Traditional vs. Digital: Why You Shouldn't Choose One

Digital seems to be the newest and greatest thing in communication in the last twenty years. It’s like a shiny new toy that everyone has to have and can’t think of anything else. In the industry’s great excitement over digital, they've nearly completely forgotten about traditional media and the value they hold. But PR pros don’t have to choose between either digital or traditional because the most effective communication campaign engages its audience using a mix of both.

Pros of Print

• It’s an experience. Studies have proven that print material creates a sensory experience for readers as they thumb through pages or write out notes. They’re also more likely to remember information they read in print through this physical interaction compared to reading it on screen.
• Print permanence. Longevity may not be your first thought when you think of print but readers tend to revisit printed material even after they’ve read it. This allows your message to get across time after time.
• Credibility. People generally tend to believe the written word so there’s a level of credibility that comes with print. A message seems more legitimate to readers when it is presented in print as opposed to online.

Pros of Digital

• It’s timely. Digital allows you to share your message instantly. This way, your content can stay current and up to date. Possibly the best example of the power of being timely is Oreo’s notorious Super Bowl blackout Tweet. 
• Highly interactive. Digital allows for interactivity with a target audience in a way print could never achieve. Readers can comment, share and engage with others bringing the experience to a whole new level.
• Available analytics. With digital, it’s simple to track who is reading your content, how long they’re on your page and even if they share it. Having access to this information will allow you to better target your content in the future.

You’re able to reach your target audience in a number of ways by using both media.  Creating a balance in your message with a marriage of traditional and digital media is the ideal way to create an effective public relations campaign.  

Event Recap: Stockton PRSSA’s #CommIn14

This past weekend I had the chance to connect with The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey’s chapter of PRSSA while attending their networking event, Communication Innovation 2014: A Puzzle Piece To Your Future. I first met Stockton PRSSA President, Siera Smith, at the PRSSA National Conference this past October. I was so excited to see what this new chapter had in store for their inaugural event.

The event began with opening remarks from Siera as well as Stockton College President, Dr. Herman Saatkamp. Shortly after lunch, keynote speaker, Jessica Levin took the stage. Jessica Levin, MBC, CMP, CAE is the president and chief connector of Seven Degrees Communication, LLC. Her lecture primarily focused on the newest ways to communicate in our digital world. Here are some key points I took away from her lecture:

1. Digital is no longer a strategy, it is a way of life.
2. We live in a customized world, it's in demand, & it's efficient.
3. Getting your message on traditional media is NOT enough.
4. Renting, sharing, and subscribing is not new or different, it just embraces new technology

Congrats to Stockton PRSSA on a flawless and informative event! We look forward to collaborating soon!

It’s Official – Everyone Loves An iPhone!

For any aspiring Public Relations professional, owning a smart phone is a necessity. Public Relations work never ceases to end so being able to be available 24/7 is a must. As a previous dedicated BlackBerry user turned iPhone lover, I was thrilled to find out that the world really does love Apple. RIM? Not so much. 

The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) released its latest report on Tuesday, revealing customer satisfaction ratings for cellphone manufacturers and wireless carriers. The survey says cellphone users are most satisfied with Apple’s line of iPhones, and least satisfied with Research in Motion’s (RIM) Blackberry smartphones. ACSI’s May 2012 report includes its yearly data on customer satisfaction with cellphone manufacturers. This is the first year ACSI has included Apple, RIM, HTC and LG in this particular survey. Apple topped the heap of cellphone manufacturers with 83 points, out of 100 total. 


Still, in the cellphone space, Apple ranks 9 points higher than the industry average of 74, and 8 points more than runner-ups HTC, LG and Nokia. And if Apple’s eight-year run as ACSI’s top-rated PC manufacturer is any indication, you can expect the iPhone maker to maintain its top spot in cellphone customer satisfaction too. 


RIM’s downfall, however, is definitely a developing story. With a 70 percent drop in share price over the last year, RIM made its ACSI debut at the bottom of the list. The company scored only 69 points, 14 points behind Apple and five points below the industry average. 


