samples of communications writing and event coverage

1. Gloria Buono-Daly
MARKETING CONSULTANT, WRITER, EDITOR
Deal With It: Communicating in a Crisis. How to
Navigate the Chaos and Triumph
On May 5, NYWICI members and guests gathered at Burson-Marsteller NY for a panel on how to master crisis
management in politics, government, business and non-profit organizations. Panelists addressed the gaps, critical
challenges and successes in crisis communications.
The event was moderated by Courtney Hazlett, columnist and celebrity correspondent, MSNBC. The panelists
included Cindy Leggett-Flynn, partner, Brunswick Group LLC; Davia Temin, president, Temin & Company; Loretta
Ucelli, senior advisor, Gutenberg Communications; and Gail Cohen, Global Chair of Healthcare Practice, Burson-
Marsteller NY.
Hazlett started by quoting then Senator John F. Kennedy: “The medium, television, which lends itself to
manipulation, exploitation and gimmicks, can be abused by demagogues but appealed to emotion, and prejudice,
and ignorance.” She then picked up the thread and addressed the panel: “That was when we only had TV to deal
with; now that we got Twitter, the Internet, and cable news 24 hours a day, speed is everything! When do you
decide to jump on something, and when do you decide to pull back and see what the story is going to be?”
READINESS AND SPEED
Most communications’ crises stem from a gap between what an organization perceives as a problem and what
the public thinks is the problem. Ucelli believed that in those cases, speed is everything; crisis managers must be
ready to communicate when necessary and be aware of what is going on around them.
MONITORING IS BREAD AND BUTTER
Social media are vital in identifying a developing crisis and have broadened crisis communications. Leggett-Flynn
believes that many companies don’t have the tools to take necessary steps, however. Cohen added that there are
more voices today than a decade or two ago and that now, “monitoring is bread and butter.”
HERE TODAY, TWEETED AWAY TOMORROW
Twitter users are mostly in their 30s and 40s, while CEOs and company heads are usually older. Temin sees a lot
of confusion among managers on the reality of blogs and tweets, given that many celebrities often hire people to
tweet for them, and she added, “Tweets may be here today — and tweeted away tomorrow.”
TRANSPARENCY, RESPONSIBILITY AND REPUTATION
Communicators face challenges when putting aside personal feelings about a particular corporation, when asked
to restore their company’s or client’s reputation. Leggett-Flynn believes that many communicators function as
legal representatives. “In media, you’re either evil or a hero; gray areas don’t play well.”
THE DOT AT THE END OF THE SENTENCE
While one of the main elements in crisis management is developing the facts and putting them out fast, Ucelli
stressed communicators must know how to end the sentence quickly in almost any crisis situation. Temin shared
an experience, where a communications manager and former journalist kept on answering questions when the
right strategy would have been to simply say it once and leave it at that.

2. BRIDGE THE GAPS, CONTROL THE DAMAGE
After Nickelodeon’s failure to address the domestic abuse charges against Chris Brown, many parents wanted to
know why the station hadn’t disqualified the singer from its Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards. “If Nickelodeon had
participated in a public conversation rather than simply wait for Brown to pull out, that would have helped [its]
reputation,” explained Cohen.
Q & A HIGHLIGHT
On the failing auto industry, Bernard Madoff, Bear Sterns, AIG and Rod Blagojevich, the consensus was that the
car makers committed the biggest blunders in their crisis communications. Ucelli believes the situation had been
in their control but management had missed the target for years. “The inability to produce a car that Americans
would be driving and the big public relations disaster on Capital Hill, didn’t work,” Ucelli concluded. “It’s so
ubiquitous, so silent, nothing online,” added Cohen. And Leggett-Flynn believed that there was disconnect from
reality — which, by the way, goes for most of those on the list.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
PUBLISHED ON NYWICI.ORG (05/15/2009) - http://www.nywici.org/events/deal-it-communicating-crisis-how-navigate-chaos-and-triumph
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Lost In Translation: "The Secret to Communicating Across
Cultures and Generations Successfully"
On March 3, NYWICI members and guests gathered at Burson-Marsteller NY for a discussion on communication challenges
and opportunities across generations and across cultures. The panelists addressed entrepreneurial shifts arising from the
socio-cultural-economic paradigm in an economic downturn, where highly qualified baby boomers are becoming
entrepreneurs, and many communications professionals are searching for innovative communication strategies to compete in
today’s, and tomorrow’s, increasingly cross-cultural and cross-generational market place.
