PICA Press Release - Here's to Our New Leadership!

Great news! Jan is distributing our official press release about our new leaders for PICA, Inc. Please take a moment to congratulate those who will shape the future of our organization!

Workshop Summary - Steve Crescenzo Reminds PICA Why We're Here

Here is another workshop entry to help you rediscover all the great things you learned during the 2010 PICA Workshop in Las Vegas! Past PICA Chairperson, Kirsten Amspaugh, summarizes Steve Crescenzo's Advanced Writing & Editing session:

I was very proud and pleased to have the Crescenzos join us in Las Vegas for our workshop. For years, Steve's C.R.A.P. Awards and articles have been circulated within my company's corporate communications department, and we've always held Steve's theories about effective writing in high regard. So, it was really a treat to finally get to meet Steve and to receive specific feedback from him about how each of us can improve our publications.

Steve explains how he's taken time from his regular job with the "Thunder From Down Under" dance group in Las Vegas to work with PICA.

Steve takes a holistic approach to corporate communications. Generally, a company's needs to communicate are generated by policy, programs or procedures...but it's all really about people. The best companies use their publications to build communities of people.

Steve's presentation reminded us that any time we put pen to paper - or fingers to keyboard - we have to ask ourselves, "Is this worth doing?" Does the message we need to get out there have a benefit to the organization or to the audience? If not, maybe we shouldn't write it. Steve asked us, "Do you want to be seen as strategic communicators, or do you want to be Julie from the Loveboat?" Before you Loveboat fans get offended, consider that our purpose as corporate communicators isn't to give the audience what they think they want. Our purpose is to give our audience what they need to do their jobs and make contributions that benefit the organization.

Steve illustrated his points through our own publications that we submitted to him prior to our workshop. While some may squirm just a little when their publication is up there on the projection screen, I crave this kind of criticism and really welcomed the feedback, so everytime I saw something from my company appear on the screen, good or bad, I was psyched. To have specific feedback from someone like Steve is a huge benefit of PICA's workshop setting - we actually get to interact with writing experts and see our work through fresh eyes. (Hint: if you didn't submit something this year, do it the next time we have a session like this! You'll really increase your company's return on the investment it made by sending you to our workshop...)

A few examples of the kinds of specifics Steve touched on that we could fix right away:

Write better headlines! Putting words above an article in a larger font doesn't make it a headline. Use verbs to create movement and energy. And don't write the headline last...write it early on in the process while your enthusiasm is high and let that theme lead the article.

Give your publications credibility. How does it benefit your company's objectives to write about how a retiree plans to fish or (surprise!) relax upon retirement? Or to include articles that talk about an employee's favorite recipe or about household issues? While these topics may seem like they're contributing to the human element of your publication, they're really just fluff. Punch it up and include things that will increase your company's overall success. For example, in an interview with a retiree, ask, "What is the one thing you've always done to promote good service?" Now, that is a parting thought that shows a person's value and can benefit those who continue to work for the organization. Or, ask someone else for a story or quote about that person to illustrate the kind of worker they are.

Good writing is talking edited. Given that, when we construct long quotes that our executives supposedly said that sound nothing like talking, it's obvious! And awkward.

While the session was packed with information, we laughed a lot, too. Whether we were giggling over Crescenzo Communications IT Department, or learning how to play Buzzword Bingo, Steve did a great job of keeping the energy high and the mood light. An outstanding session!

Workshop Summary - Michael Wilder Adjusts PICA's Social Media Mindset

During our 2010 Workshop, Michael Wilder opened our eyes to the possibilities of how social media and networking could impact a business. Michael is a Learning Technologies Specialist at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Past PICA Chairman Kirsten Amspaugh gives her account of Michael's time with us:

Michael Wilder opened his super-informative session by assuring us that he wasn't there to convince us one way or another about whether we should include social media as a part of a communication strategy for our companies. However, by the end of his session, I think most of us felt that in order to move our organizations forward, we needed to think long and hard about using social media effectively.

Michael describes how social media can be used to generate energy about a group or product.

