Published Works

The Second Decade of the Council Brings Great Promise

admin — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 19:38:33 -0600

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In a December 2008 article from the Council of Public Relations Firms' online newsletter, The Firm Voice, Ray Kotcher, Senior Partner and CEO of Ketchum and 2008-2009 Chair of the Council of Public Relations Firms, reflects on the Council's 10th anniversary.

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By Ray Kotcher, Senior Partner and Chief Executive Officer, Ketchum, and 2008-2009 Chair, Council of Public Relations Firms

Reprinted with permission from the Dec. 9 issue of The Firm Voice.

The Council of Public Relations Firms turned 10 this year, and I think what this organization has achieved is worth celebrating. I also believe those achievements have fortified us for whatever lies ahead.

In 1998, the Council ended its first year with 39 member firms. Today, firm membership stands over 100, and our members represent some 12,000 employees in more than 40 U.S. cities and in 70 countries. That is a testament not only to the role of the Council in our industry, but also to our industry's role in today's global business world. Since 1998, revenues for PR firms in the U.S. have grown from $2.5 billion to a projected $4.7 billion for this year — evidence of the rising value of the services we provide.

The Council — by pooling all of our strengths and resources — has been an important part of this growth.

Ten years ago, Facebook and MySpace didn't yet exist; today, the popular social networking sites are a primary way that people around the world connect online — and PR is a lead discipline for tapping into this potential.

Indeed, throughout all this change — and, specifically, as one-directional mass communication has given way to multilevel conversations with consumers — PR firms have not only kept pace but often have led the way in shaping how new tools will be used and helping our clients stay up-to-date.

Agencies have taken on ever-growing roles as trusted partners for companies looking to build equity, trust and authenticity. Companies increasingly seek our counsel in managing issues and crises. And more and more, they look to us to help navigate key new concerns around social responsibility and stakeholder engagement. PR firms are making real, high-level contributions to corporations.

While the economy is going to test all industries in the months ahead, I think the public relations industry is in a position of strength.

Public relations agencies will be the most efficient way for companies to access the breadth and depth of communications and marketing expertise that they will need. And I believe the value of public relations will be clearer than ever. In fact, when I became chairman of the Council of PR Firms last year, I said that I didn't think there had ever been a better time in PR — I still feel that way today. We've been through tough economic times before, and we've emerged stronger and better.

So, despite the tough economic times we're facing around the globe right now, I believe the public relations industry — and PR firms, in particular — will continue to grow because of the relevance of the services we provide.

With all of these things, I see great times ahead for both the Council and our industry. Most of you reading this can attest to the growing sophistication of our business. Companies increasingly are turning to communication and public relations functions — and to agencies — for more strategic and higher-level advice. And the current patterns indicate that corporate public relations will have more responsibility for ethics and advocacy in the future. For agencies, that means we will need to provide sophisticated, sound counsel.

At the Council, we are committed to helping member firms find and attract the additional talent we'll need to meet these responsibilities. For instance, we all know that our industry needs more diversity in skill sets, thinking, educational background and experiences. I believe we can achieve this as agencies by doing these things: working more closely with the colleges and universities that train future PR professionals to make sure they understand the evolving needs of PR firms; encouraging mid-career professionals from other industries — business, law, technology (wherever we have needs) — to consider public relations and then helping them with the transition into our world; and providing continuous training of the talent we already have — preparing current PR professionals to be ready to take on expanded counseling roles for our clients.

The Council's leadership training program with Harvard is one example, and as public relations helps navigate the increasingly complex stakeholder "ecosystem," other alliances will occur. And, of course, we will have to be sure our compensation structure is competitive with other industries so that we can pursue top-notch graduates.

A broader role as counselors also will open the door for public relations to lead more integrated pitches. As the value of the services we offer becomes clearer to clients and prospects, our role as an equal contributor in the overall marketing mix will become clearer, too.

The potential that lies ahead is significant. And our industry's advances so far reassure me that it is attainable. Looking back again at revenue growth for a moment, I think it's also important to point out that revenues for PR firms in the U.S. have nearly doubled over the last 10 years. That outpaces the aggregate growth of the marketing agency sector — the agencies in all disciplines — whose revenues increased just 17% over that period. While other marketing communications agencies have a larger share, I do believe our rate of growth is a clear demonstration that the perceived value of what we do is rapidly on the rise.

Clarity, Honesty Vital During Volatility

admin — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 20:22:14 -0600

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In an Op-Ed in PRWeek from November 2008, John Weckenmann, Ketchum North American Corporate Practice Director, and Ken Boughrum, Managing Director of Stromberg Consulting, a Ketchum firm specializing in change management and employee engagement, explain the importance of honesty and openness in corporate communications during tough times.

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Presidential Speech: Deciphering 21st-Century Political-Speak

admin — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 12:03:07 -0600

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Nick Ragone, Senior Vice President and Director of Ketchum's Global Media Network for New York, explains the meanings and origins of common terms used during the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign, in this October 2008 article from Real Simple magazine.

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Needed: A "U.S. Declaration of Intent"

admin — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 12:38:57 -0600

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In an article from the 2008 fall issue of The Public Relations Strategist, which was published during the U.S. presidential election, Ketchum Senior Counsel John Paluszek argues for a declaration by the U.S. to develop a global leadership role relevant to the evolving world society. Reprinted with permission from the fall 2008 issue of The Public Relations Strategist. Copyright 2008 Public Relations Society of America.

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New Influencers Alter Health Strategy

admin — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 19:54:35 -0500

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Nancy Hicks, Senior Vice President and Associate Director of Ketchum's Global Healthcare Practice for North America, explains how consumers are changing the landscape of influence and democratizing health and wellness marketing, in an article for PRWeek magazine from September 2008.

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Labor Reductions: The Communications Gauntlet

admin — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:33:06 -0500

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Ketchum Senior Vice President of Crisis Management James Donnelly breaks down the challenges of and best practices for internally communicating corporate layoffs, in an article from the summer 2008 issue of The Public Relations Strategist. Reprinted with permission from the summer 2008 issue of The Public Relations Strategist. Copyright 2008 Public Relations Society of America.

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Blog Pitches Entail Research, Restraint

admin — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:20:53 -0500

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In an Op-Ed from an August 2008 issue of PRWeek, Margo Schneider, Account Supervisor in Ketchum's Global Technology Practice, breaks down some of the do's and don'ts that PR pros should keep in mind to earn the respect of bloggers.