The panel was moderated by Jennifer Brown, president of Jennifer Brown Consulting. The speakers included Harriette Cole,
creative director at Ebony; Lorenca Consuelo Rosal, managing director at Burson-Marsteller New York; Melissa Lavigne,
director at The Intelligence Group; and Ginny Pulos, founder and president of Ginny Pulos Communications, Inc.
In 2009, for the first time, six generations will work side by side in the workplace. So, what then is the secret to mastering
communication and overcoming diversity?
FACE TO FACE
While the internet is becoming increasingly crucial for communicators, Pulos believes that to be most effective, face to face
communication and body language is the key to building relationships, particularly when communication is cross-generational.
“It’s about who you are, your credibility, how you communicate,” she added. “It’s thrilling!”
OPENNESS AND RESPECT
Rosal added that many corporations treat diversity as an issue that needs to be managed, rather than as a gift. She suggests
finding open doors to reach different people, merchandise diversity and celebrate the successes. “Diversity is a gift! The only
way to succeed is to respect different visions.”
ACTIVE LISTENING
Being an active listener and knowing someone’s intention and what others are bringing to the team is the key to effective
communications. Cole recommends that if something is unclear, ask questions, until you fully understand what a person
means. “If you have good intentions then you bring that with you,” says Cole. “You have to listen and know what someone else
is bringing, and if it is unclear, then both can learn.”
GAPS & VALUES
Although generations have the same wants and needs, Boomers, Gen-X and Gen-Y have different work behaviors (see the
hand out “Communicating across Generations” for more): Gen-Y professionals put boundaries on their work hours, whereas

3. boomers usually expect them to work more. Lavigne described what has shaped generations and that essentially everyone
still wants the same thing. “Who doesn’t want more flexibility and work challenges?” Lavigne also shared findings from a
survey on work-related issues, where Gen-Y, Gen-X and Boomers gave very similar answers.
KNOW YOUR MESSAGE
Pulos describes how communicators get “Lost in Translation” (See her hand out, “Lost in Translation,” for more), by letting the
message deliver instead of delivering the message: Don’t say ‘I think,’ ‘I hope’ and ‘I feel’. Say ‘I know,’ ‘I believe’ and ‘I can,’
she suggests. “Be not only heard, but understood!”
SUCCESSOR & BENCH STRENGTH
During the last recession, corporations obliterated senior associates and middle-managers until all that was left were the very
senior management positions and junior workers. Corporations are now confronted with a gap in middle management, having
too much work done by increasingly fewer people with little or no experience. Now, the socio-cultural-economic paradigm is
shifting to Boomer entrepreneurs, who have the experience and have already broken glass ceilings. This, agreed the
panelists, will eventually lead to a re-recruiting of experienced workers and retirees. “We need each other,” acknowledges
Cole. “There’s knowledge to be shared.”
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
PUBLISHED ON NYWICI.ORG (03/22/2009) - http://www.nywici.org/events/lost-translation-secret-communicating-across-cultures-and-
generations-successfully
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2010 Streaming Media East: Will Online Video become
as Ubiquitous as Text?
On Wednesday, May 12th I attended the 13th Annual Streaming Media East show at the Hilton in New York City and was
amazed to learn about the latest online video trends and how these innovations are being utilized to impact and enhance user
experience online.
The event was filled with so many people, products and services. Professionals in all areas of business, obviously with a
passion for online video, attended including video content owners, viral video creators, online marketers, enterprise
corporations, broadcast professionals, ad agencies, educators, etc.
Products and services from the latest high speed online video technologies for small mom and pop web site owners to
enterprise solutions for major global corporations, Streaming Media East 2010 at the Hilton on Sixth Avenue in New York City
was the place to be to learn all about the latest products and participate in discussions about how the various technologies for
online video are impacting businesses worldwide.
It’s amazing when I realize how just a few years ago computer users and web site owners, myself included, stayed away from
videos on the web due to the inordinate amounts system problems such as computer glitches, sluggish operations and even
crashing.
This sentiment has obviously changed, and the web user experience is becoming more exciting and engaging as online video
gains momentum now more than ever.
I was glad to have the opportunity to learn more about two products that I feel are well worth mentioning: BrightCove.com, an
online video platform for video editing, customization and monetization and Magnify.net, a CVC (Curated Video Content)
system platform.
