Middleberg Communications and Society for New Communications Research Announce First Annual Middleberg/SNCR Global Survey of Media in the Wired World

September 3, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Palo Alto, Calif., September 3, 2008 – Middleberg Communications and the Society for New Communications Research (SNCR) today announced a collaboration to conduct the First Annual Middleberg/SNCR Global Survey of Media in the Wired World.

The survey is a reincarnation of the highly regarded Middleberg-Ross Survey, which public relations veteran Don Middleberg previously conducted in conjunction with associate professor Steven Ross, formerly with the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. The survey was a valued resource for the public relations profession, chronicling journalists’ use of the Internet – detailing everything from their search patterns and email practices, to their views on the credibility of online information.

The new study will include an updated and expanded online survey as well as detailed case studies based on interviews with journalists from around the world. The research team will examine the effects of new media and communications developments, social media, and citizen journalism on journalists and the journalism profession.

All journalists are invited to participate in this research study. An online survey is available at http://www.surveytracker.net/scripts/survey.dll?AHID=03100D

Participants will receive a complimentary copy of the executive summary of the survey results and a special discount to attend the 2008 Society for New Communications Research Symposium, which will be held on Friday, November 14, 2008 at the Hotel Marlowe in Cambridge, Mass., where the initial findings will be shared.

The final results will be highlighted in the Society’s Journal of New Communications Research and published in a full report.

“I am delighted that our journalist survey work will continue. For those of us in public relations it is vital that we understand the new media channels journalists are using if we are to be effective communicators,” commented Middleberg. “Ever since I re-entered public relations two years ago after the sale of my first agency, resurrecting this study has been a major goal. One of the primary objectives of this survey is to help inform public relations professionals as to how they can communicate more efficiently and effectively with journalists, and provide more value to the journalistic community. The Society for New Communications Research is the perfect partner for this work and I look forward to an exciting first study.”

“We are honored to be a part of the re-launch of this important survey, which has a long history of providing valuable insight and information to the PR profession,” stated Jen McClure, executive director, Society for New Communications Research. “This study is needed today more than ever, due to the significant changes and developments that are affecting traditional media organizations, journalists, professional communications and the public relations industry.”

About Middleberg Communications

Middleberg Communications is a full-service, independently owned public relations agency with specialized expertise in the consumer, financial services, media, and technology markets. The agency places a major emphasis on achieving real, tangible goals that are designed to help our clients grow their businesses. Hallmarks of the firm are: smart, creative strategic thinking; in-depth media relations; and unbridled enthusiasm for achieving clients’ business goals – all supported by good old fashioned hard work. For more information, visit http://www.middlebergcommunications.com.

About the Society for New Communications Research

The Society for New Communications Research (SNCR) is a global nonprofit 501(c)(3) think tank dedicated to the advanced study of the latest developments in new media and communications, and their effect on traditional media and business models, communications, culture and society. The Society creates a bridge between the academic community and practitioners using these news tools and technologies. SNCR’s Fellows include a leading group of futurists, scholars, business leaders, professional communicators, members of the media and technologists from around the globe – all collaborating together on research initiatives, educational offerings and the establishment of best practices. For more information, visit http://sncr.org or call +1 (650) 331-0083.

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For more information, contact:

Jen McClure

(650) 331-0083

jmcclure@sncr.org

Don Middleberg

212-812-5664

914-629-3999 - mobile

don@middlebergcommunications.com

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Changing Patterns of Influence Through Social Media Explored in New Research Report

August 6, 2008 | 1 Comment

Study Conducted by Society for New Communications Research,
Sponsored by Institute for Public Relations and Wieck Media

Palo Alto, Calif. – August 6, 2008 – Social media case studies and strategies from the American Red Cross, Blendtec, The Coca-Cola Company, Emerson Process Management, the Mayo Clinic, MARC Research, Quicken Loans, and the Seattle Union Gospel Mission highlight the full research report released this week by the Society for New Communications Research. “New Media, New Influencers and Implications for Public Relations” also features detailed findings from a survey of communications and marketing professionals focused on changing patterns of influence resulting from social media and other new communications technologies.

The report, which was funded by the Institute for Public Relations and Wieck Media, is available as a free .pdf download through the Society’s e-store at http://www.lulu.com/sncr. Hard copies are also available for purchase.

The study was led by a team of five SNCR Research Fellows: Paul Gillin, media expert and author of The New Influencers; Joseph Carrabis, chief research officer and founder of NextStage Evolution, LLC and NextStage Global LTD; John Cass, online community manager, Forrester Research; Greg Peverill Conti, vice president, Weber Shandwick Public Relations and Richard Nacht, founder and CEO, Blogging Systems Group and Career Connection Network.

“New influencers are beginning to tear at the fabric of traditional marketing and communications, giving rise to a new approach characterized by conversation and community,” said Gillin. “PR and marketing communications professionals are responding with a mixture of excitement, fear, and fascination. They’re alarmed at the prospect of ceding control of their messages to a community of unknowns. Yet at the same time they’re excited about this new opportunity to speak directly with their constituents.”