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Who Am I? Defining and Communicating Your Leadership Brand

admin — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 18:37:51 -0500

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In an article from the August 2008 issue of PR Tactics, the monthly newsletter of the Public Relations Society of America, Ketchum New York Director Barri Rafferty discusses the importance of articulating a leadership brand to developing leaders and building a business.

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By Barri Rafferty, Senior Partner and Director, New York, Ketchum

From James L. Heskett to David Maister to Bill George, I have read many authors’ advice on leadership in a service business. One of my favorite quotations from Maister’s book True Professionalism is, “A leader doesn’t build a business — a leader builds an organization that builds a business.” If you believe that premise, read on.

Leaders are people you want to follow. They coach you to success, share your values and bring new ideas to the daily routine. Sounds easy, but can you articulate the traits good leaders in your agency or company have? Is there a clear leadership brand?

Dave Ulrich, author of Leadership Brand: Developing Customer-focused Leaders to Drive Performance and Build Lasting Value, defines the concept of a leadership brand as the “identity of the leaders throughout an organization that bridges client expectations and employee and organization behavior.”

Some agencies want to grow fast and need leaders who are entrepreneurs and innovators. Others want to maintain their size and be known as having the best client service, work atmosphere or niche expertise. Each of these objectives requires different leader behavior. Once your vision and business goals are clear, you can define the types of leaders you need to achieve those goals. They can be written out as a list of traits. The brand should be relevant to internal and external audiences and be easily articulated by both. Over time, your clients should be able to describe your leadership brand based on their experiences with your people.

A leadership brand is only effective if the traits you value are clearly articulated to all employees. For it to really take hold, you must train against those traits and hold talent accountable to those competencies. The idea is not to thwart people’s natural leadership styles, but to blend their leadership traits with those you value as a company. People must demonstrate the traits of your leadership brand while bringing their complete selves to the office. If you hire someone who has to work to demonstrate the attributes you value, she or he is not likely to make it in your culture.

Knowing Your Talent

To effectively manage your talent, you need to identify and develop your stars and emerging leaders. Thus, you should ask yourself the following questions: Who are your “superkeepers,” the cultural role models you cannot imagine losing? Who are your rising stars, those doing extremely well in their current jobs but with potential to do more? Who are the fast-trackers who show a pattern of success and could be ready to advance in the right role? Who are you spending the majority of your time developing?

As leaders, we often spend time with those who are role-mismatched, possible pearls or actively disengaged. For an organization to thrive, we need to get better at isolating those who drain energy and focus on managers whose enthusiasm inspires others. We need to cultivate our leadership and make personal commitments to develop their career plans. At Ketchum we have the Ketchum Leadership Institute, a training program that articulates our leadership brand and populates it with our top leaders around the world. We then provide our leaders tools from human resources that allow them to more easily access and manage talent.

Time Well Spent

We all make leadership choices by what we book on our calendars each day. We choose to spend time with the client, on talent or on the business strategy. Look at the past month on your calendar and see what percentage of your time is spent on each area. Looking at the month ahead, how could you make that time more effective?

How we distribute our time impacts our current and future business results. The best leaders provide fast feedback, create career development plans for their future leaders and think about succession. They can articulate the agency’s desired leadership brand and explain to individuals how they can better deliver that brand promise. They can focus their leaders on common business goals yet give each leader room to bring her or his own personality and vision to the task.

The best leaders focus on the future — it’s not an afterthought. What you do with your nonbillable time is often more important than your billable time. Sound easy? Think again. Sound doable? Yes, with discipline.

As I began, the goal of the leader is to build the organization. Only once you have identified the next tier of leaders and focused them on a common leadership brand can an organization thrive. If you are committed to building a service business, you must unite the agency’s human assets and think deeply about the current and future state of the business.

Sound Bite Legends Are Bad for You: Countering Clever Quips With Staying Power

admin — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:31:34 -0500

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In an article from the spring issue of The Public Relations Strategist, Ketchum Senior Vice President of Crisis Management James Donnelly explains how companies can take steps to anticipate and avoid becoming victims of "sound bite legends."

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By James Donnelly, Senior Vice President, Crisis Management, Ketchum

“The Three Mile Island accident was a disaster that awakened us to the dangers of nuclear power.”

“Compact fluorescent light bulbs are good for the environment.”

“DDT was a pesticide that was very harmful to humans.”

Make any of these statements to an audience and most likely the majority will nod in agreement. A pity, since not one of these statements is completely true. They’re sound bites that have become legend.

The incident at Three Mile Island resulted in no injuries, deaths or illnesses. Mistakes were made, but ultimately, secondary safety systems worked with minutes to spare. Disaster was averted, but the producers of Hollywood’s The China Syndrome (released a few weeks before) and activists rallied around the event to make their “no nukes” message stick. Today, most people still speak of the phantom disaster. It’s a sound bite legend.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs burn longer and require less power than regular light bulbs, but calling them environmentally friendly is a stretch since they contain poisonous mercury. You can’t simply throw away these squiggly bulbs when they expire; you must take them to special collection centers. If they break in your home, you are expected to ventilate the area, wear protective goggles and gloves, put the waste in an airtight container and (in some states) check with authorities to properly dispose of the hazardous material. Compact fluorescent light bulbs being good for the environment? Sound bite legend.

And then there is DDT, the chemical villain of Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” that led to a U.S. DDT ban in 1972. Decades of scientific review have proved Carson’s conclusions to be exaggerated. Today’s scientific consensus is that proper DDT use is safe for humans and the environment, and could save the lives of nearly 100,000 people a year who suffer from malaria in Africa.

In fact, some African health officials are pleading for access to cheap DDT. Why is it so difficult for a chemical manufacturer to make DDT available? In part, because the public thinks DDT is dangerous. That sound bite legend is hurting many innocent people.

Some activists and special interest groups understand the power of the sound bite (remember “Frankenfoods”?) and know once these clever quips become legend, they’re difficult for communicators to fight. Smart businesses and industries must learn to anticipate and avoid becoming victims of sound bite legends.

To that end, here are a few tips:

Define your audience. In point-counterpoint situations, industries sometimes spend too much effort trying to change the opinions of critics — many of whom are recalcitrant. It is wiser to focus positive communications on audiences with the most at stake.
Go heart-to-heart. Negative sound bites frequently appeal to the public’s heart. Too often, industries respond with science and facts that are aimed at the mind. It is important to inject your own positive emotion through powerful sound bites. After that, you can back up your position with facts and data.
Shape your message now. First-mover advantage is powerful in a war of perception. For example, nanotechnology and alternative-fuel industry representatives should begin promoting their benefits today — with sound bites that appeal to our emotions and reason — before the critics take the floor.

