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KETCHUM'S ONLINE MAGAZINE YEAR 2008    ISSUE 1

MEDIA MYTHS AND REALITIES: A PUBLIC OF ONE

2007 MEDIA USAGE SURVEY

Key Takeaways for Communicators

  1. Treat audiences as groupings of individuals rather than faceless masses.
    • Move away from a solely impressions-driven, mass-media-centric point of view. Move toward a stakeholder-centric point of view.
    • Know stakeholders’ interests better than anyone else and then engage them in conversation.
  2. Consider the power of personal experience. Understanding that family, friends and experts influence many kinds of decisions, put appropriate word-of-mouth (WOM) programs into place.
    • Online media and influencers are ideal platforms to trigger or extend WOM.
  3. Place a high priority on search engine optimization strategies or miss out on tremendous potential for audience reach and sales.
  4. Resist the temptation to make your company’s own Web site the primary choice when communicating to stakeholders—consumers mostly turn elsewhere for information.
  5. Be wary of the communication “flavor of the month.” Examine the latest data and research to avoid relying too much on any single communication technique, regardless of how exciting or promising it may seem.
    • While usage of social networks and blogs is growing, podcasts register in the single-digit range with the exception of the 18-24 age group, which grew from 8 percent to 13 percent.
  6. Look outside your own regional market to find new best practices. Consumers in emerging markets such as Brazil, Russia, India and China are tech-savvy and typically access mobile media more often than U.S. consumers.
  7. Keep in mind the increasing level of consumer skepticism—in particular, U.S. consumers perceive nearly every media channel as less credible than they did a year ago.
  8. View your company as a content provider, yet recognize that content has been commoditized and is easy to access. As a result, consumers are seeking context—rather than sheer content—to help them make informed decisions.
    • In all communications, content should have a purpose. Champion and establish “context-rich” dialogue with stakeholders that is relevant, authentic and engaging, and has a “pass along” effect.