“This study represents one of the first in-depth investigations into changing patterns of influence and their impact on public relations and corporate communications,” commented Jen McClure, SNCR’s executive director. “We wanted to learn what criteria communications professionals use to define new influencers; how social media is being used to communicate with these influencers; and how to measure the effects of such efforts. The ultimate goal of the study is to offer a set of recommendations to the PR profession. These are embodied within the excellent case studies collected by our research fellows.”

About the Institute for Public Relations

The Institute for Public Relations is an independent nonprofit dedicated to the science beneath the art of public relations™, bridging the academy and the profession, supporting PR research and mainstreaming this knowledge into practice through PR education. For more information, visit http://www.instituteforpr.org.

About Wieck Media

Wieck Media is the official online technology partner of the Institute for Public Relations. Launched in 1991 by a group of United Press International veterans, the company was founded to facilitate the distribution of news, images and video to print, broadcast and web news outlets around the world. Key clients include The New York Times, Kyodo International, Toyota, GM, Honda, DaimlerChrysler, Ford, Michelin, Verizon, Australian Customs Service, Los Angeles World Airports, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Haymarket Publishing in London and The Arthur W. Page Society. For more information, visit http://www.wieck.com.

About the Society for New Communications Research

The Society for New Communications Research is a global nonprofit think tank dedicated to the advanced study of the latest developments in new media and communications, and their effect on traditional media and business models, communications, culture and society. SNCR is dedicated to creating a bridge between the academic and theoretical pursuit of these topics and the pragmatic implementation of new media and communications tools and methodologies. The Society’s Fellows include a leading group of futurists, scholars, business leaders, professional communicators, members of the media, and technologists from around the globe – all collaborating together on research initiatives, educational offerings, and the establishment of best practices. For more information, visit http://www.sncr.org or call +1 (650) 331-0083.

For more information, contact:

Jen McClure

+1 (650) 331-0083

jmcclure@sncr.org

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Word of Mouth, Insights, Customer Loyalty Biggest Benefits of Online Communities, Says New Study by Beeline Labs, Deloitte & Society for New Communications Research

July 15, 2008 | 4 Comments

Involvement, not technology or funding, is greatest obstacle; eight emerging best practices

Palo Alto, Calif. / Boston Mass., July 16, 2008 – The greatest value of online communities is increasing word of mouth (35%), increasing brand awareness (28%), bringing new ideas into the organization faster (24%) and increasing customer loyalty (24%), according to a survey of organizations using online communities conducted by Beeline Labs, Deloitte, and the Society for New Communications Research.

“The 2008 Tribalization of Business” study found that the greatest obstacles to making a community work are not technology-related or getting funding, but getting people involved in the community (51%), finding enough time to manage the community (45%), and attracting people to the community (34%).

Interestingly, management was not cited as an obstacle either. Just 9% of the respondents said that their management was unwilling to share with community members.

“At conferences around the world we’ve heard marketers say that their biggest challenge is executives’ resistance because they fear losing control,” said Lois Kelly, a Beeline Labs partner. “But this research indicates that this may not be as big of an issue as marketers think. Clearly the bigger challenge is focusing the community around a purpose that people want to contribute to and be involved with – and devoting the right resources to promote and support the community.”

What Contributes Most to Effectiveness: People Giving and Getting Help

The features cited as contributing most to community effectiveness were:

• Ability for community members to connect with other like-minded people: 54%
• Ability for members to help others: 43%
• The community is focused around a hot topic or issue: 41%
• Quality of the community manager/community management team: 33%

Measurement: Mix of Hard and Soft Measures, Business and Analytics – and Disconnects

Just as most marketers use diverse measures to assess overall marketing effectiveness, so is there diversity in how they are measuring the effectiveness of online communities. The top business measures being used are:

• Greater awareness: 49%
• Number of new ideas from the community: 41%
• More referrals: 28%
• Increased sales attributable to the community: 26%

The top analytic measures included:

• Number of visitors: 63%
• Number of “active” users: 58%
• How often people post/comment: 57%
• Number of registered users: 49%
• How often people visit: 45%

“One interesting discovery was the apparent inconsistency between what organizations set as goals and what they actually measure,” commented Francois Gossieaux, a partner at Beeline Labs, and Senior Fellow with the Society for New Communications Research. “We also noticed mismatches between what respondents set as goals and the investments they actually make, as well as between their goals and the talent that they deploy against the community initiatives.”

Key Takeaways from the Survey:

• A majority of community efforts are more focused on improving the top line revenue than reducing costs.

• Communications?related benefits seem to dominate the objectives, and are achieved most successfully.

• There is generally a mismatch between the web stats that companies track and the stated goals for the communities.

“These findings mirror what we have seen in our earlier studies of organizations using social media channels in their communications initiatives,” stated Jen McClure, executive director of Society for New Communications Research, a co-sponsor of the survey. “This may be indicative of the maturity level of the communications industry in terms of their understanding of how to best deploy and measure new communications tools and methodologies. We hope that this study will help to add to the knowledge base and provide some best practices for how organizations can better use online communities.”

