Communications using Social Media during a Disaster

By now, some of you must have heard, seen on the news or read about the typhoon that wrecked havoc on Manila, the Philippine capital yesterday. As reported by the news, Typhoon Ondoy (international name "Ketsana"), dumped 13.4 inches of rainfall on the city of Manila -- reportedly the average amount of rainfall for a MONTH in the capital -- in just 6 hours. The result: massive floods raising the water level of the rivers and creating 8 to about 20 feet high floodwaters in some areas of the city and neighboring provinces.

NAPOCOR, the electricity generating government corporation of the Philippines, cut electricity to certain areas, affecting telephone and mobile phone access. In the affected areas -- some popularly known upper-income class exclusive villages and subdivisions -- families huddled under the still drizzling rain on their rooftops, as the floodwaters inundated some of the 1st and 2nd floor levels of homes, waiting for rescue that came only many hours later. By then, a number of houses were already washed away, water dikes were washed away, as well as vehicles floating along in the swift current of passing floodwaters.

With phone lines, mobile phones and electricity in some areas dead, how do you contact or even inform disaster teams where your loved ones are to be rescued? And how do concerned families and relatives of the affected living overseas find and be assured of their loved ones safety?

That's when enterprising socially-oriented Filipino volunteers sprung into action -- using social media! GMA News 7, a nationwide news TV channel known also for their public service programs, immediately opened a Facebook page, offering an interactive bulletin board wherein people can post their requests for help to locate a missing family member or relative, or to alert disaster control authorities to rescue a family member or friend holed up in a house inundated by flood waters. Most of the posters where family and friends overseas or also victims of floodwaters who were stranded in offices and friends' homes in the city.

Another group of volunteers put up an interactive Google map, plotting all the locations, based on the reported addresses of all the stranded flood victims. The result was an ingenious and alternative "digital century" way of sending out that important message to afflicted parties and notifying disaster crews on which areas of the city they have to focus their rescue efforts.

Now if we can just use this way of communications in Vietnam . . .

Get a more comprehensive story in the following link: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/173278/as-telecoms-break-down-social-media-connects-victims

The PR Diaries: Why is Public Relations more Necessary in a Recession?

PR Day 1: Wednesday, 22 April 2009

The inspiration for the topic of this blog post was generated by one of my dear local PR friends. As her new function now included new business development aside from her usual account management duties, I gave her a tip -- write a nice letter to existing and old clients, telling them to not only continue engaging in PR during these challenging times but also amplify their PR activities.

Why so and how?

Out-of-sight, out-of-mind! How do you expect your consumers/stakeholders/viewers – even competitors going to remember your brand and your product during these unusual times? How do you expect them to keep buying your newly-launched mobile phone model, patronize your fitness center, or even use your manpower services?

Brand exposure must be continuous to induce top-of-mind. Doesn’t matter if your budgets are small, you still have to put your brand out there. And the easiest and most cost-effective way to do that is through Public Relations.

Adapt and Focus. This is the crucial time to assess and evaluate your product line or range of services and even businesses given the changing situation of the economy and the market. Perhaps it is time to trim down your product line and focus on promoting only those products and services that are not only most resilient in a downturn but also most helpful and practical for your markets.

Focus on the top 3 products and services that your company is outstandingly known or has the most potential to stand out in the cacophony of services that other similar agencies are delivering – and trumpet them out loud in the marketplace through PR as well as integrated marketing communications!

New PR has Extended Value. A young lady I recently interviewed to ask why she wants to be in PR, said that it’s rather glamorous to be in the industry. What the majority of the public and those wannabe PR practitioners don’t know is that PR does not just mean “glittering parties with celebrities”, press conferences and the press release. That represents old-school concepts of PR.

Public Relations, in the expanded and updated meaning of the word, means “using all points of contact to convey your message in a manner that gives value to the intended target audience”. This means, we widen the scope and effectiveness of PR by applying PR strategies and techniques to direct marketing, or advertising, or activation (of which special events is a component), or even online marketing. By integrating these other communications disciplines with PR, we become more “cost-effective”.

An example of this is the successful collaboration of PR and online or so-called web marketing. The “Visit Malaysia Campaign” have used the power of the internet by opening its www.khampamalaysia.com website, using well-targeted media relations – a component of PR – to generate print publicity of the campaign, and driving people to surf onto its website. The result was thousands of hits were recorded, leading to 3,000 people attending its booth at Diamond Plaza during this two-month campaign.

Cost-effective Communications. Having witnessed and survived two global economic recessions – one commencing in 1996-97 that affected Thailand and the rest of Asia so drastically, and the Dot-Com Bust in 2001, which affected mostly the US, Europe and some high-tech, high-touch countries in Asia, it is common knowledge in our industry that the first casualties of an economic slowdown are big-budget advertising and consumer research.

Then the tendency for those uninformed companies is to continue cutting down on other communications and promotional activities. This is definitely a No-No! As previously said, you don’t want your target markets to miss you out and think you folded up. If you do cut down, then that’s an easy way for your competitor to capitalize on your weaknesses.

Social Media – Fad or Necessity? Fortunately, with the dawn of the Digital Age, there came an effective instrument of communications which doesn’t cost that much and still comes out as impactful – “Social Media”. Social media tools include blogs, online forums, corporate websites, message boards, online social networking sites, etc.. Facebook and Yahoo 360° blogs are the most used and most directly impactful in Vietnam. And soon, Twitter or any local Twitter-clones will gain a following in Vietnam too!

Formerly considered a pastime and tool for teens as well as college and university students here in Vietnam, Social Media is now gaining ground as a ready and real-time source of information for most people even in business here. For instance, roughly 2 years ago, a foreign newcomer into the local scene of Hanoi may not have a clue as to where he/she can find the latest information about the hippest restaurants, bars, social networks, or events in town.

Enter the www.newhanoian.com. Set up by two entrepreneurs Elliot and Tom, it started out as just a listing of establishments and businesses in Hanoi. Later on, it came out with incisive, frank and very in-depth reviews of establishments and watering-holes in the city, as well as a repository of information on where to get this hard-to-find item or service. Judging by its top ranking in Google, it is becoming more popular now not only as a source of information but also a way to introduce new products and services into the local hanoian scene through local co-branding programs.

Of course, not all products or services can be best promoted or PR-ed through Social Media. But when 65-70% of your population is aged 29 years and below, as well as being online, IT-enabled or IT-savvy, it is definitely a very powerful PR tool.

Communicate to your Stakeholders. In our industry, “stakeholders” means all the persons and agencies who have an influence or “stake” in your brand image or reputation. Therefore clients are also considered stakeholders, as well as channels of communication like the media, influencing agents like the business or industry associations you circulate in, or your immediate friends.

Basically, you have to constantly communicate and assure your clients, colleagues partners, suppliers, providers, industry friends, etc. about your company and your vision of still thriving and operating DESPITE these very unusual times. That is the spirit and that is the main reason why PR still thrives in these times!