As part of our ongoing examination of online communications, (and as a curtain-raiser to our upcoming Strategic Online Communications Seminar on June 15 in Boston) PR
NEWS (PRN) speaks with Larry Moskowitz (LM), president and CEO of Medialink, and Tony Sapienza (TS), president of Miller/Shandwick Technologies, both of
whom will give presentations at SOCS. (For details and to register, visit http://www.PrandMarketing.com/seminars/socs)
PRN: Describe the most effective use of online communications you have seen in the last year.
TS: Online communications has become a hotbed for some of the most creative, far-reaching campaigns we have ever seen. A public affairs campaign launched in Minnesota
by a group rallying opposition to a coal train that would run through their community centered around a "Stop the Coal Train" Web site. More than 50,000 people visited the site
and more than 10,000 sent customized letters from the site to lawmakers stating their opposition. It was a brilliant example of how to integrate online communications with a
traditional campaign to extend your reach and influence.
PRN: What is the number one piece of advice you would give to PR pros dealing with the media online?
LM: It is most important to deliver news in an easily digestible format. However, if the question is dealing with "media online," then it is necessary to realize that
media still look to traditional news sources. Broadcasters still require satellite delivery for video and newspapers look to wire services for the bulk of their material.
TS: Don't forget the basics. Just because media is online doesn't mean that issues like deadlines, beats and relationships are any less important. For example,
understand that online media is on deadline every minute of every day.
PRN: Given that, would you advise PR pros to abandon email or Web-based communications with certain reporters?
LM: Today one cannot abandon one form of communication over another. Reaching the press via all media is critical.
PRN: How do you handle communications to multiple stakeholders through one medium during a crisis?
LM: During a temporal crisis, you don't want to confuse or corrupt your home page. The home page should be used for the day-to-day and consumer driven information. A
new site should be erected to deal with the specific crisis at hand.
PRN: How has the Web allowed you a fuller understanding of the impact of your PR efforts? TS: We have a team that has developed a methodology [to]
measure the impact campaigns have on consumer Web behavior. We can tell our clients how many people read [their online stories] and visited the corporate Web site and what they
did. This has given us - and our clients - valuable insight into how much more effective PR is [online] than more costly online advertising.