James Donnelly is Senior Vice President, Crisis Management, at Ketchum with broad experience in issues and crisis management, crisis training, communications training, corporate public relations, and global corporate communications.

The Price of Gas

admin — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:10:21 -0500

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Ketchum Director of Health and Wellness Dr. Cathy Kapica sheds light on the food and biological factors behind a frowned-upon physiological phenomenon, in an article from the May/June 2008 issue of Chicago Wellness Magazine.

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By Dr. Cathy Kapica, Vice President and Director of Health and Wellness, Ketchum

It's the thing that babies are praised for doing, and that very old people may be excused from, but the rest of us find uncomfortably embarrassing. In polite company we refer to it as gas, but, alright, I'll say it, I'm talking about farts. Yes, it can be humorous, as has been depicted in a variety of comedy scenes. And we call it by a number of names – " cut the cheese," "tooting," and so on. Interestingly enough, the word “fart” has been around for a very long time, coming from an ancient Greek word meaning “to break wind.”

What causes gas?

The technical term is flatulence, which is a mixture of gases from swallowed air and gas produced within the digestive tract. Gas production is a sign of a well-functioning digestive tract and healthful diet. About 10-30% of starches we consume escape the normal digestive process. Once these reach the lower large intestine, the bacteria that live there take over. They feast on this food coming their way, and release gases. Any carbohydrate containing food can cause gas, although some foods are notorious for their gas-producing ability. Beans top the list, but others include peas, lentils, dairy products, onions, garlic, scallions, leeks, radishes, sweet potatoes, cashews, Jerusalem artichokes, bananas, bagels, oats and wheat. Because of the type of carbohydrate they contain, called oligosaccharides, the human body doesn't produce the enzymes to break these down. In the case of those with lactose intolerance, intestinal bacteria feeding on lactose can give rise to excessive gas production when milk is consumed. The average human produces about a quart of gas per day, in 15-20 releases per day. We produce more gas after meals, and less during sleeping than during waking. But if you hold it in during the day, when your body relaxes at night it will be released.

What makes that sound?

Farts are expelled under pressure through the anus which is kept closed by a muscle called the anal sphincter. Gas is released when the gas pressure inside the rectum exceeds the anal sphincter's ability to restrain it. The noise made on release is caused by the vibration of the anal sphincter, and can be affected if the buttocks are closed. Depending upon if the sphincter is relaxed or tense, and the positions of the buttocks, this often results in a trumpeting sound, but gas can also be passed quietly. Adolescent males are particularly adept (and well known for) their musical ability when expelling farts.

What makes that smell?

The gas released during a fart frequently has a foul odor. Flatulence odor can be caused by the presence of large numbers of gut bacteria and/or the presence of feces in the rectum. Cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables are commonly reputed to not only increase flatulence, but to increase the pungency of the flatus.

What can we do to stay in “polite company”?

The foods that cause gas are some of the healthiest for us, so don't stay away. Here are some tips to minimize gas production without decreasing nutrition.

When preparing beans, soak them first in water, rinse, and then cook them. Rinsing them first helps remove some of the indigestible carbohydrate.
Sugar-free candy and gum often contains sugar substitutes called sugar alcohols, including sorbitol, mannitol, and xylitol. Bacteria in the lower intestine love to make gas from these so don't go overboard.
If you are not used to eating foods with fiber, introduce them slowly at first. The body adjusts over time. Be sure to increase your fluids as well.
Probiotics, also known as live active cultures, can help reduce flatulence by restoring balance to the normal gut bacteria. Those with lactose intolerance can often tolerate yogurt.
There are digestive enzyme supplements on the market which also help reduce the gas produced by foods like beans.

It also helps to eliminate the swallowed air. I found this particular mantra very helpful during pregnancy, a time when there is much less room in the abdomen for comfort: “Better to belch and bear the shame than squelch the belch and bear the pain.”

Dr. Cathy Kapica, a public health scientist and registered dietitian, is Vice President of Health and Wellness at Ketchum in Chicago. She is a former Global Director of Nutrition at McDonald’s Corporation, Senior Scientist and Director of Nutrition at Quaker Oats, and Chicago Medical School faculty member.

Profiles of PR Success: Nick Ragone

admin — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 11:39:27 -0500

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In a 2008 booklet called Profiles of PR Success: Stories of Emerging Leaders in Public Relations, Ketchum Senior Vice President and Client Development Director Nick Ragone is featured as one of 20 women and men, ages 28-40, selected as successful and emerging leaders in the field based on awards or recognition they have received or recommendations of leaders in the industry. The booklet was researched and written by University of Alabama advertising and public relations graduate students, who conducted interviews with each of the 20 professionals.

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Health Is the New Wealth: Future Outlooks

admin — Fri, 23 May 2008 12:43:49 -0500

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Dr. Cathy Kapica, Ketchum Director of Health and Wellness, explains how a new age of well-being has emerged in which family health and fitness have become status symbols, in an article from the March/April 2008 issue of Chicago Wellness Magazine.

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By Dr. Cathy Kapica, Vice President and Director of Health and Wellness, Ketchum

There was a time when material things, like the number of televisions or computers were most important for defining status. But the world has changed. With obesity a global epidemic, and the rising rates of diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure, especially among children, our lives have taken a renewed focus. We have entered the age of well-being where the emerging status symbol is family health and fitness.

While physical health is important, well-being includes emotional and spiritual health, for which relationships are central, as well as environmental health – a concern for living in harmony with the planet. Converging trends gave birth to the age of well-being, including an aging, affluent population; a growing interest in prevention versus treatment; emerging technologies and scientific advances; and empowered consumers with ready access to information. You may not be aware of these things individually, but taken together, they are impacting the way we live and work. We see its effects on our expectations from food, which is no longer just a nutrition issue, but a moral and social one as well. Here are some examples:

Give us real food with ‘clean labels’ and no ‘issues’

The desire for natural versus highly processed foods and ingredients is rising around the world. Consumers are demanding short ingredient statements with familiar and natural names. This is known as a “clean” label. We want ingredients that are recognizable as something found in our kitchen. There is also an increasing desire for foods that are “free” from perceived negative issues, such as “gluten-free,” “lactose-free,” and “animal-free” (vegetarian/vegan).

