Business Wire LA & NUVI Host Social Media Monitoring Panel Event

April 25, 2013
by Warner Boutin, Senior Account Executive and Luis Guillen, Media Relations Specialist/ Business Wire LA

Business Wire members and guests packed Silicon Beach hot spot ROC Santa Monica on Wednesday, April 3 for cocktails, appetizers and a chance to talk social media metrics with Business Wire and our social media analytics partner, NUVI.

Spun out of creative agency Struck in 2011, NUVI is a real-time social media analytics platform focused on listening, engagement and reporting.

NUVI founder Dave Oldham and EVP Stuart Dean discussed ways in which companies can leverage their monitoring dashboard to ultimately lead conversations happening around an organization’s shareholders, potential customers or other target audiences.

“Even if your company doesn’t publish social content, listening to (and monitoring) your industry trends impacts every aspect of your business,” said Oldham.

Oldham described one beverage company that purchased NUVI’s portal to understand purchase intent. In this particular instance, the client tracked weather patterns, which ultimately impacted their sales volume in one specific region.

NUVI founder/CEO Dave Oldham demonstrates their visual intelligence platform for social media at the 4/3 Business Wire event in Santa Monica.

NUVI founder/CEO Dave Oldham demonstrates their visual intelligence platform for social media at the 4/3 Business Wire event in Santa Monica.

In another setting, an energy drink company engaged NUVI to monitor the entire sports landscape surrounding their product (message boards, blog posts, competitors’ social content).

On social media’s immediate impact on the news landscape, the NUVI team compared a 2005 photo of Pope Benedict XVI’s inauguration to the 2013 picture of Pope Francis papal ceremony. The 2005 picture featured a small handful of people waving their flip phone; the 2013 photo illustrating an entire audience wielding their mobile devices to instantly capture and share the event.

On measuring sentiment, Oldham highlighted NUVI’s ability to pin-point positive and negative editorial bumps realted to product launches, press releases or campaigns to help PR pros quickly respond to and interact with their audiences.

By the evening’s conclusion, everybody agreed that listening is the cornerstone of any effective media monitoring program.

“In order to be great, you must engage a conversation and be a good listener . . . like a relationship,” said Oldham.

The NUVI real-time visual intelligence platform can be ordered on a monthly basis; NUVI social media monitoring reports can be added onto your Business Wire press release distribution.

To request a NUVI demo, click here

For upcoming local Business Wire events or our award-winning webinar series, visit our events page ; and follow Business Wire events on Twitter under the hashtag #bwchat.

1 Comment | Business Wire | Permalink
Posted by Phil Dennison, Senior Marketing Specialist, Business Wire

Common Sense vs. Nonsense: What Thomas Paine Can Teach Us About Disclosure

April 22, 2013
by Cathy Baron Tamraz, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Business Wire
Cathy Baron Tamraz

Cathy Baron Tamraz, Chairman & CEO, Business Wire

Herb Greenberg, the respected CNBC market commentator who first asked whether Netflix violated Reg FD with its use of social media, subsequently put the issue into its proper perspective: It’s all about “common sense.”

Unfortunately, common sense seems to be in short supply these days, as attempts to redefine “full and fair disclosure” depreciate its value to market participants.

In a prescient post in July 2012 (http://www.cnbc.com/id/48086440), Greenberg asked whether Netflix CEO Reed Hastings side-stepped Reg FD by touting on his Facebook page that Netflix had set a new milestone in monthly viewing.

The provocative post apparently caught the eye of SEC officials; the agency filed a Wells Notice against Hastings and Netflix, indicating an inquiry into whether there was a basis to pursue the allegations.

Common-Sense-DisclosureGreenberg, in a December 2012 post, reflected on the surprising reaction of some folks to the SEC’s action. As far as Greenberg was concerned, the issue was simple.

“Bottom line: I’m all in favor of social media as a point of dissemination,” Greenberg wrote.” “They aren’t going away. But public companies and executives want to use them, and they have to play by the rules. That means, simply, issue a press release at the same time. Simple common sense, don’t you think?”

