Sustainable Business Conversations, May-June 2017

==Sustainability Conversation

Sustainable Business Conversation, May 25, 2017 Topic: Relationships Through the Media

• What does a relationship with the media mean? Media is a collection of channels. The danger is that media can become an end in itself, rather than a means to an end.
• When you work with the media, have your objectives in mind and be clear about what you want to achieve.
• The steps to building a team are awareness, understanding, interaction and then a commitment to work together.
• It used to cost a lot to disseminate information. There was the print media (newspapers, magazines), television and radio. You had to work with one of these channels to get your message out. Now we are overrun with internet networks like Facebook and Twitter.
• Networks are overtaking the traditional kinds of media. Many people are no longer watching cable TV preferring access to shows online.
• Traditional news organizations (newspapers, TV newscasts) are being fragmented and blown apart by new networks. All of this is ripe for restructuring. It’s time to pioneer new thinking around the relationship between sustainability and media.
• Tom is selective about how much energy to invest in media. An online magazine about Detroit recently wanted to do an article about El Moore with lots of pictures. At first this did not seem like a good idea. Then he realized that the article could focus on the sustainability features of the building and convey real information. This could be a real positive.
• Big companies approach this differently. Ford spends a lot of money on advertising its products and less on public relations. Tesla spends almost nothing on advertising and puts all its efforts into media relations, public relations and additionally, Elon Musk tweets. It’s very effective for them. A huge shift is underway.
• With radio programs or news it is possible to settle into a pocket that contains only certain kinds of information and opinions.
• How can you convey information about sustainability to people who don’t want to know about sustainability? You need a strategy about how to use media.
• Google uses social media to create rankings for information on your business. Is it fair? Is it accurate?
• What about keywords? Your message on networked media needs to be based on who you are and what your priorities are. Some questions: What do you believe? What are you working toward? Are you trustworthy? How do you behave in the world? Your business needs a clear identity – who you are and what you are providing. Are your values and mission aligned with your identity? When alignment is good, you draw people to you when there is a fit.

It’s easy to create falsehoods on the internet. Photoshop can be used to alter facts. You can’t control everything – partnerships, relationships, product claims (is that really vegan?). Is Wikipedia more or less accurate that Encyclopedia Britannica? Some studies say it’s more accurate. Academics tend to not let students use Wikipedia as a primary research source. The information on Wikipedia is always subject to change. Social media is dynamically being created in front of you. I tend to look at product reviews online. If there are 49 good reviews and one bad review, I tend to think the product is good. But we know that vendors can still find ways to game the system. Word of mouth referrals from my trusted network of people can be much more valuable. How much value can you get from a Google search? I googled Detroit sustainability and found both the Green Garage and Ecoworks. Someone else uses a listserv for sustainability in higher education. The AASHE Stars program provides a self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. The organization has an annual conference that is quite valuable. Listservs are also used a lot in the museum community and have been a game changer for collaboration and finding information about specialized services. Communities of practice form naturally.