We want positives not negatives

“Real food” brings an elevated desire for foods that provide positive nutrient benefits. The debate is changing from the absence of negatives to the presence of positives – from “no fat,” “salt,” “sugar to vitamins,” “minerals,” “antioxidants,” “protein” and “naturally nutrient rich.” Added nutrients, called “fortification,” are becoming more about enhancing performance than overcoming deficiency. Omega 3 fatty acids and probiotics are just two examples. Due to the high prevalence of obesity-related diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure, foods and diets that offer risk-reduction benefits continue to gain interest, such as foods with plant sterols to lower cholesterol.

We want our food fairly

“Sustainable” is the new term for foods not only grown using responsible agricultural practices, but where suppliers, employees and the environment are being treated fairly in the process of that food coming to market. These efforts are being measured using new terms like “carbon footprint” and “food mile.” A carbon footprint is the total amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emitted over the life cycle of a product or service. Food miles is a term which refers to the distance food travels from the time of its production until it reaches the consumer. “Locally grown” is also highly desirable. Consumers

who prefer to eat only locally grown foods are now called “localvores.”

Organic – now more mainstream

The rise in organic food around the world shows we want quality food that is safe and environmentally friendly. Though many perceive organic foods to be more healthy and nutritious (despite a blanket lack of scientific evidence to support such claims*), the true perception is that they are “real” and sustainable.

(*Science versus Marketing: Any animal product will have naturally occurring hormones, so to say it is “hormone-free” is a bit misleading. Pesticide residues on food are very small, especially so if you wash or peel produce – less pesticides are good for the environment. Animal products that are antibiotic-free, however, are good, because they decrease the likelihood of bacteria becoming resistant to human diseases.)

We want nutrition -- just for us

A new science – nutrigenomics – is emerging that will be able to determine individual health needs and risk through DNA. Today we already have products that are personalized to life-stage needs (prenatal vitamins for pregnant women), gender needs (cereals formulated to give women the extra calcium and iron they need), disease risks (margarines with plant sterols for cholesterol reduction) and age needs (baby food). In the coming years, we will be able to know just who will benefit from things like salt reduction to control blood pressure, or probiotics to optimize metabolism, so you can adjust your eating style accordingly.

Health means beauty inside and out

Topically applied creams and lotions are only half the battle against the visible signs of aging, the other

half being what you put inside. Emerging evidence suggests that women who eat more sugar tend to have more wrinkles. Functional waters that hydrate (which we know is good for skin) as well as provide nutrients are among the hottest beauty foods. Exotic fruits like pomegranate are available in potions and lotions to address our health needs inside and out. And even men are taking notice of these beauty needs.

The demands of daily life present challenges to our pursuit of well-being. As more women reach their mature years healthier and more active than their parents, a new generation of care givers emerges. Parents of adults are shopping for, caring for and helping to raise their grandchildren in record numbers – while taking care of their aging parents. But these grandmothers do NOT want to be called “grandma,” which evokes the image of an old lady in a rocking chair. And, as more women enter and remain the workplace, more men either opt into the primary caretaker role for their children or are more actively involved in their upbringing. Women, however, continue to be the gatekeepers of household health.

Bombarded with information, more time-stressed than ever, women and men are no longer multi-tasking but multi-minding. We’re literally carrying multiple agendas, conversations and thoughts in our heads at all times WHILE multi-tasking. It’s hard to hear, much less process, all the messages. To filter through the clutter many of us are relying even more on our circle of influencers, such as relatives, friends, trainers, personal shoppers, etc., to help us meet demanding daily agendas.

While health and fitness continue to emerge as the new status symbol and synonym for quality of life, we can move forward incrementally at the very least. What will you do today to take your first steps toward new wealth?

Dr. Cathy Kapica, a public health scientist and registered dietitian, is Vice President of Health and Wellness at Ketchum in Chicago. She is a former Global Director of Nutrition at McDonald’s Corporation, Senior Scientist and Director of Nutrition at Quaker Oats, and Chicago Medical School faculty member.

What PR Professionals Can Learn From Political Branding

admin — Mon, 19 May 2008 09:12:42 -0500

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Ketchum New York Director Barri Rafferty examines how the campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have become full-fledged branding efforts, with each working to build brand preference and loyalty that will ultimately pay off at the polls, in a May 2008 article the Public Relations Society of America's Web publication, PR Tactics and The Strategist Online.

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By Barri Rafferty, Partner and Director, New York, Ketchum

During debates in the Democratic primaries, Sen. Barack Obama has been seen drinking Pepsi’s Aquafina water, while Sen. Hillary Clinton has been spotted with a bottle of Coca-Cola’s Dasani. Product placement on a political stage is an excellent opportunity to create brand preference, but, in this election, two powerful brands already have center stage.

The Obama and Clinton campaigns have become full-fledged brands — with each of the candidates working to build brand preference and loyalty that will ultimately pay off at the polls. As communicators, we can learn a lot from observing how the two candidates are managing their brands.

For starters, framing has been crucial. We know that people prefer a brand based on what engages them and not necessarily on quality. The Democratic presidential contenders know it, too. With similar voting records in the Senate, Obama and Clinton have had to differentiate themselves. They have done this, in large part, by understanding and aligning themselves with their stakeholders’ concerns. By now, anybody who has been or is planning to go to the polls is well aware that Obama has framed himself as the candidate of change while Clinton is associated with experience. Both candidates have tapped into a base of voters who identify with those ideals by using their frames as the context for delivering all their key messages. It is a classic example of establishing an emotional connection to a brand.

The tools the candidates have used to deliver their messages are also a statement of their brand identities. Both candidates are using the Internet to reach voters, but Obama’s use of the Web also demonstrates a change in the way political campaigning is done. His campaign Web site not only has links to Facebook, MySpace and YouTube but also to numerous more targeted sites such as Digg, LinkedIn and BlackPlanet. According to Web-analytics firm Compete, Obama has grabbed 60% of the Democratic Party’s FaceTime — a metric of total online time with the public. That’s nearly triple Clinton’s FaceTime share. Obama has integrated social media into his entire media strategy. And, he has embraced an online “Yes We Can” video created by unofficial spokespeople — such as Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Scarlett Johansson — as part of his campaign. He is also using the Web not only to persuade young people to vote but to also attract online donations in small amounts that add up.

Meanwhile, the Clinton campaign has been having its best success by encouraging supporters to make phone calls, volunteer during primaries, plan events and help raise money. Clinton’s Web site features a clip of former President Bill Clinton walking through a list of the senator’s life accomplishments, as well as endorsements from real people such as a mother with sick children and the White House decorator. Clinton uses new media outlets, too — in fact, her campaign joined YouTube three months earlier than Obama’s — but she understands that traditional communication methods are resonating better with voters who are pulling for her.

