LevLane Wins Three Gold Awards for NJ’s Kennedy Health Marketing Campaign
At Inaugural National Ad Age/Modern Healthcare Conference
Agency Honored for Best Integrated Campaign, Print and Radio Campaigns
For about 10 years, LevLane has loved working with Kennedy Health System, positioning Kennedy as a leader in consumer healthcare in southern New Jersey. Over the years, Kennedy has grown with its three regional hospitals and an ever-expanding network of great primary doctors and specialty practices who together serve thousands of local residents with quality care.
The latest effort has brought exciting attention at the national level for both LevLane and Kennedy Health. LevLane an Kennedy Health this week won three gold Healthcare Marketing IMPACT awards in a competition sponsored by Advertising Age and Modern Healthcare magazines.
LevLane was chosen with the awards for the best integrated campaign of the year, best print and best audio (or radio) campaigns to promote the Kennedy Health Alliance, a network of primary and specialty care medical practices that launched in 2011 throughout southern New Jersey and serves as a gateway for Kennedy’s three area hospitals and outpatient centers.
The awards recognized the healthcare industry’s best advertising, marketing, promotion and communications campaigns. With 140 entries in nine categories., the winners were chosen based on a combination of creativity and marketing effectiveness.
The multimedia campaign, which launched early this spring and is ongoing, was titled, “I’m not a doctor. But I know what I want from one.”
From the beginning, the results were terrific.
In the first month of the campaign, Kennedy Health’s call center volume increased by more than 10,000, web site traffic increased sharply, community engagement on social media blossomed, and most importantly patient visits rose significantly. The campaign primarily targeted women as the healthcare decision-makers in a family and includes:
- ads in several South Jersey newspapers
- a new South Jersey Traffic First sponsorship during KYW Newsradio’s morning rush and spots throughout the day
- television spots on morning news and in programming in different dayparts that effectively reach the target demographic
- outdoor ads
- online digital advertisements
Rather than featuring the physicians and their expertise, the campaign aimed to “speak to the consumer from a consumer,” said Bruce Lev, agency partner and chief creative director. Bruce was part of a LevLane team who accepted the award along with Frances G. Atkinson, Kennedy’s vice president of marketing, at a special reception in Chicago.
“We’ve had a longstanding relationship with Kennedy, and we wanted to highlight the peace of mind for patients that comes with having a team of great doctors built around your own personal healthcare needs,” he said.
The winners will be featured in a special supplement of Modern Healthcare, a national publication that reaches more than 70,000 readers weekly.
“Kennedy is thrilled to have been honored with these awards,” said Atkinson. “We have had a great working relationship with LevLane as our agency for the past decade, and this campaign totally captured our vision and message, while helping building business for the Kennedy Health Alliance. It was a win-win all the way around.”
LevLane is an integrated marketing communications firm with a 30-year record of success building brands and driving consumer action. From its offices in Center City Philadelphia’s historic Wanamaker Building, LevLane’s strategic acumen and emotionally-driven creative has inspired love for clients in virtually every industry category, including healthcare, senior living, retail and franchise businesses, banking and professional services, governmental agencies and non-profits.
Kennedy is a health services delivery system serving the communities of southern New Jersey. Kennedy meets the community’s healthcare needs at its hospital campuses in Cherry Hill, Stratford and Washington Township, NJ, and at outpatient facilities throughout Camden and Gloucester counties. Kennedy University Hospital is the Principal teaching hospital of Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine (RowanSOM). Kennedy is also a member of the Penn Cancer Network and the Jefferson Neurosciences Network (JNN).
LevLane is Behind Philly’s Lean Towards Green
/in Account Service, Agency, Creative, Feature, Media, News, PR/by WebmasterPhiladelphia is known for many things, such as its eclectic and tight-knit neighborhoods, kids splashing in Love Park’s fountain, cookouts in Fairmount Park, and, most recently, its historic curbside recycling diversion rates.
