Renewable Energy Markets Conference: Obama Girl, Digital Media and a Bright Outlook

Brian Hall
September 22nd, 2009

What a great experience it was participating in the 2009 Renewable Energy Markets

conference recently. I headed home to Chicago more excited than ever about the future of renewable energy.

Certainly the industry faces its share of challenges. But the overall outlook seems very bright, and I am more convinced than ever that PR — both traditional and digital/social media — can play a big role in helping the industry and individual companies capitalize on the opportunity.

Congratulations to Gabe Petlin of 3Degrees, who is the winner of the iPod touch we gave away as part of the Gibbs & Soell Renewable Energy Industry Pulse Check regarding digital and social media.

Thank you again to everyone who participated in the survey. I sincerely enjoyed discussing it with fellow attendees throughout the event, and unveiling the results during the Media and Perception panel (even if I did get overshadowed by Obama Girl; kudos to my fellow panelist Brian Keane of Smart Power on a great campaign with her — the song is still in my head).

For those who didn’t see my presentation during Renewable Energy Markets, the results were quite interesting. While more than 80% of respondents said they were either “somewhat” or “very” comfortable with recommending the use of digital and social media for their organization’s PR and marketing communications efforts, the majority also said their organization was dedicating less than 10% of their communications budget to it.

And very few organizations said they are using tools like blogs, micro-blogs, LinkedIn, and viral video to communicate with their target audience. As I mentioned during the panel discussion, many renewable energy constituents are using these tools already to consume information and interact with others about renewable energy and sustainability.

This speaks to an opportunity for renewable energy organizations to syndicate their content and messages across these platforms and use them as a way to engage in dialogue with their specific audiences.

But, remember, you have to follow a strategy-first approach. The overall communications strategy should drive the integration of these tools into your communications programs — not the other way around.

You can find the full results of the Gibbs & Soell survey by clicking here.

Thank you again to everyone who participated in the survey and attended our session during the Renewable Energy Markets conference. It was fun for me, and I hope it was informative for you.

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Shooting Par on the Course Toward Renewable Energy

Brian Hall
September 8th, 2009

Visiting Central Illinois recently to play a little golf with my dad, I was excited that the course had a view of a wind farm. Although my own enthusiasm for the scenery was somewhat hindered by a disappointing back nine, to me the wind turbines are a sign of real progress in the battle against climate change.

 

As highlighted in recent Wall Street Journal and USA Today stories, however, those turbines are whipping up brisk winds of “not in my backyard” among local residents and environmentalists. Recent headlines regarding the markets for renewable energy have been mixed as well — with positive news about wind energy and the U.S. government’s program to stimulate renewable energy investment balanced against reports such as the one showing biofuels aren’t fairing as well due to the recession and falling oil prices.

 

For communicators in this sector, breaking through the clutter of mixed news, green hype and opposition is probably more challenging than it is for me to break 90. And while traditional PR certainly can and should play a role, it seems like the opportunity is ripe for digital and social media, especially as channels to reach business, regional and niche audiences.

 

Among the supporters of renewable energy are many passionate fans who believe strongly in the cause. Providing them with the tools and forums to carry your message can be more credible and effective than any company-sponsored communication could ever be. In addition, search engines, blogs, YouTube, Twitter, webinars and other digital media yield increasing influence over business decision makers. And getting your supporters involved in generating positive dialogue is a great way to address the critics — and even begin to bring them on your side.

It appears industry marketers are embracing these tools. Initial results from our “Renewable Energy Digital and Social Media Pulse Check” show the majority are using digital media to communicate with their target audiences.

 

Of course, having a powerful medium at your disposal means nothing if you don’t also have a powerful message that resonates with your target audience. Messages with more aspirational themes have been less successful. The key is to position these offerings as real and practical on an individual level.

 

The critical combination of clear messaging and precise outreach is what I plan to explore during my upcoming speaking engagement at the Renewable Energy Markets Conference in Atlanta (shameless plug: come see me on the “Media and Perception” panel at 1:30, Tuesday, Sept. 15).

 

Stay tuned for additional insight from our “Pulse Check.” I will unveil final results during the conference. Afterward we’ll share the results via The Spark and e-mail as well.

Posted in "Shovel-Ready", Digital Dialogue, Going Green, Media and Marketing | 1 Comment »

Keeping it Real on the Back Porch

Brian Hall
August 18th, 2009

I took a road trip last weekend to visit a couple of life-long friends. Both are very successful professionals — one is a mechanical engineer at a major manufacturing company, the other is a financial planner who owns his own practice.

 

As always, we had a blast together; in fact, we really let loose. We sat on the back porch for hours eating great food, drinking a few too many beers, telling stories and laughing about old times. Reminiscing really got to the financial planner, as he channeled his inner Bon Jovi, “rocking out” via Guitar Hero on Wii. It was quite sight.