The SEC tweaked the rules recently by issuing a report on the possible use of social media tools for compliance purposes. Unfortunately, the agency’s report generated a lot of heat, but little illumination.

Thomas Paine, in talking about government and society, wrote his passionate pamphlet called “Common Sense” in 1776. Written more than 200 years ago, his words are timeless:

“There is something exceedingly ridiculous in the composition of the monarchy. It first excludes a man from the means of information, yet empowers him to act in cases where the highest judgement is required.”

Common sense dictates that full and fair disclosure means that all market participants have simultaneous, real-time access to market-moving information. Business Wire has a patented news delivery platform — “NX” — that ensures network recipients worldwide have equal, unrestricted and simultaneous access.

Common sense dictates the overriding importance of network security, and the vetting of corporate announcements to validate their source. Business Wire’s network systems are audited annually by independent management consultants, ensuring compliance with the rigorous standards of securities regulators in multiple international jurisdictions. Additionally, Business Wire has close to 200 editors — and authentication procedures — to provide credible, vetted information to the capital markets.

Common sense dictates that an audit trail exists to protect issuers in the event of a regulatory investigation. As a point of fact, the SEC itself utilizes Business Wire’s audit trail when investigating companies that have caught their attention.

Common sense dictates that the recommendations of prominent professional organizations such as The National Investor Relations Institute be factored into policy decisions. Specifically, NIRI’s “Best Practices” call for a combination of Reg-FD compliant platforms to ensure the broadest possible investor outreach.

Common sense dictates that service providers adapt the latest technologies. Business Wire’s multi-channel platform has long embraced social media (it has 61 industry Twitter feeds). In fact, Business Wire is the industry technology leader with five patents, including two for social media innovations.

Common sense tells us that information should be simultaneous and ubiquitous. Excluding anyone from access to material information is the road to chaos, leading to a possible return to the “Whisper on Wall Street.” Ironically, this is the very thing that Regulation Fair Disclosure sought to eliminate in 2000.

Clearly, there is no substitute for common sense. While it is apparently lacking in some circles, the encouraging news is that the investor relations industry has a proud history of taking a pragmatic and thoughtful approach in meeting its professional obligations, as confirmed by this recent NIRI survey.

The silver lining, as Thomas Paine and Herb Greenberg have taught us, is that common sense never goes out of style.

1 Comment | Disclosure, Investor Relations, social media | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Phil Dennison, Senior Marketing Specialist, Business Wire

Hispanicize 2013 Conference Recap

April 19, 2013
by Pilar Portela, Media Relations Supervisor and LatinoWire Media Representative

Business Wire’s LatinoWire was a proud sponsor of Hispanicize 2013 in Miami — a yearly conference where hundreds of journalists, bloggers, film and music artists and communications professionals gather to hear from top Latino trendsetters. This year the conference was five days long, with more than 100 sessions and featured 260 speakers.

Danny Selnick & Pilar Portela

Danny Selnick & Pilar Portela

LatinoWire Vice President Danny Selnick and I were on-site offering our press release expertise to attendees and participated in all the conference events. I also had the opportunity to moderate three incredible media panels:

1)         Hispanic Media Relations Evolves: Best Practices on What Remains the Same and What’s Changed in 2013 (sponsored by Getty Images)

2)         Managing Your Social Personas

3)         Finding Your Voice as a Commentator

All three panels were a mix of media relations, social media and television, and covered the challenges of pitching the Hispanic media, finding the right balance between your professional and personal social media accounts and what is the key to having a strong voice as a commentator, just to name a few.

