Featured Member: Helen Jonsen

I cheered when Women in Radio and Television changed its name to Alliance for Women in Media.  I had spent my career as a woman in radio first (as a News Production Assistant at WINS) and then moved into television both on air and behind the scenes in New York, Providence and Melbourne, Australia.  As media shifted so did my career, and I found myself producing and reporting Internet video for Forbes.com and being a part of a global web editorial management team.  We had studios, editors, camera people, and journalists as part of a larger digital print-focused news organization.  We had audio podcasts.  It was radio and TV, just for a smaller screen.  I was no longer a woman in radio and television. I was a woman in media, no longer limited to broadcasting. 

After Forbes, I joined the Bonnier publishing company as Director of Digital Media for Working Mother Media, taking with me my passion for the advancement of women, and supporting them in the demands of working and raising a family.  Focusing on women’s stories, service articles, social media outreach, blogs and bloggers, we created an ecosystem of support and value. And now, onto my next move, where I am working with content-driven online and mobile-based companies to create engaging strategies including text-video-multimedia all tied to sharing via social media tools. (helenjonsen.com)

Never before has the media touched us so personally. We carry it with us in our smart phones. We listen and watch wherever we want, whenever we want and that changes how we as providers of content and advertising proceed.  It is such an exciting time to be in this business.

Just as my kaleidoscope career changed through the prism of different platforms, cities and countries, the Alliance changes, too. A diverse group of members both in New York and on the national level brings ideas, networking, learning and warm camaraderie in an industry that can be highly competitive. By meeting other women in many different functions, from sales to editorial, from radio to the big Internet portals, we can stay up to date with how media as a business functions and stay in front of the changes on the horizon. That diversity of knowledge energizes me.

Both the March panel discussion on “Your Digital IQ” and in the 2011 Alliance for Media Foundation symposium on “Media Branding to Women” offered insight into how deep and wide social media has become part of our work and our personal lives.  Both were deep dives even for those of us already immersed in it.

I enjoy being at AWM events, for the intelligent panels and programming, and for the peer-to-peer networking. My other joy is meeting our student intern guests or mid-career women who are new moms trying to figure out how they will manage careers in such a demanding business.  Informal mentoring in these settings is wonderful. We all have so much to share and learn. AWM gives us the opportunity to do just that.

So, if you are at an event, please say, “hi” or send me an email Helen@helenjonsen.com or tweet @Helen_Jonsen

AWM-NYC Hosts a Luncheon on May 17th

Do not miss your chance to hear about how the legendary Weight Watchers brand learned to embrace social behavior as a mindset. The consequence of that learning has been noticed on Wall Street and Beyond with stock growth doubling since January 2011 and significantly outperforming the S&P 500 in a climate of low consumer confidence.

Cheryl will share insight on how Weight Watchers made innovation happen within an established category.  Cheryl will reveal consumer findings and the real solutions that were implemented to engage their consumer and foster advocacy.  Cheryl and her team reinvented Weight Watchers and capitalized on its innate social core.  Come be inspired to drive your own innovation and build your brand.

Event Details
Date: Thursday, May 17th
Location: Yahoo! Office (1540 Broadway, 8th Floor)
Time: 12-2pm
Fee: $40 for members and $65 for non-members

Register here

Featured Member: Erica Emmich

I was introduced to the Alliance for Women in Media through a trusted professor at my alma mater, Montclair State University.  I applied and won the Audrey Tanzer Scholarship in 2007. It was through this experience that I learned the benefits of  peer-to-peer networking at an organization like AWM.  Perhaps the most exciting part of winning the scholarship was the opportunity to shadow esteemed professionals in broadcasting. I gained a broader understanding of the industry and the opportunities available to me.  Fast forward to today, I'm actually using some of the same skills I observed during my shadowing experience, so I remain grateful to AWM for providing me that opportunity.  The contacts I've made through AWM have been extremely valuable and remain supportive to this day of my career goals.

Recently, I attended the AWM fall kick-off event.   In an industry where you must make difficult choices where to invest your (limited) free time, AWM offers solid opportunities to network and learn from other successful women. You never know who you are going to meet.  As I continue my journey in the world of broadcasting, these opportunities allow me (a woman starting out) to 'mix and mingle' with accomplished and experienced professionals in their fields. It is beyond networking; AWM becomes a great support system.

I'm currently an Associate Producer for the Specials Unit at CNBC.  My latest project was a documentary I helped produce, "Luxury Boom: The New Big Spenders." Click through this link to see the show:  ww.luxuryboom.cnbc.com."

Prior to joining CNBC, I held positions at WNYW-Fox 5 as a Field Producer, Segment Producer, Feeds Coordinator, and Web Reporter/Producer.  In 2008, I covered the Presidential Election for Rasmussen Reports where I worked as a Web Reporter and Producer.