Lessons Learned, Advice for Others: Eight Emerging Best Practices

When asked what their most important piece of advice is for others creating online communities, survey participants’ advice focused on eight areas:

1. Start with the end in mind: “Start with a business strategy, defining carefully what you want to accomplish through the community.” “Invest most in the area that services your key business objective.” “Be clear about the purpose of the community.”

2. Focus on the value to the members: “Make sure you deliver real, special, unique, obvious value to the core group you’re hoping to attract.” “Build the community around existing passion groups.” “The core of the community needs to be of high value or interest to people, a focus worth contributing to.” “Get insight into what motivates members to join the community; we found a different motivation than we hypothesized.”

3. Don’t start with the technology: “Too often people get drunk with Web 2.0 tool excitement and then try to push their business and customer goals into the wrong tool.”

4. Keep it simple and intuitive: “Focus on the least common denominator first. Keep it easy to navigate with simple tools to use.” “People are busy; they need information in brief, easy-to-scan bits they can quickly choose what is interesting to them and go right to it.”

5. Keep it fresh and active: “Keep activity levels up, constantly add new content.” “Think of how to create ‘events’ – what can you do to excite people and get them to share in the community.” “Update regularly, find topics for discussion.” “Content is king.”

6. Have dynamic community leaders: “Make sure you devote enough time to managing the community; letting it fester is worse than not having it in the first place.” “Participate but do not try to control. The community belongs to the people, not you.”

7. Think through who to involve – or not. “ Get commitment from top management and communicate, communicate, communicate.” “Get Legal and PR to buy-in and help on design, but keep them out of active management.”

8. Get a passionate core of participants active before launching: “Make sure you have a committed core of passionate users before you launch.” “You must have a critical number of high-quality participants to get the momentum going.” “Beta test and seed before launch.”

About the Survey

The survey measured the responses from more than 140 organizations – business-to-business, business-to-consumer, and non-profits — which have created and maintain online communities. The communities ranged from fewer than 100 members to 10,000+ members.

About Beeline Labs

Beeline Labs, a marketing innovation firm, specializes in creating Marketing 2.0 strategies and programs that not only deliver business results on their own, but also make traditional programs – like lead generation, events, public relations, sales support and customer communications—work much more effectively. The company has specialized expertise in social media strategy consulting, making online communities predictably successful, and creating new types of online and offline content. For more: www.beelinelabs.com.

About Deloitte

As used in this document, “Deloitte” means Deloitte LLP. Please see Deloitte.com/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries.

About the Society for New Communications Research (SNCR)

Media Contacts:

Francois Gossieaux, francois@beelinelabs.com, 617-899-1698
Lois Kelly, lkelly@beelinelabs.com, 401-333-5464
Jen McClure, SNCR, jmcclure@sncr.org (650) 331-0083

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Society for New Communications Research Announces Call for Entries for 2008 Excellence in New Communications Awards

July 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment

PALO ALTO, Calif.—July 14, 2008 – The Society for New Communications Research, a nonprofit think tank focused on the latest developments in new media and communications, today announced a call for entries for the 2008 Excellence in New Communications Awards (http://www.sncr.org/awards).

This prestigious awards program honors the work of corporations, governmental and nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, media outlets and individuals who are innovating the use of social media, ICT, mobile media, online communities and virtual worlds and collaborative technologies in the areas of business, media, and professional communications, including advertising, marketing, public relations and corporate communications, as well as entertainment, education, politics, and social initiatives.

Awards are granted in six divisions: Corporate, Government, Media, Nonprofit/NGO, Academic, and Technology Innovation (for New Communications and Social Media Technology Vendors), and in seven categories: Online Reputation Management; Behind the Firewall; Blogger Relations; External Communications & Communities; New Media Creation; Collaboration & Co-creation; and Mobile Media. In addition, the Society’s Fellows will select and honor the Visionary of the Year, the Innovator of the Year, and the Brand of the Year.

Entrants submit case studies detailing their initiatives and technologies. The winning case studies are published on New Communications Review (http://www.newcommreview.com) and the winners will be honored at the 2008 Society for New Communications Research Symposium & Awards Gala, which will be held in November in Boston, Mass. Entry guidelines and the online entry form can be found at http://www.sncr.org/awards. The deadline for entries is September 8th, 2008. No extensions will be granted.

Entry fees: SNCR members can submit their entries free of charge. Non-member fees: $49.USD per entry through 8/8/08; $70.USD per entry from 8/8/08 - 9/8/08. (For information about SNCR membership rates, levels and benefits, visit http://www.sncr.org/membership.) A portion of each entry fee is tax-deductible, and all proceeds benefit SNCR, a 501c3 foundation. For more information, contact info@sncr.org or call +1 650-331-0083.

