Brand Newsrooms Are NOT About Real-Time Content
Ephraim Cohen
FleishmanHillard Global Lead for Data and Digital; Global Managing Director, Earned and Paid Media, Social Strategy and Content, Influencer
There's still plenty of buzz around brand newsrooms. But much of it is mis-focused. Too much time is spent trying to replicate what news organizations do with real time content when, in fact, real time brand content is nice, but not mission critical. What is of great importance is adopting (and adapting) a proven operational model that focuses on a deep real-time understanding around what relevant conversations are taking place and where it is headed.
For all the brand newsroom and real-time content conversation, the reality is that few companies, outside of crisis and major announcements, truly need to be creating real-time newsworthy content 24x7. Is it cool when it happens and is done right? Yes. Does it have an impact in terms of social and other PR related metrics. Sure. Is it mission critical? Probably not.
However, what is mission critical is understanding, on a 24x7 basis, what people are saying, the direction and trajectory of the conversation, and the driving forces (influencers, content, etc). Such insight allows teams to craft better short and long term strategies while also being prepared for when real time does become mission critical, such as during a crisis or fast turn around product announcement. So, looking at it from that perspective, what are the key areas when it comes to building a newsroom? In order of priority, here's a standard way of approaching the most important elements.
Listening analytics
The focus here is understanding, at any given time, what people are saying, where the conversation is happening, and what influencers and what content are the drivers.
Editorial trends and ideas meetings
This is one the most missed but most important components. These (preferably) daily meeting are where the team discusses, from their point of view, what trends are most relevant, why and if/how they should be considered as part of a story, piece of content or longer term strategy. It's the combination of discussion and exploration from which the most impactive strategies and creative ideas are born (a video of our meetings is below).
Influencer outreach
An integrated newsroom team will use what they learned from data and editorial trends to reach out to news, social and other types influencers. What they get back should not simply be opportunities, but feedback that can be used to continually hone skills around what trends are relevant to discussions and why.
Content creation.
And, yes, real-time content creation is still important, it just may not happen every day (a newsroom can be just as valuable for telling you when to stay out of things as it can for when to get in). But having a brand journalists and a content studio that fully understands how to quickly create news and social friendly content will be the component that truly makes the operation shine when it swings into action.
And, just because the most important outcome is not a metric but good, old fashioned editorial discussion and brainstorming, here's a little video we did of our briefings. Enjoy.
Principal, ActualityMedia
9 年Good piece, Ephraim - it adds good content to any conversation about this concept. When I worked at American Red Cross, I was part of a team that created our own newsroom model as part of a broader proactive strategy, but it's greater value was to create and prioritize a disciplined, daily corporate message. It also forced the organization to think like the media it was pitching -- cleaner storylines, more compelling elements and graphics to satisfy producers and editors. Also, ARC was an early adopter of social media, and still takes full advantage of SM's metrics to monitor both the tenor and value of conversations, and quickly adapt the message to the media being used. These are key disciplines for any organization to be sure, but vital for humanitarian non-profits like Red Cross which rely on clear, concise communication in order to save lives, while also trying to encourage media interest that can spark donations and provide important proof points to current and future donors.
Corporate Communications ?? Content and Brand Reputation ?? First-generation College Graduate??
9 年Nice piece, Ephraim. Key takeaway: Deep understanding of relevant conversations. Add as much as you extract. Roger's point is also of note. It's important to be able to quickly recognize times we need to show we are alive, breathing, listening, and responding. That's the fun stuff. Make it a great day! ~JR
Journalist in Newsroom to Boardroom Leader in Executive Communications, Content Creation and Media Relations.
9 年In general, I agree that brands do not need a 24-7 news cycle. But, it depends on the brand. During a recent snow storm, I was interested to see one regional fuel company post forecasts and links to school closings. That showed me that they are connected to their customers. Was it overkill...probably...but it was a signal that they were connected to their customers in a way that I was not expecting.
Personal and corporate branding expert
9 年Great post and thanks for a peek under the hood. In addition to understanding what's being talked about, I believe it's important to dig a bit to get at the emotional drivers so that you can be proactive in addition to reactive.
FleishmanHillard Global Lead for Data and Digital; Global Managing Director, Earned and Paid Media, Social Strategy and Content, Influencer
9 年This was the result of a very productive conversation around what's trendy vs. what has true value when it comes to newsrooms. The company was asking why we operate the model even when few companies are ready for real-time content marketing and social. This is what we tend to cover when looking why and how to implement best newsroom practices but I'd be interested in more suggestions.