No, you didn’t read that wrong.
On November 13, Philadelphians converged on City Hall’s Dilworth Park for an outdoor celebration, media event, and information fair as the city recognized America Recycles Day. During the event, the Philadelphia Streets Department’s Recycling Office announced that 128,000 tons of recycled materials were collected through the city’s curbside recycling program, buildings, and public spaces in fiscal year 2014. That number is impressive, but even more so is that the total tonnage represents a 155 percent increase in recycling since 2008.
The event helped emphasize that we have to keep up the momentum and recycle smarter – on the job, on the street, and at play. Event attendees learned about recycling and waste-reduction efforts, and how the city can improve its recycling habits, from these participating organizations:
This event is LevLane’s most recent endeavor in recognizing the important contributions of the citizens of Philadelphia who are responsible for this historic milestone. Working with the Streets Department and its Recycling Office since 2007, LevLane’s latest iteration I’m Behind Recycling is a media campaign that shows the Philadelphians who are leading the charge by recycling at home.
Additionally, LevLane developed Facebook and Twitter pages for the Philadelphia’s Recycling Office to engage people in real time – to keep them up to date with the latest information and statistics, and to make answering their questions as quick and easy as possible. By sharing articles, highlighting recycling events, and sharing expert commentary, these pages help establish the city as a knowledgeable resource, leader and advocate for recycling.
Phase two of the I’m Behind Recycling campaign serves as a refresher course on what is and isn’t recyclable. We’re so eager that we’re recycling items like plastic bags, tissues, greasy pizza boxes, and light bulbs, among other things, which can hinder the recycling process, damage machinery, and put sanitation workers at risk of injury. Philadelphians are doing a great job of recycling, but the bottom line is this: we need to know the ins and the outs.
We’ve been behind recycling for a long time, and with our collective efforts and an understanding of what’s recyclable, it won’t be long before Philadelphia achieves Mayor Nutter’s goal of becoming the Greenest City in America.
Philly’s Got Moves at new Rothman Institute Ice Rink
/in Account Service, Agency, Creative, Digital, Feature, Media, News/by WebmasterAs winter brings bitter cold temperatures and covers Philadelphia in a veil of snow, people tend to stay inside instead of experiencing everything the season has to offer. This melancholic time provided LevLane the opportunity to bring the warm spirit of the city to Dilworth Park, and bring together two of the region’s most well-known entities to develop and establish the Rothman Institute Ice Rink: Center City District and the Rothman Institute. Both clients’ businesses and cultures are sewn into the fabric of Philadelphia, which makes them the perfect partners to create a space that provides a uniquely Philadelphian experience. CCD is one of LevLane’s oldest clients, which gives us the advantage of knowing who reflects the brand’s image. Rothman’s orthopaedics practice throughout the region provides services focused on the human form’s movement– from balancing on ice skates to gliding around the rink.
The Rothman Institute Ice Rink at Dilworth Park was an agency-wide project that was successfully implemented because of our talented employees and caring clients. This frosty new feature will be open daily from November 14th through February 22nd. Join us in making the Rothman Institute Ice Rink at Dilworth Park a Philadelphia tradition.
No more confusion: Rebranding PIDC from the inside out
/in Agency, Feature, News/by WebmasterAs the makeup of the economy changed in Philadelphia, so did PIDC. It began helping many different types of businesses in Philadelphia: from small to large, for-profit to non-profit, in every business sector. The name they had been known by was no longer reflective of their breadth of work. Their brand identity had become confused, and they looked to LevLane to help them tell their story.
Conduct, Create, Change: LevLane began rebuilding the brand from the inside out, determined to uncover everything from the products and services that were offered, how employees and outsiders spoke of PIDC, to how the receptionist answered the phone. After conducting many interviews with internal and external key stakeholders, the LevLane team began to uncover the brand’s perceptions and truths.