About the Society for New Communications Research (SNCR)

Media Contact:

Jen McClure
Executive Director
Society for New Communications Research
(650) 331-0083
jmcclure@sncr.org

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Society for New Communications Research Study Finds That Press Releases Are Not Just for Press Anymore; Research Sponsored by Vocus, Inc.

May 31, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Palo Alto, Calif. (PRWEB) June 2, 2008 - June 2, 2008 - The press release is no longer just a tool for public relations professionals. In fact, marketing professionals and small business owners now use press releases with just as much frequency as PR professionals, according to a new Society for New Communications Research study, “Exploring the ROI of Online Press Releases,” which was sponsored by SNCR Vendor Council member Vocus. Furthermore, the press release was once used to attract the attention of journalists and media outlets. Now, it is used to accomplish a much greater range of goals including reaching bloggers, driving website traffic, and search engine optimization (SEO). More than 420 marketing and public relations professionals, as well as small business owners participated in a detailed online survey that was available from March 31 - April 16, 2008. The questionnaire asked respondents how and why they use online press releases and how they measure the value of online press releases.

Top findings include:

The press release is becoming a communications tool for both public relations and marketing professionals alike. Approximately one-third of respondents were marketing professionals (32.9%); 30% were public relations professionals. Small business owners and self-employed individuals accounted for 23.7% of those who issue online press releases, acording to the survey.

New goals and priorities for press releases are emerging. In addition to reaching the press and announcing news, today’s top priorities for those issuing online press releases include: increasing visibility and credibility for the organization, directly reaching customers, making content available to online users, and search engine optimization (SEO).

Bloggers have joined traditional media as highly valued targets. Respondents indicated that reaching bloggers and new media outlets were nearly as high a priority as reaching traditional media. Seventy-three percent indicated that it is “important to very important” to reach traditional media via their online press releases while 67.7% indicated that it is “important to very important” to reach bloggers and new media outlets. For small business owners, reaching bloggers and social media sites was slightly more important than reaching traditional media.

Measures of value and success are changing. Respondents rank their top measures of value for their online press releases by how many times the press release is published on other websites and the number of online views of the release. Both of these metrics rated higher than articles or media interview requests based on the release. In fact, respondents indicated that the most important placements for the releases are online news aggregators, such as Google News, Yahoo News and online news sites like Reuters and Topix, followed by blogs and social media sites. In addition, respondents noted that the two most valuable aspects of issuing online news releases is the opportunity for SEO and the opportunity to reach both consumers and customers directly, as well as traditional media.

PR and marketing professionals have different priorities and perspectives. Respondents who identified themselves as public relations professionals noted they primarily use online press releases to announce news and enhance thought leadership, while respondents who identified themselves as marketing professionals stated their priorities as SEO optimization for the organization’s website and reaching customers and consumers. Small business owners stated that they use online press releases as a sales tool to reach customers and consumers.

Hard measures of value and success are a challenge. Respondents stated that their top challenges in maximizing the value of issuing online press releases include: “cutting through the clutter,” targeting and distribution, affordability and measurement and metrics. “Respondents seemed to want to measure the value of their online releases as they would an ad or marketing campaign,” stated Dr. Mihaela Vorvoreanu, SNCR research fellow and assistant professor in communication studies at Clemson University. “They stated that they would like to be able to measure ‘eyeballs’ and ‘dollar value’. “

“This study indicates that this basic PR tool is branching out and evolving from press release to news release. The results show that other professions besides PR use news releases for purposes other than media relations. Reaching out to bloggers and new media was an expected result, but the news release is used to reach out directly to the public, not only to the ‘press’,” added Vorvoreanu.”Press releases are still an important tool for PR professionals, but the broad range of benefits and increased accessibility have allowed a wider variety of professionals - including marketers and small business owners — to use the medium to share compelling stories,” commented Jiyan Wei, Vocus, online product manager, PRWeb and a member of the SNCR’s Vendor Council and Advisory Board. “News releases are not just for the Fortune 500, but have become a valuable tool for smaller businesses to increase their sales and create publicity.”

The team of SNCR research fellows who conducted the study included Shel Holtz, SNCR founding fellow and principal of Holtz Communication + Technology and Dr. Mihaela Vorvorneau, a 2008 SNCR fellow and assistant professor at Clemson University, working in conjunction with TWI Surveys, Inc.

The results of the study will be shared in a presentation led by SNCR executive director Jen McClure at the 2008 Vocus Users Conference, which will be held June 4-6 in Washington, DC. The final results will also be highlighted in the Society’s Journal of New Communications Research, published in a full report that will be available from SNCR, and shared at the Society’s annual Research Symposium in Fall 2008. A series of recommendations for the PR/marketing communications profession will also be presented by the SNCR’s Best Practices committee.

This research was sponsored by Vocus.

About PRWeb

PRWeb is recognized as a leading online news and news release distribution service worldwide. Since 1997, PRWeb has been changing the way businesses, marketing departments and public relations firms think about press releases. PRWeb was the first company to develop a distribution strategy around direct-to-consumer communication and to build and offer a search engine optimized platform for press release distribution. PRWeb, located in Ferndale, WA, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Vocus, Inc., a leading provider of on-demand public relations management software. For more information, please visit www.prweb.com.