A graduate of Montclair State University, I received numerous honors including the coveted Dean’s Scholar/ Artist award. In 2007, I shared the spotlight with the late Andy Rooney and the late Walter Cronkite at the 98th Annual Radio Club of America Banquet. There, I received a scholarship for my work reporting for Carpe Diem and Inside MSU, both productions of the MSU Broadcasting Department.

I'm a New Jersey native who enjoys spending time with my friends, family, and cat.

How Good is Your Social IQ?

By Helen Jonsen

As social media rages around us, clients from the consumer space and B2B are pushing their agencies and marketers to find the latest and the greatest, most creative and targeted social media program ever!  For content providers, like publishers, television and radio creators, social media has become part of the content offering, not just a way to market their products but to have a true give and take with their audiences who expect information wherever and whenever they want it.

If anyone on either side of this want hard answers and rules of play, they won’t find them.

The Alliance for Women in Media New York Chapter hosted a panel discussion entitled: “Up Your Digital IQ” which focused on the ballooning offerings in social media from the stalwarts like Facebook and Twitter to the newbies like Pinterest, and best practices and trends surrounding them.

 Panelists were Sylvie Schnaier, Director, Digital IQ, Johnson & Johnson, and Andrea Wolinitz, US Director of Social Media, PHD Media.

Take-aways:

Schnaier stressed, “manage expectations” from the beginning of a project.  What does the client want from this and how will outcomes be measured.  Make sure the plan and the social outreach are a good fit.  And since, social media is not immediate be prepared to take the good with the bad.  Not everything you do will be loved by your audience.

Wolinitz spoke about the overall universe of social and how it’s changing. She does not see YouTube as social.  It is a great place to post video but does not offer the engagement other forms do.  She also reminded the audience to make sure the client site is engaging and points to the other forms of media that are part of the campaign or program.

Attendee Debbie Durben said her takeaway from the panel was “Don’t social monologue,” as Wolinitz described the one-way push some brands have tried in social. Just telling the world what you want them to know is not enough. She stressed, you need “social listening” and responding. She described a video campaign by Starbucks that struck a negative chord reported in comments. Starbucks chose to pull the video and apologize for its attempt at humor.

Recently, a campaign by Huggies, making dads seem incompetent drew the ire of the blogosphere and Huggies was forced to change direction and apologize, too.

Panel was moderated Stacey Deziel, VP, Director of Digital and Direct Integration, Carat. Stacey reminded the audience that “Paid, Earned and Owned” was still at play in social media. It just takes on new dimensions. Deziel said her biggest take-aways were    “Give consumers a reason to come, stay and return and be responsive to feedback and embrace the change.”

From the content standpoint (where I stand), it’s a very similar discussion. In the end how do you measure the ROI of social­–the time and energy, along with the spend–versus the return that may seem less tangible? But the opportunity to engage an audience with such immediacy and get feedback so quickly adds an exciting dimension to content delivery that is ever expanding. Social must be part of the 360-degree delivery but do your homework. Not every platform works and you cannot engage in every form of social all the time. Choose and focus on what is right for your audience.

Of course, the questions regarding personal-social-branding were asked.  Quick reminders from the panel: Google yourself.  Where do you rise?  Get published as an expert. Use good SEO skills. Are you LinkedIn?  If so, have you updated your profile? Use Twitter as an expert in your field. Curate good content to share but don’t forget to comment on and share others.  (Maybe a how-to Tweet is another program at another time.)  Sharing this blog post is a good start.

Byline: Helen Jonsen is a digital and social media executive, most recently as Director of Digital Media at Working Mother Media (workingmother.com) with a kaleidoscope career in broadcasting and online. She can be reached at helenjonsen.com

http://www.helenjonsen.com/

Announcement: 2012 Future Media Leader Scholarship Applications Available Now

Applications are now available for the 2012 Future Media Leader ScholarshipAttention: College Students
Are you a college student majoring in Communications, Broadcasting, Digital Media or Advertising? Do you dream of the opportunity to shadow an industry insider and grow professionally through her mentoring? Could you benefit from a scholarship designed to assist you financially with your education?

If you answered 'yes' to any of the above questions, you may be the Future Media Leader we're looking for! The application period for this year's scholarship is now open.

To learn more about the scholarship, the application process, eligibility requirements and past winners, visit our Scholarship section.

2011 Future Media Leader Scholarship recipient, Crystal Overstreet (left) and award presenter, Loretta C. McLaughlin Vignier (right)
Attention: Employers, Professors, Parents
Look around you and you may discover a potential future media leader is in your midst. She may be interning for you, enrolled in one of your classes -- she may even call you "Mom." Tell her about this scholarship opportunity and encourage her to apply today.

The support and encouragement you give a young woman today may mean more women industry leaders tomorrow. When that happens, we all win.