The Web bubble question popped (no pun intended) up again today, but in the most delightful way possible.

Male a capella group, the Richter Scales, yesterday posted a fabulous video lampooning the optimism in Web 2.0.

I came across the video on Mitch’s blog where, just two weeks ago, he presented his perspective on the possibility of a Web 2.0 bubble forming.

While there are very valid arguments on both sides, and compelling indicators that either one may be right, the question I have today, is not whether we are experiencing a Web 2.0 bubble or not.

But rather, if (and when) growth in Web 2.0 suddenly hits the brakes, what is going to happen to all our social media strategies? And while we should not be losing sleep over it, this is something that PR 2.0 agency folks need to think about because like everything else, nothing can keep growing exponentially without correcting or leveling out at some point – especially in light of quivering global economic indicators.

On one hand, optimism is high in the PR community. Leading PR agencies today have dedicated digital strategies or social media practices; more and more digital strategists or social media consultants have been hired as agency pathfinders in a new era of communications; and there are more resources shored up in anticipation of rapid growth in ’social media opportunities’.

Yet on the other hand, there is a sense of caution, giving PR 2.0 / Social Media detractors and skeptics (yes, some still exist!) more reason to reconsider investments in developing social media or digital expertise.

While a Web bubble will certainly affect the sentiments of online PR and marketing strategists, and (or, by) drastically reducing the number of emerging social networks and communication platforms the likes of Facebook and Twitter, this should not be a reason to stay away from social media altogether.

To those who worry, I have a word of assurance – that one thing’s for sure – even with the bursting of a bubble, social media is not going to go away; and even if the flow of venture capital into Web 2.0 technologies is constricted, the ‘media landscape’ has irrevocably changed.

If anything at all, the increasing demands for communication effectiveness, corporate accountability and intelligent measurement will put the pressure on PR to ‘operate online’ more than ever.

So the main thing is not to worry about Web 2.0 dying, but rather – to recognise that Web 1.0 IS already dead and regardless what the future looks like, it will still be in digital.

Update: The original video has been replaced by another (slightly different) version because of this.

Businesses should always commit to meaningful action above all things, but many corporations pussyfoot around serious issues in the hope that PR (misunderstood as spin-making) can create a buffer between reality and appearance.

Unfortunately, it is easy for PR professionals to accede to this agenda under various pressures from clients and upper-management. And we have ourselves to blame if we are not taken seriously in the boardroom.

To advance my previous argument for PR’s place in the C-suite, one reason why we’re not there yet, is this: When PR professionals successfully mask the truth to get a positive story where a negative one could have resulted, we get applauded for solving the problem. The recognition may feel good in the short term. But in the long run, the profession takes a beating because we don’t get respected for helping to steer the company in the right direction.

I came across a succinct summary by Michael Tangeman on the need to help companies face up to the truth and take the right action; and it’s worth quoting here:

“The best advice any public relations firm that premises its work on truth can give a client is that if you’ve got a problem, fix it – ‘fess up, tell what you’ve done to correct the problem and move on to the many positive things you are doing… …Trying to help a company mask its problems with other initiatives or justifying a p.r. approach with utterances that clearly don’t connect with the reality of a client’s situation is a true disservice.”

And might I add - it’s a true disservice to both our clients and the profession.

[Disclaimer: This article is not directed at any individual or company in particular. I mean to point out a fallacy in common thinking about PR – a deeply-rooted error in traditional PR practices that seems innocuous, but threaten to jeopardize all the good that we are doing today.]

I stumbled upon a post on the Hass MS&L blog that discusses “the value of online media monitoring”. It makes a case study out of the KFC/Taco Bell crisis – the company was shamed by the news media earlier this year, when rats were found scurrying around in one of its restaurants.

The main point of the article: Seven hours is all it takes for a company’s reputation to be smashed when issues are left unmonitored. And it ended with: “If this company had media monitoring and crisis monitoring someone could have called to move media crews away from the front window or covered the front window where dozens of media outlets had set up shop filming and getting customer reaction shots.”

It is a useful post, because it emphasizes the importance of media monitoring and crisis management. And it presents a very compelling timeline that shows how fast a company’s reputation can “go south” when crises are left unchecked today.

But I am troubled that it was overly preoccupied with the case for monitoring, covering up, and responding to appearances. I understand that PR professionals are concerned with the public image, but I’m disheartened that there was no mention of, or apparent regard for, what’s really needed immediately after “monitoring” – apologies and meaningful action.

Yes, we do have a part to play in a crisis, but we shouldn’t prioritize ‘transparency’ above meaningful action. Neither should we conceal the truth. We must understand that corporate transparency is not something to be manipulated. But we must charge ourselves with higher standards of integrity in a business landscape that’s increasingly transparent.

And I advocate 360-degree pro-activity – understand what goes on in the day-to-day operations of a company, and hold every department accountable to the public. Public Relations should not be just about conversations with the public, but also ensuring that promises are kept after all the talk is done.

Like Shift Communications and Edelman, I’m attempting to change the way a Press Release is developed. Yes, it may end up looking conceptually the same as Shift’s Social Media News Release (SMNR) or Edelman’s StoryCrafter, but the approach is entirely different.

Enter the Community Press Release.

I’m testing this on a technology conference that’s taking place tomorrow – Nexus 2007 – organized by The Digital Movement, a non-profit organization that I am a part of.

