Posted by Paul Holman of AHA Creative Strategies on August 27th, 2010
The Era of the Virtual AgencyIn today’s video, Ruth talks about how a virtual agency brings together the right people at the right time for the client.
Read morePosted by Ruth Atherley of AHA Creative Strategies on July 26th, 2010
Shel Holtz has a very interesting piece on whether writing is a core skill for a professional communicator. He did a round up, asking several strategic communications professionals for their take and their responses are thoughtful and relevant. It’s an interesting topic and this piece is definitely worth reading.
AHA TAKEThere are some communicators who focus more on the actual craft of writing in their day-to-day work than others, but I can’t imagine that a professional communicator doesn’t need solid writing skills to do their job. Communication is at the very foundation of what…
Read morePosted by Ruth Atherley of AHA Creative Strategies on July 19th, 2010
There has been quite a bit of buzz recently about the Old Spice social media campaign that has the Old Spice Man replying via video to tweets. (Here is a good post on WebProNews.) The campaign is funny, it’s smart and it showcases just what can be done with social media when you develop a kick ass strategy and identify what the right tools are to deliver on it.
I am sure that a case study on this campaign’s success will appear somewhere in the near future. It would be great to hear from the people who created…
Read morePosted by Ruth Atherley of AHA Creative Strategies on July 14th, 2010
We’ve been discussing the challenges being faced by traditional media for what seems like a very long time. The announcement that CanWest Global Communications Corp’s publishing division has been sold to Postmedia Network Inc., the organization led by Paul Godfrey and backed by U.S. private-equity player Golden Tree Asset Management among other investors, comes as no surprise.
In reading the piece in the Vancouver Sun, it is interesting to note that the new owners say they are going to “pursue an ambitious ‘digital first’ business model.” Godfrey said that he “would expect most…
Read morePosted by Ruth Atherley of AHA Creative Strategies on June 30th, 2010
I love this article in businessweek.com. It talks about effective and successful professionals who aren’t stuck in an office all the time. They do their work in interesting, inspiring and relaxing locations – like the beach.
Remember the days when you were in school and the teacher surprised you by saying that you were going to sit outside for the class. Looking back, I realize how innovative that was. It gave us the chance to enjoy the good weather, it engaged our minds outside of the expected classroom environment, it changed things up so that…
Read morePosted by Ruth Atherley of AHA Creative Strategies on June 09th, 2010
I came across a blog post by Deirdre Breakenridge that talked about “The Hybrid Professional.” It’s worth a read.
Our role has changed. It’s as simple as that. As professional communicators, it is crucial that we understand social media and that we blend it into our overall communications strategy, when appropriate. I am still surprised at how many people in PR still have their head stuck in the sand about social media.
I was recently at a brainstorming meeting with a client. Our client had an industry partner at the session and they had their…
Read morePosted by Ruth Atherley of AHA Creative Strategies on June 07th, 2010
There are many discussions online and, I am sure, in offices all over the world, about what BP is doing regarding its crisis communications. It has been a very hot topic in the AHA office as well.
One of the key points in our discussions is how much the world has changed because of social media. Technology and the online conversations happening all over the world mean that, as communicators, we have to evolve how we deal with an issue or a crisis.
There are many articles and blog posts out there about the crisis…
Read morePosted by Ruth Atherley of AHA Creative Strategies on May 19th, 2010
There is an interesting piece in Mashable about @SilentClark, who has decided to remain silent for a month. He’s only communicating through social media as a fundraising effort. It’s an interesting approach and one that is breaking through the clutter to generate some media attention for @SilentClark.
This piece is worth a read because it is showcasing some of the challenges and opportunities in social media in an entertaining way. For example, he talks about the “delay factor” – that as immediate as social media is, it still takes the time and effort to communicate…
Read morePosted by Ruth Atherley of AHA Creative Strategies on April 13th, 2010
Kevin Barenblat has a great blog post on iMediaconnection.com that focuses on the eight brand personalities that Facebook and Twitter users hate. It is worth a read.
One of the hated personalities, he says, is the non-responder. There are some great Facebook pages out there that have taken energy and effort to build and then, just when an organization seems to be on the verge of really engaging their community—nothing. People are talking, asking questions, chatting and there is no response or connection from the organization. When people are left hanging, the organization loses credibility.
There are several…
Read morePosted by Ruth Atherley of AHA Creative Strategies on March 22nd, 2010
Jenn Riggle of The Buzz Bin has a great blog post on Seven Ways Hospitals Can Address Facebook Criticism. While Jenn’s post focuses on hospitals, her advice can be translated to any organization that faces public scrutiny and criticism.
Being attacked publicly is one of the main concerns that we hear when we speak with new clients about the potential of using social media as a part of their communications efforts. This is a valid concern and one that needs to be addressed, especially for those organizations that have outspoken critics—critics that understand and use social media and…
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