About Vocus, Inc.

Vocus, Inc. (NASDAQ: VOCS) is a leading provider of on-demand software for public relations management. Our web-based software suite helps organizations of all sizes to fundamentally change the way they communicate with both the media and the public, optimizing their public relations and increasing their ability to measure its impact. Our on-demand software addresses the critical functions of public relations including media relations, news distribution and news monitoring. We deliver our solutions over the Internet using a secure, scalable application and system architecture, which allows our customers to eliminate expensive up-front hardware and software costs and to quickly deploy and adopt our on-demand software. Vocus is used by more than 2,600 organizations worldwide and is available in five languages. Vocus is based in Lanham, MD with offices in North America, Europe, and Asia. For more information please visit www.vocus.com or call 800.345.5572.

About the Society for New Communications Research

The Society for New Communications Research is a global nonprofit 501(c)(3) think tank dedicated to the advanced study of new communications tools, technologies and emerging modes of communication, and their effect on traditional media, professional communications, business, culture and society. The Society’s Fellows include more than 40 futurists, scholars, business leaders, professional communicators, members of the media and technologists from around the globe. In addition, the Society’s members include a Vendor Council with representatives from more than a dozen leading technology companies and Organizational Affiliates comprising industry associations, research organizations and other leading think tanks. For more information about the Society for New Communications Research, visit http://www.sncr.org or call +1 (650) 331-0083.

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This release contains “forward-looking” statements that are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or that include words such as “may,” “will,” “expects,” “projects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “believes,” “intends,” “plans,” “should,” “seeks,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual future results to differ materially from those projected or contemplated in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may be significantly impacted by certain risks and uncertainties described in Vocus’ filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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New Study Indicates Consumers Use Social Media to Share Customer Care Experiences and Research Companies’ Customer Service Reputations

April 22, 2008 | 22 Comments

Landmark Study Links Consumers’ Brand Loyalty to Customer Care
Palo Alto, Calif. – April 22, 2008 - As social media usage becomes more ubiquitous, affluent consumers are using social media channels to share their personal customer service experiences and learn about others’ care experiences when making purchase decisions. This is among the initial findings of a new Society for New Communications Research study, “Exploring the Link Between Customer Care and Brand Reputation in the Age of Social Media,” which will be presented at the SNCR’s New Communications Forum in Sonoma County, Calif. later this week.

More than 300 consumers who are active Internet users participated in a survey focusing on how customer care influences brand reputation given the widespread adoption of social media. Top findings include:

•    59.1% of respondents use social media to “vent” about a customer care experience
•    72.2% of respondents research companies’ customer care online prior to purchasing products and services at least sometimes
•    84% of respondents consider the quality of customer care at least sometimes in their decision to do business with a company
•    74% choose companies/brands based on others’ customer care experiences shared online
•    84% of respondents consider the quality of customer care in their decision to do business with a company at least sometimes
•    81% believe that blogs, online rating systems and discussion forums can give consumers a greater voice regarding customer care, but less than 33% believe that businesses take customers’ opinions seriously
•    Search engines are the most valuable online tools for this research, according to respondents. Those rated of no value include micro-blogging sites like Twitter or Pownce (39%), YouTube (27%) and social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace (22%)

Dell and Amazon were cited more often than any other company when asked which types of companies have done the best job in using social media to respond to customer care issues. In terms of industry segments, technology, retail, and travel companies were reported as doing the best job, while utilities, health care, and insurance were least likely to receive positive endorsements.

“This study indicates that there is a growing group of highly desirable consumers using social media to research companies: 25- to 55-years old, college-educated, earning $100,000+ – a very powerful group in terms of buying behavior,” said Dr. Ganim Nora Barnes, senior fellow, Society for New Communications Research. “These most savvy and sought after consumers will not support companies with poor customer care reputations, and they will talk about all of this openly with others via multiple online vehicles. This research should serve as a wake-up call to companies: listen, respond, and improve.”

“With consumers increasingly using social media to share feedback on their care experiences, it has become increasingly difficult for businesses to ignore or hide from bad experiences,” said Lynda Kate Smith, vice president, Care Business, Nuance Enterprise Division. “Our mission is to help organizations better support, communicate with, and understand their customers during customer care interactions. As this research highlights, the consumer’s voice is louder and travels further than ever before. One poor customer interaction can have a very significant impact on a public impression of a brand.”

The team of SNCR research fellows who conducted the study included Dr. Nora Ganim Barnes, John Cass, Susan Getgood, Paul Gillin, and Francois Gossieaux, working in conjunction with TWI Surveys, Inc. The final results will be highlighted in the Society’s Journal of New Communications Research and published in a full report later this year. The research was sponsored by Nuance Communications.