It was evident that different Philadelphia businesses, as well as PIDC employees, had varying awareness of all the work of PIDC, causing brand recognition issues. LevLane’s rebranding campaign would soon help to solve this problem.
LevLane suggested that Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation solely be referred to as PIDC, then crafted an external positioning statement that described exactly what PIDC does: “Driving growth to every corner of Philadelphia.” In addition to its industrial heritage, PIDC wanted to focus on its small business lending and community development initiatives.
Next, it was crucial that the internal key messaging be clear for all. LevLane developed new brand messaging that ensured each PIDC employee would be communicating the same consistent message.
Finally, LevLane developed a comprehensive, multi-year marketing and communications plan that included a re-branding with a media plan to support it. The creative team stayed busy, and launched PIDC’s new website and campaign in October 2014. Complete with a new logo, messaging, color pallette, website, corporate brochure and collateral, it was out with the old and in with the new!
“It’s been a long process, but well worth it for the results. We’re excited by the refreshed PIDC brand and how it better reflects our story,” said Jessica Calter, PIDC Director of Marketing Communications. “Our new website is fresh, user-friendly, and showcases our clients and the faces behind the scenes.”
“It’s important for the community to hear our client success stories firsthand and the ways in which they’re contributing to Philadelphia’s economy. With the creative direction of LevLane and other partners, we were able to put together a great video showcasing our clients and the work we’re proud to do every day,” said Anne Bovaird Nevins, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Business Development for PIDC.
LevLane is confident that PIDC will continue to flourish for years to come, driving growth to every corner of Philadelphia!
LevLane’s Lively Speaker Series for Rydal Park deemed a hit, attracting sales prospects
/in Account Service, Agency, Creative, Digital, Feature, Media, News/by WebmasterLevLane’s PR and Marketing teams played a vital role creating and promoting Rydal Park’s Lively Fall Speaker Series, taking place this month in its second year. The series presents well-known local media figures from radio, television and newspapers sharing highlights from their careers, “the stories behind the story.”
Jerry Blavat, Oldies music DJ and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, charmed the audience at Rydal Park. He’s pictured here with Rydal’s Sarah Jolles.
The events have packed Rydal’s auditorium with prospective residents and resident ambassadors. The program was launched as an effort to draw local residents who could be strong candidates for joining Rydal’s community. The five-part series provides casual opportunities for attendees to experience some of Rydal Park’s enlightening events and desirable amenities, while meeting engaging speakers and taking in a tour.
Harry Gross, longtime Philadelphia Daily News columnist and Rydal Park resident, hosts the series, charming the visitors and encouraging them not to wait to make the decision to move in. Gross and his wife, both still active, have lived at Rydal for three years. Oftentimes, seniors express their interest but suggest they’re “not ready yet.”
In creating the Speaker Series in June 2013, LevLane integrated marketing and PR tactics to attract qualified sales leads for the senior community and to effectively communicate the community’s unique sense of “spirited living”. Rydal’s target demographic remains loyal to traditional media, and the featured speakers have been prominent with local media outlets for many years.
Oldies DJ Jerry Blavat spoke to the crowd about growing up in Philadelphia and the music scene, sharing stories about big name entertainers, local radio and nightclubs. At 74, he told the seniors he stays young with regular exercise and keeping a positive outlook on life.
The speaker series was promoted with a direct-mail piece targeted towards local prospects, in addition to media outreach and postings on RydalPark.org and its Facebook page.
Sarah Jolles, executive director of Sales and Marketing for Rydal Park, called the inaugural series last year a huge success, the program is now referred to as a “signature event.” The events last year trumped Rydal’s previous highest direct mail events by 40% and brought in the most repeat inquiries among all direct mail events last year. “I’ve been thrilled. This series has just gone so great,” she said.