No matter who wins the party’s nomination, these campaigns demonstrate how a brand can benefit from recognizing and then identifying with what matters to stakeholders. Like any other brand, both the Clinton and Obama campaigns have struggled with legitimacy and identity issues. And, like the most effective brands, they have defended themselves best when they have stayed within their established frames and used the communication tools that most effectively reach their stakeholders.

As communicators, let’s be astute observers and see what we can borrow from these brands. Using what we learn, who will create the next breakthrough CEO orator or produce the next hugely viral corporate video? It could be your company or client.

Barri Rafferty is a Partner at Ketchum and the Director of Ketchum New York. She is also the 2008 president of the PRSA New York chapter.

PR 3.0 – The Era of Disruptive PR

admin — Fri, 09 May 2008 13:09:29 -0500

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In an April 2008 article from the Council of Public Relations Firms' online newsletter, The Firm Voice, Ketchum Client Development Director Nick Ragone and Senior Media Specialist Chris Kooluris explain how an era of disruptive PR has emerged in which companies and brands are now engaging their enthusiasts and stakeholders on their terms, not a company's.

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By Nick Ragone, Senior Vice President and Director of Client Development, Ketchum, and Chris Kooluris, Senior Media Specialist, Disruptive Media

Just as the Internet is transitioning from "Web 2.0" to "Web 3.0," public relations is making a similar sort of transition.

If PR in the mid-1990s gave rise to enhanced one-way communication through the mass adoption of e-mail and the Internet, and more recently new technologies like blogs, podcasts, and other online tools have spurred something resembling two-way communications, then what's on the horizon?

We don't believe it will be driven by new technology so much as it will be a change in mindset. We call it "disruptive PR," or to state it more accurately: companies and brands engaging their enthusiasts and stakeholders on their terms, not the companies'. In reality, it means ceding a little bit of the brand's identity to the enthusiasts who love it most by looking at the world through a new set of eyes: the enthusiasts. That might seem like a subtle evolution, but in fact it's a striking departure from the current landscape.

This won't really be a matter of choice; it's going to be a necessity – a table stake for companies that want to remain relevant in a world where irrelevance is quickly becoming the norm.

Why will that be the case? Quite simply, with every passing day fewer and fewer people are consuming media – any type of media. We know traditional media is suffering – look no further than the continued layoffs at the networks, newsweeklies and newspapers as Exhibit A – but that doesn't mean all those eyeballs are automatically migrating to "mainstream" Web sites, either. Some are – look no further than sites like PerezHilton, TMZ, Engagdet, Gizmodo and others as Exhibit B – but in reality only a few dozen Web sites are genuinely thriving in this new world.

A large – and growing – number of people are becoming increasingly preoccupied with their interests because their interests can now be catered to. And this happens in lots of different ways: through social networks, micro blogs, niche sites, gaming worlds, viral programming, and so on. The list is endless and growing (sort of like infinity+1).

The essential truth – for companies the word would be scary truth – is this: Consumers don't have to consume anything anymore that doesn't speak to their interests. If you're a diehard Mets fan, your media consumption may consist of Metsblog.com, SportsNet NY, and the Mets Facebook group, and little else. You may fit the coveted marketing profile – young man 18-34 – but if brands (that aren't called the New York Mets) want to reach you, they had better relate it back to the Mets somehow. That's not an easy thing to do.

To use a real life example, take the case of Dr Pepper, a Ketchum client. Its primary target audience is young men, and its primary brand attribute is that it's flavorful. Given that, its marketing and PR voice has always been a bit irreverent.

But our client Greg Artkop challenged us to go beyond that. No more doing the stuff that the brand thinks is cool; let's engage our enthusiasts by doing something that they think is cool, with the hope being that it would create a deeper connection.

Our concept: Encourage Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose to release his decade-in-the-making album Chinese Democracy by offering a free Dr Pepper to everyone in America if the album drops in 2008.

At first blush it might seem bizarre, but to date it's generated over 300 million impressions and has created an almost immeasurable connection between the brand and millions of GNR fans. Why? Because the brand put itself in the place of one of its subdemographics – music enthusiasts – and approached it from their perspective: what would they appreciate, find entertaining, and think is cool. And we made it authentic and funny by purposely excluding estranged GNR guitarists Slash and Buckethead from the free Dr Pepper offer – a small but critical touch.

It worked so well that the reclusive Axl Rose actually thanked Dr Pepper on the official GNR Web site, and revealed that he would share his Dr Pepper with Buckethead because a few of his tracks were still on the album. That might seem like an insignificant thing to most people, but to the GNR fans we were targeting, this was news – big news. They appreciated what Dr Pepper had done, mostly because it was so unexpected, unusual, and out of the ordinary for a company. Their feedback to us (in the form of thousands of blog posts): who knew that Dr Pepper had a sense of humor?

Disruptive PR isn't about attention grabbing stunts, cheesy ploys, or message-driven campaigns. Quite the opposite: It's relating to enthusiasts in a way that attracts their attention – disrupts them so to speak – on their terms, not ours. It's not easy – in fact it's very hard – but it's going to be essential for brands to remain relevant.

Nick Ragone is a Senior Vice President and Director of Client Development at Ketchum. Chris Kooluris heads Ketchum's Disruptive Media group.

Nick Ragone

Chris Kooluris

Pharmaceuticals Need Online Media

admin — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 19:24:50 -0500

Short Description

In a March 2008 Op-Ed from PRWeek, Ketchum Executive Vice President and Director of Global Healthcare and Brand Advocacy Ann Moravick explains how the power of digital media is a call to action for drug companies.

Member Spotlight: Jaime Schwartz, M.S., R.D., Account Supervisor, Ketchum

admin — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 20:18:57 -0500

Short Description

In a profile from the winter issue of the newsletter of the Greater New York Dietetic Association, Ketchum Food & Nutrition Practice Account Supervisor Jaime Schwartz discusses her career and her role at Ketchum as a Registered Dietitian specializing in food and nutrition communications.

Full Story

Interviewed by Lisa Ronco, M.S., R.D., C.D.N.

Reprinted with permission from The Greater New Yorker, a publication of the Greater New York Dietetic Association.

Explain your role at Ketchum.