 

On the four-hour drive home, I thought about my buddies as I finished reading “World Wide Rave” by David Meerman Scott (yes, my wife was driving). He says that building a big loyal audience through social media requires an approach that both engages and entertains audiences in a manner that compels them to share our story with others. If you succeed, they will spread your message to others through blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc.

 

OK, that concept seems easy enough. We’ve all seen great marketing campaigns that have become “viral” or as Meerman Scott calls it a “World Wide Rave.” But very few campaigns — especially in the B2B world — actually achieve that level of success.

 

Why is that? Have we in the B2B community grown to accept the “we’re boring” label and condemned ourselves to uninspiring geek speak?

 

We need to think of those two professionals I so enjoyed hanging out with all weekend. To remember that an engineer we may be targeting with a PR campaign isn’t just a professional who needs technical specs and details. He may also be the guy who enjoys barbecuing on his ultra-fancy grill and talking football. The financial professional isn’t just a numbers guy. He may also be the weekend rock star who enjoys jamming to power ballads on the Wii. [Insert your own audience reference here!]

 

Yes, our B2B audiences all have a job to do. At the same, they also want and expect to be entertained and have fun.  

 

I mean, how many of us actually look forward to sitting through PowerPoint presentations crammed with data presented in miniscule font sizes and 27 bullet points per slide?

 

As communicators, we embrace our responsibilities to inform and educate. But the next time we prepare a keynote address or develop an internal communications strategy, let’s remind ourselves about connecting with those guys chilling out on the back porch.

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The Future of Communications? The Writing’s on the iPhone

Brian Hall
July 21st, 2009

It has been widely reported in the past few days that you can now purchase a refurbished iPhone for only $79. This brings up two important issues for me: how will the increasing ubiquity of smartphones change the game for Advanced Manufacturing & Energy communicators; and why in the world don’t I have an iPhone yet?

For some insight into the first question, check out this Bulldog Reporter article which includes some pretty interesting statistics including: one out of every seven minutes of media consumption today takes place via mobile devices; 64% of key decision makers in marketing departments are using mobile devices to view e-mails; 82% said they use mobile devices at work; 65% use them while commuting to their jobs.

Or, you can just ask yourself — how many business executives do you know who are not already addicted to their BlackBerry or iPhone? If you are like me, the answer is “very few” and with these lower prices the answer will probably soon be “none.”

The implications for B2B communicators are huge. As the Bulldog Reporter article states, much of your audience won’t find your content if it’s not ready for mobile. This channel must be considered as part of any ongoing internal or external communications campaign. Do you agree? I would love to get your thoughts.

Stay tuned for the answer to question two — I hope to be blogging and Tweeting from an iPhone very soon (follow me: @manufacturingpr)! Based on some informal research (which means I’ve played around with my wife’s iPhone), I think the device will make mobile communications and social networking even easier than I have it today with a standard mobile phone and Blackberry. Once I’ve spent a little time with it, maybe we’ll even use a future G&S Spark post to discuss how it can make us better B2B communicators.

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Feeling Web 2.0 Anxiety? Try a Strong Dose of Strategy, Planning

Brian Hall
June 15th, 2009

I’ve just returned from taking in two days of great content at the Business Marketing Association’s Annual Conference

in Chicago. As you might imagine, the event focused heavily on “Web 2.0″ — with presentations from companies who are ahead of the curve on using these tools to engage their audiences.

Following the second day of the event, one of my dinner companions captured the mood I sensed from many participants when she informed us she had just sent a text to her colleagues saying “We are falling behind!” She (and probably many others) planned to rush back from the conference and immediately get to work on implementing many of the great new tools at our disposal.

To her and everyone else who feels the panic of being left behind on digital/social media, I say: Stop! Take a deep breath and relax… now step back from your computer!

To be successful you must first take the time to formulate a solid plan. Yes, you should certainly be considering these tools as part of your marketing mix. But quickly implementing tactically without first thinking through objectives, audience, message and strategy is only going to cause you to fall further behind in the long run. Besides, prioritizing speed over quality will stifle the creativity our audiences expect from Web 2.0 communications.

So take the time to do it right, do it better, and do it in a way that will actually move the needle.

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Looking for a Golden Social Media Strategy? Offer Social Tools

Ron Loch
May 26th, 2009

Most marketers in Advanced Manufacturing & Energy and other B2B segments are trying to figure out how best to use social media.  With Twitter becoming a household word and LinkedIn and Facebook gaining users in the important 35-plus age category, the pressure is increasing to “do something.”  Often compounding the sense of urgency is the loss of control as customers, distributors and employees start up blogs, groups or pages related to your business or products.

How do you get back control and deliver business value? Consider taking a cue from Levi Strauss. Just as Mr. Strauss made his fortune selling dry goods to miners rather than panning for gold, you can provide customers and business partners who are blogging, tweeting, poking and linking the tools to make their use of social media more enriching.  You may not control the number of feeds and pages devoted to you or your products, but you can provide context to the conversation and strengthen relationships in the process.