Among the advancements from BrightCove.com are enhancements that enable web site owners to edit video frame/shells with
customized background color, company logo in player chrome and loading screens, etc. creating a look and feel consistent
with their respective web site themes; managing video inventories, creating playlists, integrating advertising networks and
servers for monetization, and universal delivery systems to enable multi-bitrate streaming for multi-platform devices (e.g., iPod,
iPad, connected TVs, etc.) intuitively done with simple clicks.
The Magnify.net user interface, has made online editorial video curation attainable for not only the rich and powerful
community web sites such as Huffington Post but also for small to mid-sized publishers and web site owners. Magnify.net, “a
realtime video curator engine,” offers a free version that enables web site owners to gather videos from across the web and
build their own video channel. The free version is limited but there are professional, magazine and events editions that feature
more bells and whistles. I feel this product particularly benefits print and magazine publishers offering new web site launches
to highlight their expertise for a particular product or service as there are endless ways to engage the user experience.

4. With all the latest online video technologies, tools and choices for web marketers and magazine publishers, taking their
company web sites to the next level will be easier, more tailored and productive, and online video well-positioned to become
as prevalent and ubiquitous as what text is on web today.
Do you think that online video will become as ubiquitous as what text is on the internet today? To answer this LinkedIn poll
please click this link.
For more information about Streaming Media East, visit streamingmedia.com/east. I’m already looking forward to the next
Streaming Media East 2011 show scheduled for May 10-11, same place, Hilton, New York, NY and seeing some of you there.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
PUBLISHED (03/13/2010) - http://myblog.allthingsdigitalmarketing.com/2010/05/202010-streaming-media-east-will-online.html
Poll closed 6/13/2010 – In 30 days blog resulted in 26 votes and 2 comments
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Is Facebook Safe? You've Got the Cutest Little
Facebook, But is it Safe?
Facebook, that wonderful social media site with the wonderful intention of helping friends stay connected, has recently
announced new changes regarding their revised "open site governance" policy which will essentially enable Facebook to
automatically share your Facebook user account data with other external sites without the you, Facebook user, ever knowing it
and without your permission. This will take effect on April 3, 2010.
When I first joined Facebook, this was not the case and I was assured that only the Facebook user would control who would
get to see my private information. And this why I was willing to be part of the social media action. But now it appears Facebook
is pulling the "bait and switch" tactic on Facebook account users, and I have a few concerns. Is this ethical? Do you think
Facebook is going too far?
What this new policy change means is that external web sites that you are not even aware of exist all over the world, will now
be awarded the priviledge of having access to all of your Facebook account information including your photos, friends,
birthday, etc., and other personal information you have on Facebook. All this without your permission! And to cover itself,
Facebook recently changed its open site governance policy to accommodate this new strategy which appears to benefit
Facebook and compromise Facebook account members/users all over the globe.
According to Barry Schnitt, Sr. Manager of Corporate Communications and Public Policy at Facebook in an email to
ReadWriteWeb.com, "the right way to think about this is not like a new experience but as making the [Facebook] Connect
experience even better and more seamless." I beg to differ. Facebook believes with the advent of social media and blogging,
etc., the world is less concerned about privacy and more concerned about making it easier to connect with other sites. But wait
a minute, who is Facebook to speak for you and me? Is all this worth compromising the pricacy and security of Facebook
users? What this new change could mean is that Facebook users will now have to be more cautious and spend more time on
Facebook opting-out instead of opting-in. Apparently they will be adding tools which will enable you to "opt-out."
According to Marshall Kirkpatrick Vice President of Content Development at ReadWriteWeb.com's article Facebook May
Share User Data With External Sites Automatically "That sounds downright creepy. It's nice to have one-click access to your
Facebook info if you decide to share it with other sites - that's what Facebook Connect does - but the prospect of having that
information automatically shared when you show up on another website seems like an idea that won't be well received by
users. There's a big difference between opt-in and opt-out "data portability"."
My chief concern is that Facebook cannot guarantee that private information can be kept safe especially if you include those
additional Facebook applications. So I'm not adding any Facebook applications to my Facebook account and will continue
keeping it simple; Be conscientious, cautious, and don't put too much private information on Facebook as there may be big
sorry tomorrows. There is an interesting video I viewed from BBC which explains how malicious Facebook applications could
steal the personal details of all your friends, not just your own details. Click here to view it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coczh-f9r_4
How do you feel about Facebook's latest policy change? Your opinion is valuable, please answer this poll at
http://bit.ly/Facebook_Issue
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
PUBLISHED (03/13/2010) - http://myblog.allthingsdigitalmarketing.com/2010/05/202010-streaming-media-east-will-online.html
Poll closed 4/30/2010 – In 30 days blog resulted in 57 votes and 5 comments
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Twitter and the Ripple Effect: More than spreading
your wings and tweeting!