About Nuance Care Solutions
Nuance Care Solutions help companies better support, communicate with and understand their customers. It does this through a set of Interaction Solutions including Inbound Messaging, Outbound Messaging, Analytics and Productivity. These solutions help drive an improved customer experience, better business performance, and increased employee productivity. For more information, please visit http://www.nuance.com/care.

About Nuance Communications
Nuance is a leading provider of speech and imaging solutions for businesses and consumers around the world. Its technologies, applications and services make the user experience more compelling by transforming the way people interact with information and how they create, share and use documents. Every day, millions of users and thousands of businesses experience Nuance’s proven applications and professional services. For more information, please visit http://www.nuance.com.

About the Society for New Communications Research
The Society for New Communications Research is a global nonprofit 501(c)(3) think tank dedicated to the advanced study of new communications tools, technologies and emerging modes of communication, and their effect on traditional media, professional communications, business, culture and society. The Society’s Fellows include more than 40 futurists, scholars, business leaders, professional communicators, members of the media and technologists from around the globe. In addition, the Society’s members include a Vendor Council with representatives from more than a dozen leading technology companies and Organizational Affiliates comprising industry associations, research organizations and other leading think tanks. For more information about the Society for New Communications Research, visit http://www.sncr.org or call +1 (650) 331-0083.

Media Contact:
Jen McClure
Executive Director
Society for New Communications Research
(650) 387-8590 - mobile
jmcclure@sncr.org

Nuance Inquiries:
Valerie Christopherson
Global Results Comms. (GRC)
+1 949 608 0276
nuance@globalresutlspr.com

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Society for New Communications Research to Announce Findings of Four New Research Studies at NewComm Forum ‘08

April 6, 2008 | Leave a Comment

NewCommForum ’08 to Take Place April 22-25. 2008 in Sonoma County, Calif.

PALO ALTO, Calif.—April 4, 2008 – The Society for New Communications Research, a nonprofit think tank focused on new media and communications, today announced that it will feature findings from its four latest research studies at the 4th Annual New Communications Forum (http://www.newcommforum.com). At NewComm Forum ’08, which will be held at the Hyatt Vineyard Creek Hotel & Spa in Sonoma County, Calif., April 22-25, SNCR will share findings from four recent studies, including:

• “New Media, New Influencers and Implications for the PR Profession”
• “Measuring Progress and Success in Online Business Communities”
• “Exploring the Link Between Customer Care & Brand Reputation in the Age of Social Media”
• “Exploring the ROI of Online Press Releases”

In addition, several of the Society’s Fellows will also share their latest independent research.
NewComm Forum is one of the world’s leading conferences focusing on the latest trends in new and emerging media and communications platforms. Presenters and instructors include the Fellows of the Society for New Communications Research, as well as other senior communications professionals who have pioneered the use of new communications and social media. They will share their expertise as early adopters of these new tools in more than 40 conference sessions in five tracks focusing on:

* New Communications Strategies for Public Relations & Corporate Communications
* New Communications Strategies for Marketing & Advertising
* The Changing Face of Journalism & The New Business of the News Media
* Social Media in Politics & Public Sector Communications
* Global Trends & Developments in New Communications in Business, Media & Entertainment

NewComm Forum provides an in-depth, hands-on exploration of the future of media and communications, and teaches communications professionals the strategy and tactics to effectively use these new tools. In addition to a rich educational experience filled with knowledge sharing, discussions, insights and debates, participants will enjoy the opportunity to relax and talk with colleagues and friends and the leading thinkers in new communications and social media in the relaxed and elegant setting of California’s wine country. The full NewComm Forum 2008 conference program can be viewed at: http://www.newcommforum.com.

NewComm Forum 2008 is presented by the Society for New Communications Research and sponsored by Blogging Systems, Business Wire, CirclePoint, CleanPix, Conference Calls Unlimited, iContact, Nuance, Radian6, Visible Technologies, Voce Communications, Vocus, Wasala Communications and Wieck Media. Association sponsors include: the Institute for Public Relations, Online News Association and Social Media Club. Media/analyst sponsors include BlogHer, Corante, Tekrati, Silicon Valley Watcher and Social Media Today.

About the Society for New Communications Research (SNCR)

Media Contact:

Jen McClure
Executive Director
Society for New Communications Research
(650) 331-0083
jmcclure@sncr.org

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Society for New Communications Research Seeks Participants for New Study Sponsored by Vocus, “Exploring the ROI of Online Press Releases”

March 31, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Palo Ato, Calif., March 31, 2008 - The Society for New Communications Research, a global, nonprofit think tank focused on the latest developments in media and communications, today announced the launch of a new research study, sponsored by Vocus, a leading provider of on-demand software for public relations management and a member of the Society’s Vendor Council. The research study is titled “Exploring the ROI of Online Press Releases.”

The study is being led by a team of SNCR Fellows including Shel Holtz and Dr. Mihaela Vorvoreanu. Through a survey and case studies, the research team will explore how the value of press releases has traditionally been measured and how that is changing as a result of how press releases are being used by the PR/marketing profession today. It will address the question: What are appropriate measurements of value today? And it will explore the larger question of how the PR profession is evolving.