With the concurrent celebration of its 40th anniversary this fall, the 2nd Annual Rydal Park Lively Fall Speaker Series featured: Glen Macnow, longtime sports radio 94WIP radio host; Lu Ann Cahn, NBC10 reporter and eight-time Emmy Award winner; Jerry Blavat, oldies radio DJ and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee; Clark DeLeon, longtime Philadelphia Inquirer columnist and Philadelphia historian; and Dan Rubin, Philadelphia Inquirer deputy metro editor/Enterprise.
By Gina Turdo, PR Intern
When Center City District wanted to re-brand Philadelphia’s newest park, it chose LevLane
/in Account Service, Agency, Creative, Digital, Media, News/by WebmasterIt was known only as barren, uninviting and often restricted.
Now, it is Center City’s lively new centerpiece around Philadelphia’s City Hall.
After years of construction, Dilworth Park finally became a reality in September, attracting local workers, families and tourists to the transformed space with more improvements soon.
When the Center City District needed a partner to brand and promote Dilworth Park, it chose LevLane. Another cool project for a client we’ve loved for more than 10 years. Levlane has helped promote CCD’s Restaurant Week, Lunchtime Concert Series and other special events.
LevLane was excited to help Center City District position Dilworth Park as the new place to live, work and play in the city. It’s the stage for quiet gatherings for people from all sections of the city, for children to play in the fountains, and for entertainment and family fun. Dilworth also would be the new gateway for hordes of commuters using mass transit with the dramatically improved underground entrances to SEPTA’s subways and trolley lines.
New name, more action. CCD turned Dilworth Plaza from the inaccessible, multi-level mass of hard surfaces around City Hall into a fresh, green well-maintained public space with the new name, Dilworth Park. It features expanded public space with groves of trees and a lawn, a café operated by famed local chef/restauranteur Jose Garces, a programmable fountain that will become an ice skating rink in the wintertime, and space for plenty of benches and chairs for people to hang out.
LevLane’s objective was to develop a multimedia campaign that would reach local residents and workers, young professionals and families with young children, as well as public officials, civic leaders event planners and donors. We created fresh new identity for Dilworth Park to attract locals and encourage them to take advantage of the new cafe and events.
From lifeless in the past to lively today. LevLane created new branding that positioned Dilworth Park as a place with energy, a place with planned entertainment and arts and cultural events year-round, like weekday happy hours with a DJ and movie nights under the stars.
The campaign creative is evident in newspaper, magazine, digital and radio ads, outdoor signage and giant banners, transit signs and bus wraps, brochures and event promotional materials.
“LevLane played a huge part in developing all of the signage and marketing for the park. It was a long road to get everything done, but another job well done by our team!” said Josh Lev, account director for CCD. “The branding and promotion of the city’s newest was a great opportunity to demonstrate our creative and media capabilities. We were happy to support a project that would be so visible and positive for Philadelphia.” Along with Josh and Stephania Marsico from account services, LevLane’s team included RJ Cassi, Evan Monsky, and Gabby Shirdan.
Center City District works year-round to ensure that Philadelphia’s downtown not only looks welcoming, but also is brighter, safer and more accessible. The $55 million Dilworth Park project was the fourth and most prominent city park to be re-developed and managed by CCD. All renovations are expected to be complete in November.
A sample of events at Dilworth Park:
www.ccdparks.org/dilworth-park
How LevLane helped a NJ healthcare system grow and garner national attention
/in Account Service, Agency, Creative, Feature, Media, News, The Bruce In LevLane/by LEVLANE ADVERTISINGLevLane Wins Three Gold Awards for NJ’s Kennedy Health Marketing Campaign
At Inaugural National Ad Age/Modern Healthcare Conference
Agency Honored for Best Integrated Campaign, Print and Radio Campaigns
For about 10 years, LevLane has loved working with Kennedy Health System, positioning Kennedy as a leader in consumer healthcare in southern New Jersey. Over the years, Kennedy has grown with its three regional hospitals and an ever-expanding network of great primary doctors and specialty practices who together serve thousands of local residents with quality care.