Twitter, a micro-blog with a 140-character-limit blurb known as a “tweet” having potential to create a chain of social media
networking events that can lead to exponentially larger alterations of social media networking instances. Twittering appears to
have maximized the power of connecting. In less than 4 years, it is estimated that there are over 250 million twitter accounts
worldwide.
But if you think that Twitter and the bird’s far reaching effect is enough to make your media campaign a success, try spreading
your wings and flying. You just might find yourself in a nose-dive!
Of course, everyone is twittering, with hopes of creating shifts in perspectives that will lead to greater connections, better
businesses and stronger communities.
It’s been said that a sea gull’s simple flap of a wing can change weather, and so too a simple tweet can create ripple effects in
the customers, employees, friends, colleagues and even those people and entities that you have never known and now
suddenly have become your followers.
Why then are there still no analytics for measuring effectiveness, or tried and true processes and marketing solutions from this
bird?
Although Twitter’s wide massive appeal has grown so quickly in such a brief time, it is still considered new. Twitter became
available to the public in 2006 but really gained momentum in April 2007. According to Wikipedia “The tipping point for
Twitter's popularity was the 2007 South by Southwest, SXSW, festival. During the event usage went from 20,000 tweets per
day to 60,000.” This all occurring after the Web 2.0 buzz of 2006, which arose 2 years after the first Web 2.0 Oreilly
Conference, October 5 – 7, 2004, at the Hotel Nikko in San Francisco, CA.
Today, there are many factors that contribute to the success of a social networking marketing campaign and Twitter is just one
of the many digital integrated marketing tools. Besides having experience, skill and passion about what you are
communicating, successful social media marketing requires a well thought out, detailed, marketing plan and timeline. Even
with all this, there are still no guarantees; What works for one company or person may not be as effective for another.
While there are no magic bullets that will guarantee the overall success of your campaign, below you will find a listing of some
helpful tips to guide you through the process of integrating twittering into your corporate digital marketing programs:
1. Create momentum with effective communications and set up kick-off meetings well in advance of your deliverables
2. Optimal participation is key. Schedule regular (weekly or bi-weekly) meetings (virtual or in person) and involve as many
employees/departments in your organization.
3. Ensure that your meeting handouts include guidelines for branding specs, e.g., having company logo included on all tweets,
regardless of whether a company is using different blog/tweet names for different products,/themes, etc., appropriate tone,
buzzwords, keywords, etc.
4. If your social marketing media campaign calls for multiple bloggers and twitterers, make sure your respective tweet names
match respective tweet blogs; This information should all be mapped out (e.g., spreadsheet) and incorporated into your digital
marketing plan alongside all of the other marketing tools you will be integrating
5. Use common sense and discuss best practice to ensure employee tweeters know their leaps and bounds when contributing
to avoid compromising your blogs/tweets integrity and reputation
6. Tie in tweets with your company’s blogs – an example is how Martha Stewart’s tips, ideas, etc., from her blog into tweets –
again, not necessarily coming from someone from her company, but created such a brand following that followers as well as
employees include her ideas in their blogs
7. Understand and learn of the importance of following potential customers, existing customers, vendors, suppliers, etc.
8. Incorporate short and simple auto-respond tweets for new followers – assuring real-time reply in the event no one is able to
respond immediately; Although the majority of folks recommend not using auto-responds, my suggestion is to test the waters
but keep auto-responds short, thanking them for connecting and sharing relevant information. If you feel auto-responding is
working against you, simply remove it. At least you can say you gave it a try.

6. 9. Understand the importance of hashtags and other application enhancements and use them carefully. E.g., including
hashtags in your tweets, e.g., #followfriday; and applications, Tweet Meme, etc. There are pros and cons to hashtags - some
folks feel the short 140-character blurbs get distorted from the #hashtag symbol while others are embracing it. So far, I haven't
been incorporating hashtags into my tweets. I plan on giving #hashtags a try soon.
10. If you are interested in following please feel free to follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/gbdaly
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
PUBLISHED (09/22/2009) - http://myblog.allthingsdigitalmarketing.com/2009/09/twitter-and-ripple-effect-theres-more.html
___________________________________________________________________________________________________