I joined Ketchum in March 2006 as a Senior Account Executive and was recently promoted to Account Supervisor. My role as an R.D. working in public relations is to provide strategic nutrition communications counsel to food and wellness clients. The majority of the projects I am involved in focus on outreach to health professionals. For example, I played a key role in the development of www.snacksense.com, a new Web site that Frito-Lay launched to provide resources to help health professionals discuss with clients the role of snacking in the diet. I am currently working on a program that Frito-Lay is developing in partnership with the ADA called License to Snack (Web site of the same name), which has both consumer and health professional elements. All of Frito-Lay’s activities at this year’s FNCE were coordinated by my team, including the “Navigating the Aisles” satellite symposium, “The Skinny on Total Fat: A Matter of Quality versus Quantity” session, a media briefing, spokesperson briefing, the writing and layout of 12 education materials for distribution at the booth, as well as booth design.

What do you like best about being an R.D. in public relations?

I love being able to create opportunities for R.D.s to gain visibility as the go-to source for nutrition information. For example, when Wendy’s was looking to launch a program that connects moms with nutrition experts, I recommended to the client a panel of three R.D.s, who were then selected to develop and be featured on the Mom R.D. Web site. I also make recommendations for R.D. spokespeople to appear in TV, print and online interviews on behalf of Ketchum’s clients. I really enjoy being able to “wear different hats” in professional organizations as a member and also as a partner, identifying sponsorship opportunities that are a good match for my clients and the organization. For example, I am not only an active member of the Food and Culinary Professionals (FCP), but I also helped secure a sponsorship for the California Strawberry Commission, coordinating a hands-on culinary workshop in Chicago where FCP members prepared recipes with strawberries to elevate the status of this favorite fruit as more than just a cereal topper or dessert. I even wear different hats in NYSDA, as I am working with the annual meeting coordinators to have “The Skinny on Total Fats” session (which was standing room only at FNCE) presented at NYSDA’s meeting in Albany.

Your current position is far from the typical clinical R.D. role. How did you get to this position?

I got this position, as well as every other role I’ve had, through networking, seeking out mentors, fine-tuning my skills and having a little patience. On my way back from FNCE 2004 in Anaheim, I was sitting at the airport and met Wendy Weiss, an R.D. who worked for Ketchum. She shared what her job entailed, the clients she worked with and how she applied her nutrition expertise. Although Ketchum wasn’t looking to bring on another R.D. at that time and I had just started at Atkins Nutritionals six months prior and wasn’t looking to leave, I sent my rósumé to Wendy for consideration should a position become available in the future. Ketchum brought me in for an exploratory interview the following month and I was called back in a few months later. When I was looking to leave Atkins Nutritionals, I followed up with Ketchum, but they still did not have the right mix of clients to bring on another R.D., so I accepted a position at Kraft Foods. But the following year when Ketchum called, it was finally the right time for both of us. I was brought in to meet with the team, including Ilene Smith, an R.D. who I had met through my involvement in the Dietitians in Business and Communications (DBC). I was offered the position and was relieved that my passion and persistence had paid off.

I know you are quite involved in professional activities. Please tell our readers about your roles outside of Ketchum.

I am the Mentoring Program Co-Chair for DBC, which is greatly rewarding since I benefited so much from the program when I first became an R.D. — having been paired with a mentor who gave me great advice and also eventually introduced me to my graduate school advisor. Even though I have been in New York City for four years, I am still Co-Editor of the New Jersey Dietetic Association’s newsletter News & Views

(can’t let go of my Jersey roots!). I am a member of GNYDA’s PR committee and Secretary of Penn State’s Nutrition and Dietetics Alumni Society. I am also a member of Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutritionists (SCAN), FCP, Nutrition Entrepreneurs (NE), and Weight Managements (WM).

What other ways have you contributed to the profession?

I was a session speaker at FNCE 2005 on the topic of generational diversity in the workplace and have also presented and published research that I conducted as a graduate student on portion distortion, label reading, and portion size measurement aids. My most recent papers appeared in the April 2006 issue of Topics in Clinical Nutrition and the September 2006 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. I had great support from Ketchum and Rutgers in publicizing these papers and received national coverage in Elle, Today’s Dietitian, Men’s Health, and an Associated Press story.

Where do you see your career heading?

I have had an amazing two years at Ketchum and am looking forward to the challenges of my new role and future growth opportunities there. I want to continue having an active role in professional activities, especially in the area of mentoring dietetic students and new R.D.s as well as those looking to make a change into business and industry positions.

Do you have a typical workday?

I am definitely a morning person and start my day with either a run, spin class or yoga class. I get into the office around 8:45 a.m. Every day is completely different. But days usually involve planning meetings; client update calls; meetings with team members, partners, vendors, and clients; writing, editing, and delegating responsibilities; brainstorms; budgeting; reading up on the latest food and nutrition news. I aim to leave by 6:30 p.m. but that doesn’t always happen.

Is there a particular day that stands out?

We were working with a celebrity chef last winter and booked him on local morning shows across the country. He was running late from a segment he was filming in New York and missed his flight to Cincinnati. There were no other flights departing that night and we absolutely had to get him there in time for the live morning show. So we had to hire a private jet to take him there! It was 9 p.m. on a Friday night and we were able to locate a jet that had just delivered a heart to a hospital in Boston for a transplant patient. I don’t think anyone on the team slept that night until we confirmed that he boarded!

What changes do you predict in the dietetics field in the next few years?

There are growing opportunities for R.D.s working with supermarkets, both on the corporate level and in-store. This is exciting and such an important place for dietitians to be. However, it will be important to have metrics in place to measure the impact that the education we provide to consumers, store employees and buyers has on sales in order for this area of opportunity for R.D.s to continue to grow.

Where did you go to school and how did you get your start?

I received my B.S. in nutrition from Penn State and then completed the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey Dietetic internship. After working as a clinical dietitian for about a year, I began my master’s in nutritional sciences at Rutgers, where I was able to tailor my coursework and research projects to focus on communications. I started sending out résumés about five months before graduation to any nontraditional position that interested me. I received a response back from a professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine that although the research coordinator position I applied for had been filled, she knew of another one at Atkins Nutritionals that would be a good fit for me. I got the job as a Technical Writer for the Health and Medical Information Services division and worked closely with the editorial, communications, and marketing departments. Working at a small organization, with all teams under one roof, gave me a good foundation to work at Kraft, a larger operation with many different departments and agency partners, and then at Ketchum, where I had a steep learning curve in the fast-paced world of public relations, but a very supportive team to help me through it.

What one piece of advice do you have for members?

If you are interested in a certain area of dietetics, there are seasoned professionals who are happy to give you advice and get you going on the right track. If you don’t know who to ask, find someone with a job that interests you and contact them. There is such great support from DPG members; join the groups that fit your niche. I am amazed at what a sisterhood (and brotherhood, too) our profession is and am always inspired by the talent, creativity and passion within our association.