The latest effort has brought exciting attention at the national level for both LevLane and Kennedy Health. LevLane an Kennedy Health this week won three gold Healthcare Marketing IMPACT awards in a competition sponsored by Advertising Age and Modern Healthcare magazines.
LevLane was chosen with the awards for the best integrated campaign of the year, best print and best audio (or radio) campaigns to promote the Kennedy Health Alliance, a network of primary and specialty care medical practices that launched in 2011 throughout southern New Jersey and serves as a gateway for Kennedy’s three area hospitals and outpatient centers.
The awards recognized the healthcare industry’s best advertising, marketing, promotion and communications campaigns. With 140 entries in nine categories., the winners were chosen based on a combination of creativity and marketing effectiveness.
The multimedia campaign, which launched early this spring and is ongoing, was titled, “I’m not a doctor. But I know what I want from one.”
From the beginning, the results were terrific.
In the first month of the campaign, Kennedy Health’s call center volume increased by more than 10,000, web site traffic increased sharply, community engagement on social media blossomed, and most importantly patient visits rose significantly. The campaign primarily targeted women as the healthcare decision-makers in a family and includes:
Rather than featuring the physicians and their expertise, the campaign aimed to “speak to the consumer from a consumer,” said Bruce Lev, agency partner and chief creative director. Bruce was part of a LevLane team who accepted the award along with Frances G. Atkinson, Kennedy’s vice president of marketing, at a special reception in Chicago.
“We’ve had a longstanding relationship with Kennedy, and we wanted to highlight the peace of mind for patients that comes with having a team of great doctors built around your own personal healthcare needs,” he said.
The winners will be featured in a special supplement of Modern Healthcare, a national publication that reaches more than 70,000 readers weekly.
“Kennedy is thrilled to have been honored with these awards,” said Atkinson. “We have had a great working relationship with LevLane as our agency for the past decade, and this campaign totally captured our vision and message, while helping building business for the Kennedy Health Alliance. It was a win-win all the way around.”
LevLane is an integrated marketing communications firm with a 30-year record of success building brands and driving consumer action. From its offices in Center City Philadelphia’s historic Wanamaker Building, LevLane’s strategic acumen and emotionally-driven creative has inspired love for clients in virtually every industry category, including healthcare, senior living, retail and franchise businesses, banking and professional services, governmental agencies and non-profits.
Kennedy is a health services delivery system serving the communities of southern New Jersey. Kennedy meets the community’s healthcare needs at its hospital campuses in Cherry Hill, Stratford and Washington Township, NJ, and at outpatient facilities throughout Camden and Gloucester counties. Kennedy University Hospital is the Principal teaching hospital of Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine (RowanSOM). Kennedy is also a member of the Penn Cancer Network and the Jefferson Neurosciences Network (JNN).
Bringing home the ADDYs gold
/in Account Service, Agency, Creative, Digital, Feature, News/by WebmasterLast night LevLane received four ADDYs from the Philly Ad Club’s annual ADDY Awards! Some of LevLane’s finest suited up for a night of celebration at Vie on North Broad. Other than our shiny new awards, the best part of the night was seeing the awesome opening video from Shooters Inc that features Bruce, Lori, Drake, Randy and Crystal. Be forewarned that you will never get Pharrell’s “Happy” out of your head after watching.
Now onto the good stuff.
Gold ADDY Award: Spirited Living for Rydal Park
Category: Sales Promotion, Brochure-Four Color
Bruce Lev, Chief Creative Officer
Debbey Racano, SVP Creative Director
Crystal Irvin, Associate Creative Director
Randy Malone, Senior Copywriter
Gold ADDY Award: Annual Report for Support Center for Child Advocates
Category: Public Service, Collateral-Annual Report
Bruce Lev, Chief Creative Officer
Debbey Racano, SVP Creative Director
RJ Cassi, Art Director
Evan Monsky, Copywriter
Silver ADDY Award: Be In On It for Center City District
Category: Direct Mail, Single (B2B or Consumer)-Flat
Bruce Lev, Chief Creative Officer
Debbey Racano, SVP Creative Director
RJ Cassi, Art Director
Evan Monsky, Senior Copywriter
Silver ADDY Award: Restaurant Week for Center City District
Category: Sales Promotion, Poster-Single
Bruce Lev, Chief Creative Officer
Debbey Racano, SVP Creative Director
Gabrielle Sheridan, Art Director
Evan Monsky, Senior Copywriter
The Philly Ad Club really knows how to throw a party. Until next year, cheers.