The SNCR invites public relations and marketing professionals to participate in this research. A brief survey questionnaire is available at Online Press Release Survey or http://www.surveytracker.net/scripts/survey.dll?AHID=031003.

All participants will receive a complimentary copy of the executive summary of the final report and a special discount to attend New Communications Forum, April 22-25, in Sonoma County, Calif., where the initial findings will be released in a special session.

“New media and online communications tools and technologies have changed the way that press releases are issued and distributed,” commented Jiyan Wei, Vocus, online product manager, PRWeb and a member of the SNCR’s Vendor Council and Advisory Board. “In addition, there has been some convergence of the marketing and PR function in recent years, which is affecting the underlying purpose and goals for press releases as a communications vehicle.”

Based on its research, the SNCR will provide actionable advice and insight into how to maximize the value and measure the ROI of online press releases. A series of recommendations for the PR/marketing communications profession will be presented by the SNCR’s Best Practices committee.

“New online communications tools and technologies are changing the way we think about traditional communications tools, such as the press release,” stated Jen McClure, executive director, SNCR. “We are delighted to be exploring this important shift with the support of our Vendor Council and Advisory Board member, Vocus.”

“By supporting this important research, we hope to provide insight and clear and functional advice about how press releases can be used to provide maximum value and how to measure their success,” added Wei.

The initial research findings will be shared at the Society for New Communications Research’s annual conference, New Communications Forum, which will be held April 22-25, 2008 in Sonoma County, CA. (http://www.newcommforum.com). The event will be sponsored in part by Vocus. The final results will be highlighted in the Journal of New Communications Research, published in a full report that will be available from SNCR and shared at the Society’s annual Research Symposium in Fall 2008.

About the Society for New Communications Research

The Society for New Communications Research is a global nonprofit 501(c)(3) think tank dedicated to the advanced study of new communications tools, technologies and emerging modes of communication, and their effect on traditional media, professional communications, business, culture and society. The Society’s Fellows include more than 40 futurists, scholars, business leaders, professional communicators, members of the media and technologists from around the globe. In addition, the Society’s members include a Vendor Council with representatives from more than a dozen leading technology companies and Organizational Affiliates comprising industry associations, research organizations and other leading think tanks. For more information about the Society for New Communications Research, visit http://www.sncr.org or call +1 (650) 331-0083.

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Latest Issue of Journal of New Communications Research Now Available

March 27, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Palo Alto, Calif. - March 27, 2008 - The Society for New Communications Research, a global, nonprofit think tank focused on the latest developments in media and communications, today announced that the latest issue of the Journal of New Communications Research is now available (http://www.sncr.org/journal).

Volume II/Issue 2 of the JNCR features:

An analysis of Internet dependency relations and Internet news exposure, by Dr. Jin Yang
A report on government in the Web 2.0 era and the public sector’s use of social media, by David C. Wyld, Ph.D.
An exploration of the social media release and its implications for the PR-journalist relationship, by Frances Ward-Johnson, Ph.D., and John E. Guiniven, Ph.D.
A case study that focuses on the ethics of journalism and public relations
in the new media environment, by Marina Vujnovic
An essay by SNCR Founding Fellow Elizabeth Albrycht about witnessing the Venice Biennale online and the notion of the noosphere
The executive summary of a new SNCR research study “New Media, New Influencers and Implications for the Public Relations Profession,” by SNCR Senior Fellow Paul Gillin and a research team of SNCR Fellows

In addition, The Society for New Communications Research seeks submissions and sponsors for future issues of the Journal of New Communications Research

The JNCR is distributed as a print publication, with an accompanying wiki to allow for collaboration and updates. In addition, it is available via PDF. Cost: $60. ($50. for electronic copies); ISBN # 978-1-4276-3070-4

About the Society for New Communications Research

The Society for New Communications Research is a global nonprofit 501(c)(3) think tank dedicated to the advanced study of new communications tools, technologies and emerging modes of communication, and their effect on traditional media, professional communications, business, culture and society. The Society’s Fellows include more than 40 futurists, scholars, business leaders, professional communicators, members of the media and technologists from around the globe. For more information about the Society for New Communications Research, visit http://sncr.org or call +1 (650) 331-0083.

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Jen McClure
Society for New Communications Research
+1 (650) 331-0083
jmcclure@sncr.org

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New Communications Forum Announces Impressive Speaker Line Up

March 18, 2008 | Leave a Comment

PALO ALTO, Calif.–March 18, 2008–The Society for New Communications Research today announced the full speaker lineup for its 4^th Annual New Communications Forum (http://www.newcommforum.com), one of the world’s leading conferences focusing on the latest trends in new and emerging media and communications platforms. NewComm Forum ’08 will be held at the Hyatt Vineyard Creek Hotel & Spa in Sonoma County, Calif., April 22-25.