Marketers in the Advanced Manufacturing and Energy industry who are interested in this supply-side approach should visit the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Social Media Resources page; a site increasing in popularity due to the recent H1N1 flu virus outbreak. Here, visitors can choose from a wide variety of social tools including blogs, eCards, YouTube videos, Flickr photos, podcasts, badges, buttons, widgets like the one you see below and syndicated content.

The CDC has an excellent social media strategy for communicating directly to consumers and this resources page enhances that effort by helping healthcare providers and organizations provide important, entertaining and accurate information to their friends, fans and followers.  This ensures greater reach of the CDC’s messages and fulfills its mission of being the most credible source for health information in the U.S.

So if you find that your customers are mining social media for gold, consider offering them some supplies.  Even if you’re strictly a B2B player, you can still be a source of better content and fun social interaction, and that may just be the solution for making more solid business connections in the Advanced Manufacturing & Energy marketplace.
(Guest contributor Ron Loch is a senior vice president at Gibbs & Soell Public Relations.)

Posted in Digital Dialogue | 1 Comment »

Sustaining the Momentum of WINDPOWER 2009

Brian Hall
May 7th, 2009

The buzz on the show floor at the WINDPOWER 2009 trade show continued Wednesday — albeit at a somewhat lighter pace than Tuesday — as thousands of visitors filled exhibits of companies throughout the supply chain.

As the show draws to a close tomorrow, the question becomes: how can renewable energy companies sustain the momentum created by the event? During two days of conversations with B2B PR and marketing communications professionals, it also became obvious that they have an additional question: how can they best capitalize on the power of digital and social media?

Interestingly, those two questions can be inter-related. Digital and social media – from podcasts and webinars to Twitter and LinkedIn – can be great tools for continuing dialogue with customers, prospects and other target audiences. The key is to let objectives, strategy and messaging drive the use of digital media tools. Too many companies seem to be diving into the digital media arena with little idea of where they are heading or why they are going there. By first establishing clear goals and a strategic approach, companies can select the right digital media tools and get the most impact from their communications investment.

As leaders throughout the supply chain head back to their respective homes, it is also important that they continue to support AWEA in efforts to push wind energy to the forefront across a wide spectrum of influencers — from government, to financial institutions to the general public. By generating a consistent level of coverage in the mainstream media, for example, the mix of household-name companies and emerging technology leaders that make up the wind industry can help create a higher level of overall awareness and credibility needed to achieve the objectives of 20% renewable energy by 2030.

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What’s New is Old: Face-to-Face, Research Join Social Media as Key Themes at PR News Media Relations Forum 2009

Brian Hall
March 13th, 2009

The recent PR News Media Relations Forum featured a lot of great lessons for B2B communicators. Interestingly, a few “PR 101″ themes emerged as common keys to success with today’s media. Of course, the use of social media was also a major topic of discussion.

 

Here are my top three takeaways:

 

Do Your Homework. Today more than ever PR pros must do their research to truly understand the constantly changing media landscape. This is not rocket-science, but a little effort up front will generate real value for your business.

  • You must really know which media will best engage your target audience. Today, coverage on an influential blog that reaches thousands can often deliver greater business impact than coverage in a major media outlet that reaches millions.

  • From blogs and podcasts to e-newsletters and online video, all journalists — even those in the trade media — are responsible for more content than ever. So it is critical that you take time to really build strong relationships with them — it’s the only way you can hope to get through. And before you pitch, be sure to cover the basics: regularly read the print outlets you target; use any variety of online services to read recent articles by specific journalists; engage in the blogs in which you seek coverage; etc.

 

Face-to-Face Often Trumps Cyberspace. Whether it’s working with the media, customers, employees or any other stakeholder, using a face-to-face approach can often pay huge dividends. Speaker after speaker at the conference noted how a face-to-face approach helped them engage with their audience and build longer-lasting relationships. In today’s e-mail, blog and Twitter world, sitting across the table or giving a plant tour can actually be a refreshing and productive change of pace. As one speaker put it — face-to-face interaction is the original, and sometimes best, form of “social media.”

 

Tweet Street. Twitter — and how it can help us connect with one another and target audiences — seemed to be on the minds of presenters and attendees alike. At least a dozen conference attendees were “Tweeting” live from the conference using a pre-determined hashtag to follow and join the conversation. Apparently, there was such a concentration of Twitter activity from the conference that the hashtag (#mrf09) cracked the top trending lists to become one of the most popular Tweets of the day. My take: Twitter has promise for B2B, and is definitely worth experimentation; at the very least we should all follow tweets from our target journalists (see item #1). 

 

Stay tuned for more from Media Relations Forum 2009. If you were in DC with us — what was your take? Any other key themes for B2B communicators?

 

Posted in Digital Dialogue, Media and Marketing, Outside Insights | No Comments »

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