How More Companies Are Embracing Social Responsibility as Good Business

admin — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:03:40 -0500

Short Description

In a March 2008 article from The Wall Street Journal Online, Ketchum Senior Counsel John Paluszek talks with the Journal Online about the rising importance of corporate social responsibility over the last few decades and the imperative it has become for today's companies.

Full Story

Click here to view "How More Companies Are Embracing Social Responsibility as Good Business."

CEO Efforts Key to Consumer Trust

admin — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 11:18:59 -0600

Short Description

In a January 2008 PRWeek article, Ketchum North American Corporate Practice Director John Weckenmann explains how the public's opinion of CEOs is driven by their performance with the environment, ethics and employees.

PR at the Crossroads: Survey Pinpoints Essential First Steps for New-Media Neophytes

admin — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 09:47:54 -0600

Short Description

Nicolas Scibetta, Global Director of Ketchum's Global Media Network, examines how communications professionals have not yet truly aligned themselves with the channels that consumers rely upon for their daily doses of information, in a January 2008 article from Bulldog Reporter’s Daily ‘Dog.

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By Nicholas Scibetta, Senior Vice President and Global Director, Global Media Network

Reprinted with permission from Bulldog Reporter's Daily 'Dog news Web site. Visit the site to subscribe to the daily service: www.bulldogreporter.com/dailydog.

PR professionals have been getting a bad rap lately by being accused of employing "spray and pray" tactics. As misguided pitches to media outlets are perceived as little more than "spam e-mail," the public relations industry finds itself at a crossroads. Specifically, embracing the Web as a way to dialogue with various audiences means more than simply reaching out to blogs, communicating via e-mail and claiming to have a presence on YouTube. Today’s PR professionals must look at reaching their audiences through a different, often fractured, lens.

From this new lens, a different audience appears — one that consists of a sea of individuals who seek to control the information they receive, and who have the power to do so in ways that communicators sometimes seem reluctant to fully embrace. Second to second, the day’s top stories change for each media consumer — news feeds and customizable searches allow everyone an opportunity to steer their media consumption via a personalized dashboard of information.

The time has come and gone to debate the power of the Web for communicators — acceptance and integration into communications plans is where we need to be. Yet while many claim to be doing this, a recent survey shows the exact opposite, revealing that communications professionals have yet to truly align themselves with the channels that consumers rely upon for their daily doses of information.

Media Myths & Realities: A Public of One, Ketchum and the USC Annenberg Strategic Public Relations Center’s 2007 media usage survey, examines the media habits of consumers in the U.S. and BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China), as well as communications professionals in the U.S. Looking at more than 40 media channels, the online study asked respondents not only about which channels they use on a day-to-day basis, but also which sources they turn to when making a host of personal decisions. While the research showed an increasingly fragmented use of these channels, word-of-mouth and search engines emerged as the most turned to sources.

So, where does this leave communicators? The continuous creation of new technologies and media channels is speeding up the pace of news gathering and dissemination, while at the same time presenting multiple challenges for communicators in their attempts to reach their target audiences. These media outlets provide infinite possibilities for consumers, offering them numerous channels to turn to for their daily doses of information. Given this media climate, consumers are experiencing personal empowerment like never before, enabling them to create their own media mix.

The Ketchum-USC Survey also showed that despite consumers’ claims that search engines, expert spokespeople and advice from friends and family serve as their primary information sources, communicators place much less emphasis on the implementation of specific word-of-mouth programs or search engine optimization strategies. The wake-up call is here and has been here for some time. By now, we all know that news must be customizable and that to reach our target audience we must optimize these tools.

Still, if you haven’t done anything yet to embrace these new tools, there are at least three basic things communicators should consider and strategically evaluate before implementing a communications program.

Search engine optimization (SEO): Quite simply, search rules. The survey revealed that across the board, in both the U.S. and BRIC countries, search engines ranked among the top four outlets the public is turning to. Despite the fact that the public is turning to search engines in droves, only 28% of communications professionals claim to have an SEO strategy in place. Organizations should consistently evaluate the strategic value of incorporating both paid and organic optimization strategies into their overall communications mix.
Really Simple Syndication (RSS): An easy way to distribute your news with potential for big payoff, RSS enables consumers to craft individualized news feeds and can be a strategic option for bringing content-specific news to the audiences who care most about it. The survey also found that communication professionals believe their corporate Web sites are the most effective sources in influencing consumer opinions about the image or reputation of their companies. This begs the question, is your content available via RSS?
Monitoring: With so many media choices, it’s inevitable that consumer media use will mirror this fragmentation. It’s important to remember that any one of these outlets could be a forum for others to discuss your brand or products. Conversations about your company’s brand, products, services, and so on are happening — whether you like it or not. The question that needs to be asked is, Is your company truly paying attention to what’s being said? Communicators should continuously evaluate their company’s and clients’ online and offline media-monitoring strategies.

There’s no turning back. But the future holds a lot of opportunity — if PR professionals choose to fully embrace it. For more on the survey, visit: www.ketchum.com/2007mediasurvey.

Nicholas Scibetta is Senior Vice President and Global Director of Ketchum’s Global Media Network. He can be reached at nicholas.scibetta@ketchum.com.

Words to the Wise

admin — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 15:23:04 -0600

Short Description

Ketchum Editor of Online Communications Joseph Priest reviews words that commonly confound business professionals, in an article from the January 2008 issue of PR Tactics, the monthly newsletter of the Public Relations Society of America.

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PriestPRTacticsArticle1-08.pdf

Five Questions With Andy Roach

admin — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 17:29:20 -0600

Short Description

A profile of Ketchum Partner, Chief Information Officer and B2B Technology Practice Lead Andy Roach explores the synergy of his dual role as Ketchum CIO and Ketchum Technology Practice client leader, in a January 2008 issue of Information Systems Control Journal.

Full Story

Andy Roach has a dual role at Ketchum, an international public relations firm. He is the chief information officer (CIO) and group lead for the business-to-business (B2B) segment of Ketchum’s Technology Practice. As CIO, he is responsible for strategic direction and operations management for the agency. As senior counselor for Ketchum’s B2B group, he helps clients develop and execute impactful PR campaigns for the enterprise technology community. Prior to joining Ketchum, he held positions in marketing, technology development and project management at companies including Accenture and IBM.

Roach graduated from the University of California at Santa Cruz with a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy. He enjoys playing guitar and spending time with his wife and daughter. In 2007, he received the CIO of the Year Award from the Pittsburgh Technology Council in the enterprise category, and is a two-time recipient of CIO magazine’s 50/50 Award.

