as social media (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) to alert private citizens that the authorities wanted copies of any images or video taken near the marathon's finish line where the bombs exploded and killed three people and wounded more than 150 others.

Using those images and video, the authorities were able to identify two suspects within days of the bombing and then they used those same media outlets -- traditional and social -- to distribute images of the suspects in an effort to locate the alleged bombers. Barely more than 24 hours elapsed from when they released those images and one bomber had been killed in a crossfire and the other was in custody.

While the situations are significantly different, utilizing crowdsourcing techniques has great potential to change the landscape of almost every arena: political, law enforcement, manufacturing, marketing, media and education.

But how have I been using this leading edge technology and techniques already? I'm glad you asked. In my spare time, I build patio/deck furniture out of recycled wooden pallets. I had noticed stacks of pallets alongside a major thoroughfare where I live and thought it was a waste of wood.

I did a little research online and saw that coffee tables could be made from recycled wooden pallets. At the time, my family and I had recently moved and my wife wanted a new coffee table. So I made one for her out of recycled pallets. She was thrilled and asked if I could make some shelves in the pantry for her, too. Then a chair for our deck. Then a night table for my son. The list began to grow and grow.

I knew there was a business opportunity because except for a little glue and deck screws, I had a "free" source of materials that could be turned into anything I was capable of building. But what to build? I floated a question of two among my friends on Facebook, asking what they would want for their deck or patio. I also joined a couple online woodworking groups and joined a few ongoing discussions about using pallet wood to build furniture.

I learned that a double Adirondack-styled settee, featuring two chairs connected by a little table was what people seemed most interested in having. I also learned about the different styles of pallets -- some that are heat-treated in a kiln to ensure no bugs are living in the wood, and some are sprayed or dipped in chemicals to do the same thing. As a result, I will only use pallets with the "HT" stamp to make furniture. And one of my biggest sellers is the double "Pallirondack" Settee -- I've made four so far.

And I used crowdsourcing to gather information to help steer my side business in terms of what products to build and which materials are the best to use. I am a successful pioneer in crowdsourcing technology and techniques.

Citizen Journalists & Blogging: Buyer Beware

I started blogging back in 2004, like many people, using the Weblog as an online personal diary or sorts, giving me a place to post images of the home renovations I was doing as well as a place to write down my feelings and thoughts about my relationship with my then-current wife and her daughters. Being the clever guy I am, I named it "David's Home Work" as it included all manner of things going on at my home. We had recently purchased a small two-bedroom house and I was converting the two car garage into two new bedrooms and a mudroom.

That was my introduction to weblogs. I have been a blogger ever since. To date, I believe I have authored three different blogs, one jointly with my current wife, about our experiences raising three children: one who spent his first decade being the center of the universe and the twin sisters he gained who turned his universe on end. This is the fourth blog I have created. I feel that my blogging has matured, much like blogging in general has matured. I will state the obvious, though. "Matured" is not the same as "mature." And that goes equally for me as well as the entire blog-osphere.

My blogging has, until now, been more about tracking my own life and the events and/or milestones that have shaped my life. Blogging in general has grown to give a voice to people all around the world, not just for their own uses as a diary, but also as a means of sharing information in a format similar to media outlets. You can now find a wide variety of blogs about various products, services, information and community action/service.

Many of the information blogs are treated and styled like highly targeted newspapers or magazines, but online. These outlets have given rise to what has been termed "citizen journalists," the people publishing these blogs. There are many reasons why people publish these "news blogs" but its usually because they feel the mainstream media is 1) ignoring an important story, 2) corrupt, or 3) both.

A great study published in New Media & Society (2010) looked at political blogs and why they began and why they continued to blog. The reasons given included statements like "to provide an alternative perspective to the  mainstream media," "to help society," "to inform people about the most relevant information on topics of interest," and many more external motivations. Their internal motivations were primarily "to let off steam" but that reason faded when current motivations were considered. The findings of the study demonstrated that these political bloggers learned over time that there was a real need and desire from readers to hear an alternative viewpoint from the mainstream media relating to the political activities in the United States.

Using this one example, we can speculate that there is a similar need or desire for alternative viewpoints from the mainstream media in other areas, too, like sports, business, religions, nonprofit agencies, etc. This need has given rise to more and more of these citizen journalists establishing and promoting blogs that offer an different view of the events happening in these other areas of interest.

But just because I am motivated to publish a blog, does that mean people should actually pay attention or believe the information I publish? One of the findings from the study mentioned above was that these political bloggers found they could actually shape the national conversation to some degree by the information they provided on their blog. That can be a pretty heady position to be in for people. Having the ability to shape or even set the national agenda or conversation as it relates to a particular topic is very powerful. And we all know, power has the ability to corrupt.

Markham Nolan,  managing editor of Storyful.com, provided a great discussion on TED Talks about how journalists today have to filter through all the information available on the internet (including blogs) in an effort to provide accurate information. He provided some interesting facts about the sheer volume of information being added to the internet every minute, cautioning everyone that sifting through all that information is becoming harder and harder. Nolan had some eye-opening examples about how information can be quickly verified or debunked, but his closing message applies to the entire internet, including blogs: there is a lot of information available on the internet. Not all of it is accurate, not all of it is truthful. People using the internet need to be vigilant about the information they collect, read or use from online and be sure to confirm the validity of that information before using it.