Charlie Garcia, Garcia Trujillo, LLC and Latino Rebels; Sonia Nazario, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of "Enrique's Journey"; Fernando Espuelas, Host of "El Show de Fernando Espuelas", Univision America; Pilar Portela, Business Wire; and Ruben Navarrette, Nationally Syndicated Columnist

Charlie Garcia, Garcia Trujillo, LLC and Latino Rebels; Sonia Nazario, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of “Enrique’s Journey”; Fernando Espuelas, Host of “El Show de Fernando Espuelas”, Univision America; Pilar Portela, Business Wire; and Ruben Navarrette, Nationally Syndicated Columnist

The New Target Market: Hispanic Millennials

Hispanicize also featured a social media Hispanic news platforms session with panelists from Fox News Latino, Fusion (the new ABC/Univision joint venture), Huffpost Voces, NBC Latino and Voxxi. The discussion focused on the new target market for these media platforms, which are Hispanic Millennials — U.S. born Hispanics who speak English and are between the ages of 18 to 49. Fox News Latino, NBC Latino and Voxxi offer their online news sites in English. The new Fusion news site is planning to do the same. All speakers agreed in order for the Latino market to continue to grow, the focus is going to be the younger generation Latinos.

In addition, the conference featured almost round the clock activity with:

-     Daytime industry workshops and sessions for journalists, bloggers, communications (PR and Marketing) professionals and film and music artists.

-     Latinovator Luncheons featuring Actor and Singer Carlos Ponce, Zumba’s Beto Perez, Movie Director Nicolás López and Journalist Soledad O’Brien.

-     Evening red carpet movie premieres and music concerts featuring Latino artists.

More information on the conference can be found here.

Adrian Carrasquillo, NBC Latino; Pilar Portela, Business Wire; and Daniel Rivero, WLRN/Miami Herald News

Adrian Carrasquillo, NBC Latino; Pilar Portela, Business Wire; and Daniel Rivero, WLRN/Miami Herald News


LatinoWire reaches influential Hispanic bloggers, decision-makers and more than 1,200 US-Hispanic newsrooms in both Spanish and English. Click here for more information on LatinoWire and media reach.

Leave a Comment » | Events, LatinoWire | Permalink
Posted by Phil Dennison, Senior Marketing Specialist, Business Wire

IR Sites and Social Media: Integrated and Automated Equal Effective and Efficient

April 17, 2013
by Ibrey Woodall, VP Web Communications Services, Business Wire
Ibrey Woodall

Ibrey Woodall, VP, Web Communication Services

Last week, Business Wire CEO Cathy Baron Tamraz was interviewed on CNBC’s “Closing Bell” by Maria Bartiromo and Bill Griffeth. Business Wire Senior Vice President of Global Media Neil Hershberg relayed the finer points of that discussion in a blog post titled Social Media in the Spotlight: Business Wire CEO Cathy Baron Tamraz Talks About the SEC’s Guidance on CNBC. As noted, the SEC now allows social media channels – once formally announced – to be utilized for Regulation Fair Disclosure communication, along with press releases, investor relations web sites, webcasts and filings.

Any communications professional worth their salt knows that communications tools are tactics, and that tactics are much more productive when exercised in unison. The fitting strategy is to coordinate these tools to work together automatically so that they are not only effective, but also efficient and timely.

Superior practices performed by multiple investor relations officers (IROs) begin with a safeguarded earnings release broadly distributed and tweeted by an established, trusted wire service. The next step is to make sure that the earnings press release posts directly and simultaneously from the wire service onto the company’s investor center, and into the correct category. If a third-party aggregator is used, there may be a delay in that press release being accessible and organized correctly on the IR site. If the IR site is solely used as a means of disclosure, there is the potential security concern that the information may be found before it is officially made available to all parties. Sadly, this has been experienced by some companies.

The IR communications professional is also responsible for determining that the IR site accepts registration for select email alert and

IR site visitors should be able to share posted content either by emailing, tweeting or posting onto social networks.

IR site visitors should be able to share posted content either by emailing, tweeting or posting onto social networks.

text message or Short Message Service (SMS) delivery. Investors, analysts, financial media, executives, and others who have expressed a desire to be notified when an earnings release is posted must immediately receive either the chosen email alert or mobile alert delivery method, or both. It is imperative that the message be identified as being delivered from the company’s official investor center, and should always contain a link to the full text version of the press release located on the IR site.

