mediabistro.com: PRNewser

U.K. Editor Suggests Newspapers Should Launch PR Divisions for Revenue

By Jason Chupick on Nov 16, 2009 10:41 AM

Neil Benson, editorial director of the U.K. Trinity Mirror regionals is making headlines by suggesting newspapers open PR divisions to create new revenue streams while on a panel at the Society of Editors conference.

Benson's pitch to his contemporaries: "The best of PR agencies are often run by ex-editorial people. People who worked in regional press know what it takes to hit the spot in terms of press releases and they know how to package it. So why don't regional publishers think about launching an arm's length PR agency?"

He went on to explain that newspapers could offer SEO, microsites, and video productions services to advertisers. Essentially, certain advertisers could team up with journalists to create sites dedicated to one topic and go beyond the advertorial as we know it. Selecting the partnerships would be based on what the papers would cover anyway, such as the government's Change for Life campaign against childhood obesity rather than an effort to sell DVDs at the department store.

You can follow other discussions at the conference by using the #soe09 hashtag.

Neil Benson

Survey: 88% of Nonprofits "Widely Experimenting" With Social Media

By Joe Ciarallo on Nov 13, 2009 10:44 AM

Is there still opportunity for social media and digital consultants in the nonprofit space? Yes, according to a new survey from Weber Shandwick and KRC Research. The agency surveyed 200 nonprofit and foundation executives to gain insight on their social media efforts to date. The highlights:

88% percent of nonprofits are widely experimenting with social media
Only half (51%) are active users

92% of executives said their online presence raises awareness of their organization

86% said it keeps external audiences engaged

77% said it reduces costs relative to traditional media

However, while executives understand there is value, they're not sure how to demonstrate it:

79% are uncertain of how to demonstrate social media's value for their organizations

Budgets and staffing are barriers to implementation, as 70% of executives projected their 2010 communications budgets to remain "the same or decrease compared to last year," and 52% percent of organizations said they "do not have enough staff to manage their current social media outreach."

"This survey validates that there is widespread experimentation, and suggests that, in the future, nonprofits that fully participate in the two-way conversations that make this medium so powerful will reap the greatest benefit," said Paul Massey, co-lead of Weber Shandwick's Social Impact group.

Survey: 42% Say PR Budgets Will Remain Flat in 2010

By Joe Ciarallo on Nov 12, 2009 12:22 PM

PR software company Vocus (NASDAQ: VOCS) released results from a survey of more than 1,800 marketing and PR professionals today. The survey attempted to shine some light on PR industry trends for 2010.

The results:

42 percent indicated PR budgets will remain flat in 2010, though one-third also said they anticipated their budget increasing slightly (24 percent) or significantly (5 percent).
64 percent of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that PR planning will be more difficult in 2010.

63 percent are planning to refine processes in 2010 while 51 percent will invest in new technology in order to do more with less.

64 percent believe that PR will become increasingly important in the overall marketing mix in 2010.

The survey was conducted from October 21, 2009 to November 12, 2009. Vocus reported a 5% revenue increase as part of the company's Q3 earnings report on October 21st.