IMC Hawks Blog

Category: Social Media

  • Social Networking- A dictator’s worst enemy

    At this point, social networking sites are no new phenomena in the United States. Facebook gets more hits daily than even Google, and Twitter is becoming more and more popular by the day.  With the ability to follow, like, and friend people from around the world, news outlets have learned to use the social media sites of people involved in the recent revolutions to get minute to minute updates about protests around the world. Because of these quick updates, in both Egypt and more recently Libya, dictators clinging to power have quickly tried to shut down the country’s internet access in order to slow down anti- government protest information.

    In Egypt, Wael Ghonim, the marketing manager for Google in the Middle East and North Africa tweeted about different protests by the hour which eventually led to his arrest by the Egyptian government.  This only furthered his following and helped spread the word faster about his anti- Mubarak movements.  In the United States, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton participated in an online discussion with young Egyptians who were involved in the riots.  By answering their questions in an online interview which were eventually posted on an Egyptian social networking site, Clinton assured the citizens that the United States supported their democratic ideals.

    One of the many western journalists who have been following the chaos in the Middle East and Africa, National Public Radio’s Andy Carvin has been updating his twitter page constantly to keep people around the world up to date of current protests and government decisions. 

    With millions of people around the world participating and actively using several different social media sites, it allows information to be passed around at a greater rate than ever before. With the capabilities to follow sites from smart phones, laptops etc. it will be hard for any dictators over staying there welcome to keep ahead of the actions of their irritated citizens.

    -Chad Graves

  • Facebook vs. Twitter

    Social media has become such an important aspect of our culture and now provides businesses the chance to market to their potential and current consumers. It is interesting to notice whether having, for example, a Twitter or Facebook account will make a difference for your company.

    To keep with the theme of competition going for our IMC-Hawks blog, we’ll ask,
    Which is a better social network to market a business: Facebook or Twitter?

    Facebook: We all know the story of Mark Zuckerberg and his genius creation of Facebook in 2004. Facebook has now grown to have over 500 million active users and about 70% of those million are from outside the U.S.

    What makes Facebook appealing to businesses? It’s community based. Facebook allows you to know who is interested in your product and allows you find out what specific target market to aim for, as well as updating the users of any new information. Facebook gives the business an opportunity to upload multi-media information and gives users the chance to speak their minds about the specific product or service.

    Twitter: Twitter has 175 million registered users and about 95 million tweets go out a day. I like to think of Twitter as basically a site for multiple Facebook status’ (if you want to put it that way).

    So why choose Twitter for your business? The 140 character limit allows you to keep the message short while containing the most important information you want to deliver. Twitter is all about messaging at a fast pace. If you want to get something out fast, Tweet it! You also can see who is following you and what consumers are saying about your product (a similarity to Facebook). However, most tweets for businesses usually contain a link that drive the reader, if interested, to a specific site or article.

    Twitter offers a link for businesses on their website: http://business.twitter.com/

    If you weigh the comparison out, it seems that both Twitter and Facebook offer important social media marketing tools. It all comes down to what will be more appealing for your company or what will be more effective.  In my opinion, as a consumer, Twitter and Facebook work together in a positive way. You can tweet out a link to your Facebook page and you can connect your Facebook page to your Twitter account. Nowadays, having both Twitter and Facebook isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Involving your company one way or another on a social networking site is crucial for your company, especially on the customer satisfaction side. It is appealing when the company is involved and connects on a more personal level.

    Which one do you think is more successful in connecting with customers? Facebook or Twitter?

    -Micaela Fouhy

  • Corporate Communication Wrap Up

    As our time in the Corporate Communication classroom comes to a close, the information and knowledge that we have gained will continue with us as we each venture out after graduation into our desired career field.  Among the class of communication majors are students interested in event planning, public relations, integrated marketing communication and advertising, just to name a few.  Corporate communication is involved in all of these industries.  As stated in Corporate Communication: a guide to theory and practice by Joep Cornelissen, one of our required readings for the course, “Corporate communication is a management function that offers a framework for the effective coordination of all internal and external communication with the overall purpose of establishing and maintaining favorable reputations with stakeholder groups upon which the organization is dependent.”

    When the course first started back in August, not a single student in the class knew what the definition of corporate communication was.  Even though everyone registered to take the class, no one really had an idea of what it entailed.  Today, every student in the class has a definition of corporate communication, as well as plenty of detailed and background information that will give people a better understanding of the topic.  A big improvement from three months ago, wouldn’t you agree?

    We have covered a variety of forms of corporate communication that take place in sports, music, movies, politics, crisis management and careers this semester.  We have learned that communication is essential when it comes to an organization’s corporate image and identity, reputation, stakeholders and shareholders.  We have learned what makes a company go from good to great, the characteristics of a great company and why every company should strive to become one.  We hope we have left everyone with a better understanding of corporate communication.

    REMINDER! This week is NBC’s Green Week!  Green Week runs from November 14-21.  All this week, green topics will be featured into news and your favorite shows on the NBC network, such as 30 Rock and The Office, as well as special reports, fundraisers and documentaries.  Join NBC in celebrating the numerous ways that you can make a difference in the environment.

    -Danielle Dorantich

  • Campaigning 2.0

    Social networking is the biggest thing to happen to political campaigns since television, and this medium is rapidly changing the way candidates reach voters.  We first saw heavy use of social media tactics with the 2008 presidential election.  You could “friend” the candidate you planed to vote for on Facebook or “follow” them on Twitter.  If you chose to do so, you were given access to immediate updates from the campaign trail and information on platforms in quick, bite-sized pieces of information that were easily digestible.  The trend of using social media in political campaigns has only strengthened since 2008; now almost all candidates have Facebook pages and a presence on other sights such as Twitter, Linkedin and Gist.