Citizen bloggers are a great resource for people who want an alternative view or perspective from the mainstream media. Often these bloggers are motivated for good reasons to help others and serve as watchdogs for business, media and government. But relying solely on these bloggers can be treacherous, as they are not always trained as journalists. Journalists in traditional media environments are taught to fact-check their stories before ever sending it to press or air. Citizen bloggers are not always that professional, and may rush to publish information that is yet to verified or confirmed as accurate. It remains up to the media consumer, whether it be mainstream media, blogs or fringe media, to decide what information is real, accurate or appropriate for their own consumption.

Mobile Device Growth: Too Far?

If you follow any type of news feed relating to technology, the discussion about device convergence has been fairly steady for the past few years. Moore’s Law is routinely noted as well as references to Dick Tracy’s communicator watch, Star Trek’s “tricorder” and Nightrider’s car, Kit. All these devices conceived in fantasy but are coming closer and closer to reality.

Computers continue to get smaller, yet smartphones seem to get bigger. And now tablets seem to be bridging the gap between smartphones and computers, at least in terms of size, if not functionality.

But where does the convergence end? It must at some point, right? Or will it lead to divergence instead? There are those in the field who believe we will see the need for stand-alone devices (link), despite the push for convergence that has been ballyhooed for the past 20 years.

When put into practical, everyday applications I look at the devices we currently use at the world’s largest home improvement retailer. When I started with the company in 2008, there were stationary desktop computers located throughout the store and everything else was run through the mobile ordering carts, a combination of battery powered computer and small printer, used to create price labels. And there was usually only 3-5 of the mobile ordering carts per store. Communication was done via handheld radios and overhead public address (PA) system.

"Sure, once I hack into the family calendar, I can
send mom an email reminder and make her think the
playdate was her idea!"

Currently, the tool of choice out on the sales floor, away from the desktop computers located throughout the store, is the handheld device created by Motorola that allows any associate to do a multitude of functions, from checking on-hands and prices to creating orders, packdown lists and requesting transfers from other locations. It also functions as the “walkie talkie” for associates.

There is supposedly a camera built into the device, but as far as I know, there has never been an application to use the camera.

However the “phone” is big, heavy, bulky and consumes power much too fast – usually a new battery is required before a typical 8-hour shift is complete. They introduced an even smaller, iPhone-sized device, but the rumor[i] is that a device more along the size and style of a tablet will be the next wave of tool used by folks out on the sales floor.

It seems to be a living example of device convergence, but while the devices or tools given to associates to use on the floor have continued to get smaller and do more, a couple things haven’t changed.

There are still dedicated fax lines in every store. There are still desktop computers (albeit, they have added flat screen monitors) and hardwired, multi-lined telephones located throughout the store. And the ever-present overhead PA system.

The advance of technology in these handheld devices could surely duplicate all the functions of a fax machine, a desktop computer, a telephone system and PA system. But they have made no move to replace such devices. And this is not some little mom and pop operation. We are talking about one of the largest retailers in the world. Even the rumored next device being a larger, tablet-styled device seems to fly in the face of expected device convergence: a single, smaller device doing the functions of what had previously done on several larger devices.

Specifically, as it relates to the mobile device market, there seems to be a push for continued cross-over between mobile phone communications, increased computing and internet access capabilities, camera features – all in the tablet form.

The other aspect of this convergence of devices is the rise of mobile-first applications or “apps.” These are programs designed first and foremost for use on mobile devices, not desktop or browser based programming adapted to mobile technology, like Facebook or Pinterest. Most of the big mobile-first companies are not names commonly known outside the directly related technology field.

And the companies who create the platforms on which these apps are built are even more obscure. Names like Flurry, Appcelerator, StackMob/Parse/Kinvey, appMobi, Sencha, Geoloqi, Localytics, Crashlytics and DeviceAnywhere are huge in the mobile first world.

The apps that remain big currently are from companies like Path, Instagram, Foursquare, Flipboard, Pulse, LevelUp/Dwolla, Rovno (Angry Birds), Lookout Security and Dolphin HD Browser. These companies have mobile apps for social networking, videos, reading news, photography, location and check-ins, and many other similar services.

I try to envision what the world will look like to my four-year old twin daughters when they reach an age when they are using technology everyday that I could not even dream of at my current age. Maybe things like the Pebble Watch or Google Glass will be commonplace, or even passé, by the time they are 20 years old. Will their mobile devices still be hand-held or subcutaneous implants they have to receive as a requirement for college or their first job.

"That is great! I won't even have to cry in
front of Dad! They will both be fooled!"

Already, they try to make things happen on my laptop by touching the screen, like my iPhone or Kindle. They will grow up with touch screens, never knowing what the eerily glowing green light and phosphor burn-in was all about. Even the differences between the twins and my 14 year old son are enormous in terms of technology. He knows that television shows air on certain nights or days, while the twins believe every show they could ever want to see is on-demand.

The next few years will definitely be interesting in terms of the convergence of personal computing and personal communication devices. Is there a point where the convergence will actually reverse for some devices or will they continue to get smaller and smaller, all the while becoming more and more powerful and multifunctional? What do you think? What do you envision our future to hold? To look like? What are you looking forward to?

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[i] Rumors are a way of life in a company as large as the one referenced. There is no way to confirm this rumor has any validity.