There are ways to successfully implement social media tools into the IR communications mix – in a useful and harmless manner. This can be done by integrating authorized social networks and a sharing module. Once a material news release is automatically posted onto the IR site, the IRO should then, if desired, be able to distribute an official tweet, as well as post onto Facebook or LinkedIn from the IR site administration dashboard. This creates a much more efficient workflow than logging into individual company social networks and preparing messages to tweet or post.

At the minimum, social media badges should be visible on the Home Page of the IR site, but if there is a company Twitter stream, it should also be integrated and displayed. Site visitors can then quickly see the most recent tweets made by the company, including the earnings release announcement, the scheduled webcast event, and the video interview of the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer discussing the latest earnings release. The Twitter stream should contain only tweets made by the company, and not include tweets by followers.

The addition of a sharing module within an IR site expands the distribution potential of vital content. Once the earning press release is officially public and available on the IR site, site visitors can share their interest in that news by electing to tweet or post the content onto their social networks or send it by email.

There are many helpful ways to utilize social media in IR communications; however, when it comes to full and fair disclosure, these communications tools should be used as part of an overall strategy in conjunction with tried and true, secure communications techniques.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Ibrey Woodall is the VP Web Communications Services for Business Wire. She actively writes and speaks about online public relations including web services such online newsrooms, and IR web sites. She can be reached at Ibrey.Woodall@BusinessWire.com, LinkedIn: Ibrey Woodall or via Twitter @IbreyWoodall.

Leave a Comment » | Disclosure, Investor Relations, online newsrooms, social media | Permalink
Posted by Phil Dennison, Senior Marketing Specialist, Business Wire

Social Media in the Spotlight: Business Wire CEO Cathy Baron Tamraz Talks About the SEC’S Guidance on CNBC

April 11, 2013
by Neil Hershberg, Senior Vice President, Global Media/Business Wire

Business Wire CEO Cathy Baron Tamraz is rapidly becoming the public face of full and fair disclosure.Tamraz appeared on CNBC’s “Closing Bell” Tuesday, where co-anchors Maria Bartiromo and Bill Griffeth interviewed her on the potential market implications of the SEC’s recent guidance on the use of social media for Reg FD compliance.

Video Clip:

Tamraz quickly distilled the key issues of the disclosure debate, explaining that popular social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook — while effective in extending investor outreach — are only one component of full and fair disclosure. She added that social media complements other Reg FD-compliant channels, including a broadly disseminated news release via a legitimate wire service, posting on an IR web site, webcasts, and regulatory filings. All these elements contribute to a “Best Practices” disclosure program that equitably and inclusively serves the needs of all market participants.

She emphasized that Business Wire makes extensive use of social media tools as part of its multi-channel distribution platform, and that the company holds five technology patents, including two in social media. One patent — its “NX” news delivery platform — is key to the disclosure discussion because it ensures simultaneous, real-time access to market-moving information by all network recipients worldwide. Simultaneity and market fairness is what Reg FD is all about; Business Wire’s unique ability to meet this stringent requirement has been independently validated by patent authorities in multiple jurisdictions.

Additionally, Business Wire provides an audit trail for every release, which is a critical benefit in the event of a regulatory investigation. There also are multiple archives, including such popular databases as Factiva and Lexis/Nexis, that provide an easily accessible and reliable record of all corporate announcements.Tamraz has emerged in recent years as an outspoken advocate of Reg FD’s guiding principles: full and fair disclosure and a “level playing field.”  She has written extensively on the topic, appeared before regulatory agencies and advisory councils focusing on corporate governance issues, and is the industry’s most vocal proponent of providing all investors — institutional and individual alike — with equal and unrestricted access to price-sensitive information.