Question

You have a unique position as a CIO and PR executive. How do these roles complement each other?

Answer

I find that the two roles complement each other very well. In my CIO role, I’m responsible for ensuring that our technology investments align with Ketchum’s strategic goals. Because we are a professional services firm, these strategic goals are largely defined by the needs of our clients and the account teams that serve them. Having firsthand experience with our clients as a public relations executive means that I can see how our technology is impacting the business on a day-to-day basis. This kind of insight makes me a better CIO for Ketchum.

At the same time, in my public relations role, I’m responsible for developing and implementing communications programs for our technology clients. In many cases, our clients’ customers are CIOs or other technology executives, so I am both a strategic counselor and representative of their potential customers. These experiences give me direct insight into both sides of the marketing communications “mix,” which enhances the counsel I give to clients.

Question

How and why did you transition or incorporate your IT and marketing/PR backgrounds?

Answer

I have a deep passion for technology. From a very early age, computers and programming have played a role in my life. I used to develop computer games as a hobby during middle school. Later on, I used computers to do graphic design and build databases for various side jobs in high school and college. And, in order to stay productive in these pursuits, I learned how to upgrade and rebuild computers. As I developed in my technology career, I found I was able to provide support, programming and design to others to help them accomplish their goals, too. This included developing databases for marketing-communications and training departments at various companies early on in my career.

In the mid-1990s, I had a strong interest in multimedia and interactive technologies. The cross-section of design, interactivity and information fascinated me. This interest turned into a career in web development just as the dot-com era hit. Not surprisingly, most of the Web sites I built during those days were marketing-oriented. Along the way, I began to counsel clients on their online communications strategies as well.

So, I have always straddled the line between communications work and technology development. Six years ago, this culminated in becoming the chief information officer for a top global public relations agency—Ketchum. Ketchum has always been an innovative company in terms of the opportunities it gives its employees. About a year ago, I was approached with the idea of splitting my time between client work and my CIO duties. Of course, I jumped at the idea—engaging both the left and right sides of my brain on a daily basis is ideal for me, and I think that my experiences give me the skills necessary to do both jobs well.

Question

What advantages do you believe your communications background brings to your role as a CIO or vice versa?

Answer

As an IT practitioner, my number one goal is to make sure that the IT function is meeting the needs of our employees and clients. A significant component of the success of this mission lies in good communication. This means that we do everything in our power to ensure that our employees not only have the tools they need to provide great service to their clients, but also that they are aware of how to use them effectively and efficiently. Having a communications background, I can ensure the proper dissemination of information about technology to Ketchum employees and clients. For every IT implementation—whether it is a security initiative, a training initiative, or developing the case for a new product or service—communications is at the heart of its success. Much of the communication is two-way—it is essential to engage in a dialog with employees. In IT, we find we have to make difficult decisions from time to time; 99.9 percent of the time, employees and clients are willing to go along with our decisions as long as they understand the “why.” Having a good rapport with our constituents is an essential aspect to this mutual understanding.

Question

From your perspective as a CIO, what do you think are the biggest challenges facing CIOs today? Are these the same topics being discussed in the media?

Answer

If I were to abstract what I see as the biggest challenge CIOs face, it is one of ensuring IT stays relevant and valuable in a rapidly changing world. CIOs face a struggle between managing technology innovation and securing the technology foundation.

From always-evolving compliance requirements, to exponentially increasing storage and bandwidth needs, to constant security threats, we spend a lot of our time on the foundational aspects of IT. Ensuring that IT is a “well-run utility” is sometimes taken for granted, and yet it requires an increasing amount of work and creativity. We need to do all of these important things, and also find the time to innovate, to extract as much value as possible out of our technology investments.

In many ways, CIOs have always been at the forefront of innovation at companies. CIOs need to hold on to this important role we play, and I see that becoming more and more challenging. We are seeing a rising tide of consumer technologies coming from outside of IT that are being used to make employees more productive and do exciting new things, but they can sometimes come at the expense of security or other infrastructure considerations. The traditional cycle of standardizing and securing solutions and then leveraging those for business benefit is becoming shorter and shorter.

In order for CIOs to continue to stay relevant and valuable to our companies, we need to learn to marshal the many methods for solving these issues. Frameworks like Control Objectives for Information and related Technology (COBIT) and Val IT are important because they give CIOs a road map to follow to help solve some of the essential issues in IT. Other techniques, such as virtualization, outsourcing, Web

services, etc., also help us to do more with the resources we have at our disposal. And, sometimes, they require more resources, but they bring new benefits.

Managing the balance between innovation and foundation is the essential issue we face as CIOs today. And, I do believe this issue is being discussed in the media and among CIOs, if maybe not in these exact terms. The technology providers that can help CIOs meet these challenges for their business will be the most successful ones. But, in the end, it is up to CIOs to determine the right mix of solutions for their company and their industry.

Question

What has been your biggest workplace challenge and how did you face it?

Answer

The biggest workplace challenge I have had is directly related to the challenge that I believe CIOs face as described previously. I believe it is a growing trend for CIOs to start taking on more and more business-facing roles. With a foot in both sides of the business, I find myself receiving more feedback on my decisions than I ever thought I would. And the feedback comes from a wider variety of people than ever before. Sometimes this can be difficult to maneuver and may even cause me to second-guess decisions that I may have just moved forward on more aggressively in the past.

For instance, if I make a decision to standardize on a particular business application because I have to do that from a cost-efficiency or support standpoint, it is likely that I will hear about it from the employees whose lives I am changing. Most IT professionals are used to that kind of feedback and recognize that these issues are legitimate and should be addressed. However, since I am also on the businessfacing

side, I might work directly with these employees whose productivity may be impacted as a result of the change. This can put me in a Catch-22 situation, where the decision I have made to increase efficiency on one side might be directly impacting productivity on the other side. In this example, one would hope that the productivity hit would be short term, of course.

But even a short-term hit to productivity can affect the business adversely, and I am now more keenly aware of those issues in ways I have never been before. So, I have learned to measure every decision I make on whether it is the right thing for the overall business. Sometimes this requires discussions with my peers on the business side, sometimes it requires conducting pilot programs and, in almost every case, it requires a great deal of communication. I have learned that if I believe what I am doing is right and I have strong business reasons for my decisions that I can articulate to the affected people, then I can feel good about the decisions I make. I find that most people trust and accept that I am trying to make the best decisions for the company. However, I believe very strongly that I cannot take the trust that people have in me for granted—it is something that needs to be earned every day. And transparency is essential to that trust.