In the actual implementation, I’ve labeled it The Committeeunity Press Release. Because that’s what it is… I’m scratching out the “Committee-dictated”, top-down approach to writing the event press release, and instead, handing the task over to the Community of conference participants.

They can write the release, link their blog posts (about the event) to it, share their best photos and Podcasts of the conference, and do just about anything that they feel will best present the conference to reporters and the rest of the world. In fact, they’ll probably be more thorough in reporting on the incidental (but significant) news that my team may have missed out in the process of running the event! PLUS, there is an added layer of authenticity in a piece that’s written and checked by a Community of participants. (Think Wikipedia.)

Here’s a step-by-step guide I developed along the way (note that all this is still work in progress):

A. Set it up

1. Start the Community Press Release on a public wiki
2. Ensure that it has a short and intuitive URL (domain forwarding helps)
3. Consider password and registration requirements for participants

B. Create a framework

4. Provide a structure for the press release (because not all bloggers know what a press release looks like); and include sections like:
1. Headline/s
2. Facts (5W1H)
3. Quotes
4. Interesting events
5. Provide links to:

1. Official website/s
2. Blog posts on conference segments (consider categorizing the blog posts according to day/session/theme)
3. Photo-sharing sites where participants upload their best photos
4. Podcasts
5. Conference coverage in mainstream media (perhaps more relevant after the event)
5. Appoint a facilitator to ensure that participants are making meaningful contributions, and that technical issues are quickly resolved

C. Provide guidance

7. Provide background and essential information to start with
8. Give clear instructions on how conference attendees can participate in the Community Press Release, and how to get help/further guidance (Give them the phone number or an the IM details of the facilitator)
9. Under each section header, provide annotations

D. Call to action

10. Announce it at the start of the event and/or place signboards of the announcement
11. Encourage each attendee to be a participant in sharing their experience with the “Invisible Crowd”.
12. Some people learn more when they participate, and this will be a good incentive for participants wanting to get more out of an event!
13. Offer prizes?

E. Putting the results to use

14. Send it to reporters who ask for a press release
15. Make the URL available to everyone

Note: The Community Press Release is probably only suitable for conferences at this point of time.

What are your thoughts on the concept of a Community Press Release? Apart from events, how else do you think a Community Press Release can work?

Nexus 2007 will start in about five hours; and by the end of the day, I hope to have a Community Press Release that is succinct enough to hold a reporter’s attention at first glance. Yet it should also be comprehensive enough – with links to other sources of information and rich media – for reporters and the rest of the world out there!

Look out for the Nexus 2007 Community Press Release

Wish me luck!

Back after three busy weeks crammed with a business expedition to Saigon (Vietnam), ‘New Media’ training sessions for clients and colleagues, and church projects. And on every one of those 21 days, I’ve been bugged with a typical Blogger’s dilemma – I’m too busy to blog, but should I still do it? Should I keep my (online) world in the know? Should I chronicle this part of life’s journey?

My silence over the past weeks has more than answered this question for myself, but here’s an excellent insight by wallydownundy into one of the most common (and comical) pickles that we bloggers sometimes find ourselves in.

Vietnam Venture
The natives prefer the tradition name, “Saigon”, to the modern “Ho Chi Minh City”. And do so I. Behind the two names you’ll find a city that is rich with tradition, yet not lacking for modern economic growth opportunities. Vietnam is drawing FDIs at quite an unmatched pace today, and I see great opportunities in Saigon because it has a winning compromise of China’s characteristic massive size, Singapore’s manageability and a disproportionately large young and literate population. Like all emerging markets, the marketing communications industry is still in its infancy, but business is flowing in, and it’s certainly primed for growth. Just recently, Grey Global Group announced its joint venture in Vietnam and I expect many more communications companies to follow in 2007.

‘New Media’ Training
Most encouragingly, after ‘New Media’ training sessions and discussions these days, there are fewer occurrences of the classic questions – the almost inevitable, “So… how do we ‘target’ the bloggers?” or “Can we start uploading our TV ads on YouTube?”

I think we’re getting somewhere.

Web 2.0 Highlights
The Digital Ethnography workgroup at Kansas State University posted an absolutely fantastic video that summarises the entire Web 2.0 phenomenon in less than 5 minutes. It’s titled “Web 2.0 … The Machine is Us/ing Us” and the clip has already been doing its rounds in Cyberspace, but certainly still worth bookmarking.

The launch of Yahoo Pipes brings us one step closer to automating the arduous process of monitoring news online. On the back of this announcement, Ben, my Scoopasia.com partner-in-crime, wrote a pretty useful piece on something that we’ve always been lamenting – the lack of automation in (PR) Work.

In its now-trademark SMNR style, Shift Communications has launched a Social Media Newsroom template. To rival this, one can almost expect Edelman to come up with an ‘Omnibus’ to complement its StoryCrafter tool!

It’s good to be back in the world of 2.0.

It is interesting that even today – after much discourse over ‘new media’ – there is an understated inconsistency (and error) in the way we use the term ‘new media’.

The fundamental flaw? Mention ‘new media’ and many would immediately think of Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, Interactive TV, Games, Video-sharing sites, RSS and the likes. This is a deceptively close-to-accurate perception, but therein lies a completely flawed paradigm that would hinder our understanding and limit our effectiveness as PR professionals in this very ‘new media’.

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