Since many people look at Facebook and Twitter as places to play on the Internet, why should we consider using them as tools to promote something as serious as insurance? Michael made two great points - first, that the idea of marketing has always been to cast our nets as far and wide as we can to catch the most possible fish. Second...social media is FREE! The only investment we are required to make when using it is our time.

So, how could social media help a business? Well, it's as simple as the concept of word of mouth: user reviews of a product can influence the purchases of their friends. Social media sites give companies an opportunity to establish an approachable identity online. Users can view the preferences of people they trust or admire and then rely on friend recommendations instead of only having the "company spiel" as a source of information.

What is attractive about social media? It's immediate, selective and easy to use. It allows people - even amidst the hustle and bustle and noise - to connect with authenticity.

Michael used Zappos as a case study to show us how one company has used social media to promote its products, connect upper management to the public, and create an online identity that is personal, approachable and likeable.

One concern I had as an insurance communicator was, "Do we have an obligation to respond if someone posts a comment to our corporately sponsored social media site?" Michael says that the obligation to respond isn't there, but a marketing opportunity exists when we do. Trends in posts can reveal where we need to improve. "You're saying, 'We're going to be dedicated to improving our service'...that is the only obligation you're creating with your online presence," Michael explained.

An additional thought Michael shared is that some businesses hesitate to have an online presence because they don't want to create a place where negative comments can collect and dwell. "Just because you don't have an account doesn't mean people aren't communicating. Negativity can be revealed anyway," he explained. But when we have a specific place online for communication to happen, we do have more control because we can see the comments and do something about them, whereas without a presence, we may or may not see the comments...and we'll miss the opportunity to improve service.

You can review portions of Michael's presentation to PICA and see the video he shared with us illustrating the prevalence of social media here.

Workshop Summary - Harlan Amborn Shows PICA the Future of Insurance

Here is Assistant Secretary & Treasurer Janet Wright's account of Harlan Amborn's presentation! Harlan is the Deputy Commissioner for the Nevada Department of Insurance.

PICA Keynote Presentation Melds Industry Past and Present to Face the Future

Using lessons of the past to deal with the future was the theme of PICA Workshop Keynoter Harland Amborn’s presentation, “Changes in Insurance -- Past, Present and Future.” He entertained his audience with print ads and TV commercials from the past to illustrate changes to insurance industry exposures through evolving products, services and human issues. Amborn is deputy commissioner of the Nevada Division of Insurance, Las Vegas.

“In a relatively short time – just a few decades -- our world has changed so radically. For instance, consider the changes we’ve experienced in products we use, dangers we face, skyrocketing monetary values of the things we insure, a reeling (and hopefully recovering) economy, and global exposure,” he explained. “These are just a few of the issues we deal with. As insurance people and communications practitioners, understanding the evolution of our world is essential to facing future challenges.”

Examples of future technology that may provide exposure to the insurance industry include:

• Commercial space travel – the first suborbital commercial transportation is predicted to blast off from Orlando, Fla. by 2015.
• Cloning – “Select-A-Child” science opens the possibility of choosing a child who is not compatible with the rest of the family or its siblings.
• Robots – damages may be incurred when a robot is programmed incorrectly for its intended purpose.
o Computerized insurance surveillance (“black box” technology) – Automobiles – measuring everything from mileage and speed to driver habits and/or errors;
o Homes – ability to determine technologically if a dwelling is secured or unsecured, vacant or occupied, regardless of what the policy owner reports.
• Life insurance – embedding “tracking chips” into individuals to know where they are, what they are doing, and when.
• Health insurance – using tracking chip technology to monitor use of medication, lifestyle, and behavior that may endanger health and generate claims.
• “Thinking Caps” – mandated by employers, for instance, so that others can monitor an individual’s thoughts.

“These examples may seem completely absurd, but the technology is already being tested,” Amborn said. “At one time, landing on the moon was absurd, too. The future is happening as we speak, and the insurance industry must be ready to deal with it. As communicators, you need to be aware of the possibilities so you’ll be ready to communicate them for your management and your industry.”