Press Release:
Business Wire Says Social Media Platforms Are Only One Component of Full and Fair Disclosure and Offers Issuers a Guide on How to Effectively Use Social Media Tools http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20130404006180/en/Business-Wire-Social-Media-Platforms-Component-of%C2%A0Full

Blog Post:
What Can Louisville’s Kevin Ware Teach the SEC and Public Companies About Social Media?
http://blog.businesswire.com/2013/04/04/what-can-louisvilles-kevin-ware-teach-the-sec-and-public-companies-about-social-media/

2 Comments | Disclosure, Investor Relations | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Phil Dennison, Senior Marketing Specialist, Business Wire

Meet the Hispanic Market’s Most Influential Bloggers

April 8, 2013
by Pilar Portela, Media Relations Supervisor, Business Wire/Miami

At LatinoWire’s recent webinar “Meet the Hispanic Market’s Most Influential Bloggers,” bloggers from The Wise Latina Club, HispanaGlobal.com, Mamiverse.com, and Hispanicize 2013 shared their formula of success, how they built their blog, projects they are working on, how to effectively reach the Hispanic community and much more.

Below are some highlights from the webinar:

viviana_hurtadoViviana Hurtado, Ph.D – The Wise Latina Club

thewiselatinaclub@gmail.com @vivianahurtado @wiselatinaclub

  • Know your vision, listen to your community and stick to that.
  • There’s a lot of noise and clutter wanting you to be something you’re not, don’t listen.
  • Define who you are and stay in your lane.
  • Think outside the box, I may not be the expert you’re looking for, doesn’t mean we can’t work together, think partnership.

jeannette_kaplunJeannette Kaplun- HispanaGlobal.com jkaplun@hispanaglobal.com @jeannettekaplun

  • Latina women have so many different layers and dimensions.
  • Many question if there’s a market for women, yes!
  • Having a big blogging space and competition makes everyone better.
  • If you ignore your community, there’s nowhere to grow.
  • You need to listen, see the reaction of your audience, and comment.
  • Provide good, helpful content. If readers don’t like what they see/read they won’t come back to your site.
  • Nothing beats interaction, it’s a two-way intersection.
  • Online relationships are like regular relationships, you need to listen!

 

LorraineLaddishLorraine C. Ladish-  Mamiverse.com

lorraine.ladish@mamiverse.com @lorrainecladish @mamiverse

  • Empower and address the mother as a whole – Latina, Mother, bilingual, bicultural, etc.
  • I love the direct connection with the reader.
  • Initiate a conversation, it’s the biggest success you can have.
  • Social media cuts down the barriers, no longer talking to an audience without a face, instead it’s more personal, one-on-one interaction with the reader.
  • Always respect, even the “little people,” you’ll never know how big/successful they’ll be in the future.
  • Be yourself, life is too short.

 

mannyRuizManny Ruiz – Hispanicize 2013

manny@hispanicize.com @MannyRuiz @Hispanicize

  • Social media has upped the ante
  • Journalists can now make a living off their own work, all you need is some entrepreneurial skills
  • Hispanicize is the SXSW for Latinos, we’re building entrepreneur opportunities for bloggers.
  • Everyone should learn & understand “content marketing” — it’s here to stay
  • There’s a strong (and growing) community of Spanish language bloggers that are jumping into the fray.
  • Don’t be afraid to experiment.
  • You’ll break your teeth, make mistakes doing it. It’s ok. If not, you weren’t riding the bike in the first place.
  • Just do it!

If you missed the LatinoWire expert webinar series, a recording is available. For more information on future LatinoWire expert webinars go to www.businesswire.com.

LatinoWire reaches influential Hispanic bloggers, decision-makers and more than 1,200 US-Hispanic newsrooms in both Spanish and English. Click here for more information on LatinoWire and media reach. And don’t forget to visit us at Booth #14 at Hispanicize 2013!

Leave a Comment » | Business Wire Events, journalism, LatinoWire, Pitching, social media | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Phil Dennison, Senior Marketing Specialist, Business Wire

What Can Louisville’s Kevin Ware Teach the SEC and Public Companies About Social Media?

April 4, 2013
by Thomas Becktold, Senior Vice President, Global Marketing

Turns out, quite a bit.  You see, within hours of his terrible injury on the basketball court, fans were flocking to Twitter to offer their support.  Unfortunately, most were initially going to a fake Twitter account and weren’t engaging with Kevin Ware at all.

Following the April 2, 2013 SEC Report of Investigation that says social media accounts fall under the guidelines of their 2008 Interpretive Guidance Report on IR sites, we have put together some tips to help public companies in their IR social media efforts.