In other words, people are loving their iPhones, hating their Blackberries, and having a generally mediocre relationship with their wireless carriers. These aren’t the most surprising report results, but at least we now have some official data points. 


Are you iPhone obsessed? Let us know!

Election Media Coverage Goes Digital

Any student in public relations knows, or should know, how important it is to keep up with news. So in the face of a current election year, it is that much more important to be in the know. Some students, maybe even professionals, may have found it hard to keep up with every single aspect of past political campaigns; however, in this “age of technology,” it is easier than ever.

Using the power of new media during a political campaign is not a new tactic; you may recall when CNN and YouTube held a joint debate in which the public sent in videotaped questions. Politicians have since caught up on the trend, using outlets like Twitter and Facebook to be engaged with the public 24/7. This election season, not only have politicians been deploying digital tools in new and innovative ways, the media outlets and journalists covering them have been doing the same.

Besides individual journalists and news outlets tweeting and uploading photos, the 2012 battle for the White House is the first time that web apps dedicated to political coverage have been introduced. These new and innovative apps are allowing readers to have unprecedented access to all things related to the election. Online features such as these are changing the name of the game in political journalism.

Here are a few other ways in which media coverage of the election is going digital:

1. Election Centers: Major news sites like CNN, MSNBC and Fox are featuring online election portals in which visitors can learn about the candidates and their stances on the issues that matter, access links to candidates’ social media profiles or find out more about their financial backers.

2. Interactive Maps: NBC has actually teamed up with Foursquare to map the campaign trail. Other news sites like CNN are offering calendar like maps to show visitors where and when upcoming primaries and caucuses are being held. Politico actually takes this map concept a step further by telling visitors not only where, but why candidates are doing particular events.

3. Social Debates: This idea isn’t new for 2012, but it has become more mainstream. Fox News used to Twitter to get instant opinions from the public on each candidate’s performance in a debate. Facebook and NBC teamed up to co-host a Republican debate in which viewers asked questions via the social networking site.

Have you seen other unique digital tools used in this year’s political campaign? Or, do you find one of these tools extremely beneficial? If so, let us know!

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Kaitlyn Sutton.

NATO Launches Tweet-Seeking Missile at Taliban

NATO, the most advanced military alliance in the world, just unveiled a new weapon in the fight against terrorism: the tweet-seeking missile.

The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), NATO’s security and development arm in Afghanistan, unleashed a slew of these tweet-seeking missiles against a Taliban-run Twitter account last week after Taliban gunman opened fire on the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. The Taliban account was quick to retaliate, spurring a digital firefight between NATO and Taliban social media soldiers.

@ISAFmedia was quick to condemn the Kabul attack, saying: “Re: Taliban spox on #Kabul attack: the outcome is inevitable. Question is how much longer will terrorist put innocent Afghans in harm’s way?” The ISAF then tweeted the number of civilians that insurgents had killed that day.

Taliban-affiliated @ABalkhi quickly returned fire, saying: “@ISAFmedia I dnt knw.u hve bn pttng thm n 'harm's way' fr da pst 10 yrs.Razd whole vllgs n mrkts.n stil hv da nrve to tlk bout 'harm's way'.”

The ISAF, faced with a direct attack did not retreat (or retweet for that matter). The account shot back: “Really,@ABalkhi? UNAMA reported 80% of civilians causalities are caused by insurgent (your) activities goo.gl/FylwU.” The ISAF attack was a success and the Taliban account was forced to retreat, firing only a weak response which was ignored by ISAF social media soldiers.

This short firefight could be the first battle in a long social media war, so how did the ISAF fare? Victory on all fronts. The direct response was a bold tactic but it worked well when paired with credible evidence. Then the ISAF social media soldiers secured victory by not responding to the Taliban’s petty final attack.

Twitter warfare may become a new frontier in the war on terror as NATO continues to battle for the hearts and minds of the Afghani and Iraqi peoples. NATO has won the battle and if they continue to engage the enemy, they will win the war.