Presenters and instructors include the Fellows of the Society for New Communications Research, as well as other senior communications professionals who have pioneered the use of new communications and social media. They will share their expertise as early adopters of these new tools in more than 40 conference sessions in five tracks focusing on:

New Communications Strategies for Public Relations & Corporate Communications
New Communications Strategies for Marketing & Advertising
The Changing Face of Journalism & The New Business of the News Media
Social Media in Politics & Public Sector Communications
Global Trends & Developments in New Communications in Business, Media & Entertainment

In addition, they will lead eight half-day in-depth pre-conference workshops and five post-conference social media strategy planning sessions where participants will have the opportunity to work one-on-one with the SNCR Fellows to craft an individualized plan to implement in their own organizations.

SNCR Fellows and advisory board members will include Michael Adolph, Fleishman-Hillard; Elizabeth Albrycht, Constantin Basturea, Converseon; Blake Cahill, Visible Technologies; Elisa Camahort, BlogHer; Joseph Carrabis, Andria Carter, The Trentonian; NextStage Evolution; John Cass; Todd Defren, SHIFT Communications; Sally Falkow, Expansion Plus; Elizabeth Fairbanks Fletcher, Esq., Fairbanks Fletcher Law; Tom Foremski, Silicon Valley Watcher; Susan Getgood, Get Good Strategic Marketing; Paul Gillin, Phil Gomes, me2revolution Group, Edelman PR; Francois Gossieaux, BeeLine Labs; Mark Hannah, Edelman PR; Chuck Hester, iContact; Meghan Hindman, Dorland; Shel Holtz; Shel Israel; Joseph Jaffe, crayon; Steve King, Emergent Research; JD Lasica, Ourmedia.org; Steve Lubetkin, Mike Manuel, Voce Communications; Albert Maruggi, Provident Partners; Richard Nacht, Blogging Systems; Emily Metzgar; Katie Paine, KD Paine & Partners; David Parmet, Marketing Begins at Home; Giovanni Rodriguez, The Conversation Group; Danny O. Snow, Brian Solis, FutureWorks PR; and John Yunker, Byte Level Research.

In addition, dozens of other illustrious speakers and instructors will include leading journalists, media and communications experts and social media pioneers: Jason Alba, JibberJobber; Darren Barefoot, Capulet Communications; Doug Bardwell, Forest City Enterprises; John Bell, Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide; Richard Binhammer, Dell; Leonard Brody, NowPublic; Raven Brooks, Netroots Nation; Jeff Catlin, Lexalytics; Christian Castle, Esq.; Geno Church, Brains on Fire; Gina Cooper, Netroots Nation; Josh Crandall, Media Screen/NetPop; Colin Crawford, IDG Communications; Will Easton, CREDO; Janet Eden-Harris, Umbria; Maggie Fox, Social Media Group; Jenny Fremlin, MetaPaint Communications; author Nick Hayes, Influencer50; Kami Watson Huyse, My PR Pro; Randy Keith, San Jose Mercury News; Lois Kelly, Beeline Labs; Thomas King, Gen Y Labs; Rebecca Lieb, ClickZ Network; Geoff Livingston; interactive media expert and technology forecaster Michael Mascione; Lionel Menchaca, Dell; Chris O’Brien, San Jose Mercury News; Joe Pilotta, BIGResearch; John Pope, Dell; Dr. David Rockland, Ketchum; Jeff Rubenstein, Sony; Gordon Rudow, Bonfire Communications; Bob Siller, Altera; Chris Turner, Christian Lifeway Resources; Erin Kotecki Vest, BlogHer.com; Tim Westergren, Pandora; Jonathan Zucker, ActBlue and Todd Ziegler, The Bivings Group.

“New Communications Forum is all about making connections – connections between people and connections between insights, ideas and perspectives,” said Jen McClure, SNCR executive director. “The Forum offers an unprecedented opportunity to connect with the leaders in new communications and social media in an elegant and relaxed setting. The program addresses a broad range of interconnected issues and topics ranging from the impact of social media and new communications tools and technologies on PR and corporate communications, marketing and advertising, journalism and media, business and economics, entertainment, politics and policy, culture and society. Participants will have a unique opportunity to reflect and connect their ideas with insights and knowledge they gain while at the Forum and turn it into action and results back in their organizations.”

NewComm Forum provides an in-depth, hands-on exploration of the future of communications, and has come to be known as one of the world’s leading conferences focusing on the latest trends in new and emerging media and communications platforms. NewComm Forum teaches communications professionals the strategy and tactics to effectively utilize the power of new media and communications tools and trends. In addition to a rich educational experience filled with knowledge sharing, discussions, insights and debates, participants will enjoy the opportunity to relax and talk with colleagues and friends and the leading thinkers in new communications and social media during receptions by the fireplace, wine tastings from local vintners outside under the arbor, a picnic on the lawn with the SNCR Fellows and a even a jam session benefiting the Society. The full NewComm Forum 2008 conference program can be viewed at: http://www.newcommforum.com.

About the Society for New Communications Research (SNCR)

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