Social media engagement should be a part of the communications mosaic, but it is not a replacement for full, fair and simultaneous distribution of news achieved through Business Wire.  Investor relations professionals appreciate that their audiences are diverse and dispersed and use a wide range of platforms and content sources to access material information.

SEC_Blog_Post_Graphic

Social Media Opportunities for Public Companies

  • Social media channels offer the ability to gather intelligence and engage in two-way conversations, and as part of a comprehensive communications mix, are quite valuable.
  • Companies should establish official IR-specific social media channels on key platforms, even if they are not ready to use them.  If the channels are not active, put a disclaimer or keep them dark.
  • For those with a solid understanding of social media and their investor audiences, regular, consistent use of the channels for both good news and bad news is key.  Just like any other disclosure platform, don’t tweet or post only the good results and skip the bad ones.  Once you commit to adding a social media channel to your communications mix, stick to it.  If you discontinue use of a channel, communicate that as well.
  • Establish and publish a clear policy on your company’s use of social media as a supplemental channel to alert investors of disclosure press releases and filings.  Cross-reference those channels on your IR site, press releases and filings.
  • Listen to conversations and track sentiment and influencers, including your company’s Twitter “Cash Tag” – tweets tagged with your ticker symbol preceded by a $.  Business Wire now offers social media sentiment analysis reports for press releases via our partnership with NUVI.  For real-time monitoring and engagement, the NUVI platform provides an easy visual representation of influencers and sentiment based on the terms you choose.

Social Media Cautions for Public Companies

  • Full and Fair Access:  According to Pew Research as reported by TechCrunch, only 16% of adult US Internet users are on Twitter.
  • Privacy: Social media channels have barriers to entry and require the user to set up accounts and agree to the terms and conditions of each channel.  Your company does not control those terms and they may be objectionable to those interested in your news.  Chances are, your own IR site, as a best-practice, does not require visitors to agree to terms and conditions to access material news.
  • Fragmentation: Where’s Waldo meets disclosure.  As an IRO, do you opt for a wide, instantaneous Business Wire distribution or solely post to Twitter or Facebook and hope people find your material information?  Ask yourself, how do your investors, potential investors and media currently access your news?  Chances are, it’s through a widely divergent set of sources.
  • Simultaneity: The fact that users must click on a link to read a full-text announcement (that will reside elsewhere) adds latency and unfairness to the disclosure process.
  • Usability: Is social media going to meet the needs of your audiences?  Is it realistic to ask your institutional investors to hit “Like” on Facebook to get the latest earnings release alongside their elementary school friend’s picture of their latest cake or new puppy?  Should you expect your retail investor to stop relying on their brokerage account to access your news because it’s no longer there and instead subscribe to your Twitter feed?
  • Security: Don’t use social media as your sole means for disclosure: Look at Kevin Ware, the Louisville basketball player and what happened on Twitter just after his recent on-court accident.  Someone set up a fake account because, yes, we know it’s that easy to do.  And, that fake account had more followers than his real account.  Imagine potential investors searching in vain for the “real Twitter account” for your company when breaking news happens?  (Or finding that the official account has been hacked, as recently happened to both Burger King and Jeep.) Want to get a “verified” account?  Good luck —  and it might not make a difference anyway, according to this recent Mashable article. The Business Wire slug ensures a seamless, secure, audited experience.
  • Reliability: Twitter has been riddled with outages as it grows – think how many times you’ve seen the Fail Whale. Business Wire operates at 99%+ uptime.   With your news widely distributed, if one site or system goes down, investors have many others to turn to.
  • Liability: Leveraging a Business Wire distribution ensures full and fair distribution.  Tweeting a release today is akin to walking across a frozen lake in late March.  Your odds of making it across are good, not great.

Want to read what journalists and others are saying about the SEC ruling?  Here are a few links – the comments sections often provide greater insight for you to consider as a communications professional:

2 Comments | Business Wire | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Tom Becktold, SVP Marketing, Business Wire

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