#SMWNYC Recap: The Future of Social Media and Content Creation
/in Account Service, Agency, Digital, Feature, Media, News, PR/by WebmasterLast week, we sent our Social Media Manager Erica Nardello to the Big Apple for Social Media Week NYC. In two days of SMW sessions, expert panelists from socially savvy agencies and brands discussed continuously changing social media platforms, revolutionary content strategies, and evolving analytics. Check out Erica’s key takeaways from select sessions below and, if you were in attendance at #SMWNYC, let us know what findings you found most valuable in the comments!
The Language of Social Media is Visual
The internet was built on text. From search engine algorithms and queries to website and application coding, words have defined and shaped the digital experience. But, as JWT Trends Strategist Will Palley pointed out in a session on Thursday called Reading is No Longer Fundamental: The Shift to Visual Vocabulary, “new social platforms force people to learn new languages.” Increasingly, those languages are not always (or only) verbal. With the rise of platforms like Pinterest and Instagram, the language of social media is evolving from words (and even limited characters) to images. DigitasLBi SVP and North American Mobile Practice Lead Chia Chen said in The Changing Face of News Consumption, Hosted by WSJ, “The currency of social media is imagery.” As users increasingly turn to animated stickers and emoji to communicate, brands need to evolve to learn from, understand, and embrace these languages – to “listen visually,” said Palley. But how?
“We need to restore context to content,” said Curalate CEO and Co-Founder Apu Gupta. That context can come from comments, emoji, metadata, and more. While users may be pinning your brand’s products or posting photos of your signage on Instagram, it’s important to understand the users, read their posts, and know that they could be sharing the content because they love it or because they hate it. Brands have the opportunity to create that context by inviting consumers to participate in the content creation process. Rather than simply taking and repurposing user-generated content, Craig Hepburn, global head of digital & social at Nokia, recommends that brands start building relationships with (but not paying for the involvement of) key influencers. Curalate’s Gupta cited a really amazing example of work with Urban Outfitters, which leveraged user-generated content to create a digital experience based on the real style of its customers on its homepage. But the best part wasn’t the “influence” of the customers featured on UO’s website – it was their enthusiasm. “We talk so much about influencer marketing, but that’s to the detriment of loyalists,” Gupta explained. The success of the efforts to incorporate visual user-generated content depends largely on the type of brand and the type of consumer, but one thing is for sure: the visual language of social media is still in its infancy and it will only continue to grow and change.
The Evolution of Content Creation and Sharing
Propelled by changes in consumption habits and platform preferences, storytelling has changed forever. Still, there are great opportunities and challenges for community managers and content creators of all kinds, but they’ve evolved with the times and with us. “Most people have thought of stories as having a beginning, middle and end,” said Jim Roberts, executive editor and chief content officer of Mashable. “For the consumer who has time to consume it, it’s a really rewarding experience, but most people don’t have time to do that anymore.” Now, brands and media companies are being forced to tailor their content to evolving consumer preferences.
Liz Heron, emerging media editor at The Wall Street Journal, explained that content, especially content targeted to millennials, needs to be characterized by three things: presence and share-ability on social and mobile platforms, rich visuals, and emotional relevance and resonance. And really, in a sea of content that is constantly fighting for our attention and our love, that couldn’t be more accurate. Without content that tugs at the heartstrings and engages with imagery on the social and mobile channels at our fingertips, media companies and brands cannot hope to connect with modern consumers. “The pace of change that we experienced… in the ’90s was nothing compared to the pace of change in recent years,” said Roberts. Clearly social media trends are leading the way forward and show no sign of slowing down.