    Political campaigns are benefiting greatly from the use of social networking.  The sights help to lend transparency and credibility to political campaigns by eliminating a middleman.  Voters can go straight to a candidate’s Facebook page and read facts straight from the candidate, rather than receiving biased information from a third party.  Michigan House of Representatives member, Justin Amash, began posting his votes, along with a short explanation from the House floor as his Facebook statuses.  He immediately received feedback from his “friends”, both good and bad.  Since starting this, Amash has gained popularity and even announced his candidacy for the US Senate through his fan page.

    Social networking sites also offer the ability for candidates to access a wide variety of voters inexpensively.  Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and various other social networking sites also allow people to be the voice for candidates, which could either make or break them.  If a candidate has supporters touting their name all over their profile, then they are likely to receive more attention.  If people are constantly talking about how great somebody is then other people are going to think that candidate is a good choice.  Refer back to the last presidential election and this is seen clearly.

    All in all, social networking has evolved the way political campaigns are carried out.  No longer can candidates rely on traditional tactics, rather they have to continuously keep their publics informed through status updates, tweets, etc.

    Sarah McIntosh, Eliza Wadson, Jocelyn Walson, Sean O’Connell

     

  • .. And the ballots are in!

    It’s voting week! So, what can be more perfect than to talk about political communication?

    Political communication.. what’s that?! Political communication attempts to directly relay information to its publics. It is a form of communication between a politician and potential voters and is also directly comparable to corporate communication in a different form. Political Communication focuses on communication in public settings, which can include specific techniques such as persuasion, and include communication theories such as the argumentation theory.

    Let us remind you that corporate communication focuses on communication between and among individuals and groups in organizations. Political communication is very similar. In addition, it incorporates the essence of mass media and new media to enhance many aspects of a campaign.

    Marketing is a key component in both corporate communication and political communication. Regarding the 2010 elections, marketing techniques have really taken on a new spin. This new marketing spin has incorporated the use of the new advancement of social media. Within elections, social media is shaping the political landscape, as it is for many corporations. The idea of embedding social media into the campaigning aspect of politics has proven to have a huge importance in creating more channels as well as expanding networks that are able to reach high numbers of people today.

    Social Media has also allowed for the creation of virtual groups, which serve as a connection between like-minded people. This streamline of internet and social media allows these groups the ability to reach other to others, express their opinions and persuade them to follow their lead. This concept has shown to strengthen many politicians political campaigns.

    This technology has allowed us to reach new possibilities in both political communication and corporate communication. Tuesday, November 2nd is voting day. Use social media to check out the candidates and make sure to go VOTE!

    -Arielle Williams

  • Lights… Camera… Corporate Communication!

    The Video Music Awards on MTV is one of the most celebrated nights in American pop culture and media. Whether it’s the high fashion, the camera and lights, or the thought of our favorite entertainers under one roof, America loves watching and being a part of the VMAs. In order to integrate the public into the voting process and give them the feeling that they are a part of the show, the use mass media was present this year to reach millions of viewers at a time. MTV helped get people involved by the use of cell phones, Facebook, twitter, etc. It was reported that even during the show stars like  Katy Perry, Rhianna, and Lady Gaga were tweeting messages to their followers. This mode of mass media allows the public to feel connected with not only the show, but their favorite stars as well. It bridges the gap between fantasy and reality and causes the audience to become a part of the show and rock-star lifestyle.

    This idea is just as important in Corporate Communication. Instead of being based on entertainers and fans, the idea revolves around businesses and their clients, customers, and publics. Businesses use mass media in order to reach more people and help them to become a part of, or feel connected to, a company’s public narrative. Many companies are using the same mass media outlets as those in pop culture, such as Facebook, twitter, texting, and so on. This helps them reach a wider audience and gets their public more involved. The use of mass media helps bridge the communication gap between an organization or business and its publics. Whether for pop culture purposes, such as the VMAs, or promoting an organization or business, mass media can help create positive and consistent communication with an organization and its audience.

    To watch the VMAs, click here.

    Breanna Alexander
    Lauren Dehart
    Lauren Smith
    Kelly Wiley

  • iBlog

    We would bet that not many people can think about listening to music, downloading music, or finding new music without the words iTunes or iPod coming to mind. This is because the entire “i” generation of Apple has become a revolution in the way we use, listen and think about music. Consumer affairs is a vital part of Corporate Communications and no one does it better than Apple.

    iTunes has everything you need to fulfill your music, TV and movies wants. You find and download your new favorite songs through iTunes. Once you have them, you don’t make a mix CD of songs (although you could) but instead, you make a playlist and add that playlist to your iPod. Apple has made downloading and listening music so easy and interactive that other mediums such as Limewire and MP3 players are in no comparison. Obviously, if you were to want a phone that can also hold all of your music, most people would immediately think of the iPhone. Apple listens to what their consumer’s desire and they deliver it in the most user-friendly way possible.

    iTunes has evolved drastically over the years. Your iTunes account is now your own personalized website with everything tailored to you. It’s your music, your library, your playlist and with the use of Integrated Marketing Communications, iTunes uses research to gather information about you and in turn, makes recommendations for music you might like based on what you have purchased in the past.

    Apple is constantly on top of the music revolution not only by improving their own products but by creating new consumer benefits. Apple has recently released Ping which, if you download the newest version of iTunes, is a social network and music hybrid. Ping allows you to follow your favorite artists and friends to see what they are listening to and downloading.

    With Apple’s uncanny ability to anticipate consumer needs, its reputation as the leader in music services has remained consistent to its brand identity.

    -Meghan, Emily, Gracie, Wade