Erica’s recap can also be found on her blog, ‘ello.
CVS Dominates headlines by pulling cigarettes
/in Agency, Feature, News, PR/by WebmasterWhen our PR leader Scott Tattar calls it “one of the best PR moves in recent memory,” you know it’s big.
On February 5th CVS Caremark, national drugstore leader in both overall and pharmaceutical sales, announced the cessation of their cigarette sales. The company will remove all cigarettes from their 7,600 stores nationwide starting October 1st of this year. “We came to the decision that cigarettes and providing health care just don’t go together in the same setting,” said President/CEO Larry Merlo. He notes that it is “inconsistent” to sell tobacco products as a store that thrives on helping customers create and maintain healthier lifestyles.
It is predicted that their overall sales of $123 billion will only be affected by approximately $2 billion, with this number including products that go in tandem with cigarettes, such as lighters and gum.
News of CVS Caremark is being received very well on many different platforms. The company has received a huge outpour of support from businesses, organizations, and individuals alike.
The company’s official Twitter account (@CVSCaremarkFYI) has been tweeting and retweeting about the announcement since it was made, receiving nods from the likes of Bill Gates, the American Lung Association, and First Lady Michelle Obama.
President Obama even published a statement to demonstrate his support of the groundbreaking initiative.
CVS Caremark also launched a separate Twitter account two days prior to its announcement, CVS in the Community (@CVSInAction). Followers of this account can track how the company will “help people on their path to better health and support #communityhealth through charitable giving, volunteerism and partnerships in our local communities.” Undoubtedly, initiatives against smoking will frequently be highlighted on this feed.
The social responsibility shown by CVS Caremark is incredibly admirable. We hope these healthy initiatives will spread, especially in conjunction with the FDA’s plans for a new campaign specifically targeting youth tobacco use.
(This post was written by Ellie Paparone, PR intern and senior at Saint Joseph’s University.)
Don’t Believe Everything You See (or Read)
/in Account Service, Agency, Feature, News, PR/by WebmasterFacebook and Twitter as news sources. Love it or hate it, it’s the state of social media today. Everyone is sharing articles, retweeting links and circulating information (often without checking its accuracy). A recent example of this is a news article posted on DailyCurrant.com: Man Responsible for Olympic Ring Mishap Found Dead In Sochi. There has been a lot of buzz around this year’s winter Olympics; from toxic water and unfinished hotel rooms to the extermination of stray dogs around Sochi (but that’s a whole different blog post probably about crisis communication!). With all this negative media attention, yet another article that details a ridiculous action surrounding the Olympics was quick to be believed by many.
A quick look at the Daily Currant’s ‘about’ section show that they’re a satirical site with the mission to “ridicule the timid ignorance which obstructs our progress, and promote intelligence.” Websites like this and The Onion take situations that are flooding the media and put hilariously false spins on them. All too often, however, people scrolling through their social media sites are just reading headlines and sharing stories. After all, Facebook is the second most trusted online service. So starts the vicious cycle of circulating false news.
Moral of the story? Think before you share (or tweet). Is it really plausible that someone was so mad about the Olympic ring mess-up that they went out and committed murder? Probably not. Ridiculous things happen, that’s for sure, but it’s better to know the facts before you end up sharing false information. Sites like Snopes.com thankfully lend us a helping hand by getting to the bottom of many circulating rumors. Keeping up with what’s going on in the news also helps to determine what’s true and what’s false. If other outlets aren’t sharing the same story, there’s probably a reason why. It’s our hope that social media users will start reading more into their news than just the headline…though the gullibility of others offers a good chuckle.
(This post was written by London Faust, PR intern and senior at Temple University.)