Trying to Figure Out Social Media? Ron Ploof Says "Read This First"

Left to Right: Ron Ploof, Bob Dwyer
Photo Credit: brillianthue


"As a New Media evangelist...I've been able to categorize those reactions into three different personality types: The 'Get-Its,' the 'Traditionals,' and my favorite group, those 'Running with Scissors'" -Ron Ploof

When I was out in California recently, I had a chance to sit down with author Ron Ploof.  Ron has worked at Cadence and Synopsys in the past, and continues to consult with Synopsys.  Given his background and the fact that he just released a book on New Media (which contains targeted examples of its application within the electronic design community) I thought it would be interesting to capture the highlights of our conversation.
 
Q: Tell us a little about your background, and how you became passionate enough about New Media to write a book about it

Ron Ploof: Although my degree is in electrical engineering and I've been in the EDA trenches for almost 20 years, I've always been drawn to new communications technologies. I was a strong proponent of the Web 1.0 transition and it is a natural fit for me to be part of the Web 2.0 transition.

I wrote the book because I found too many people getting wrapped up in the wrong things when the subject of New Media came up. They talk too much about the technologies (Twitter, Facebook, blogs, etc...) and not about what makes them different than any other communications vehicle that companies use today. Corporate communications have historically been built on controlling the message and controlling the brand, which worked swimmingly when it was expensive to deliver those messages. But today, with the cost of distribution too small to measure, the game has changed. I wrote "Read This First" to discuss these fundamental changes.

Q: Of all the books out there on New Media, why is “Read This First” a good place to start?  What kind of people would benefit most from reading the book?  Who did you write it for?

Ron: There are many New Media books out there that fall into two categories: Channels and Philosophy. Channel books teach you about the mechanics of specific tools like Twitter or Facebook. Seminal books like "Trust Agents," "The New Rules of Marketing and PR," and "The New Influencers" discuss the philosophical changes companies must make in order to create content that best fits within those channels. But none of the books discuss the management support and understanding required to properly adopt New Media, so I wrote Read This First as a foundational piece for executives to make important decisions.

Q: When we were talking, one of the things that intrigued me most was the question about how much organizations should trust their employees to “do the right thing” with New Media.  In the context of participating in forums, blogging, and tweeting- what should companies and employees be thinking about to effectively leverage New Media without doing harm to the company’s reputation?

Ron: Because traditional communicators are so focussed on controlling the corporate message and the brand, they've come to this silly belief that if everyone in the organization is saying the same thing, then the customer will finally "get the message."  And so they only authorize designated people to talk for the company.

But who is working with customers day in and day out? Marketing? PR? No. In EDA, it's applications engineers, customer support, and the sales team. Instead of trying to hammer customers with cute catch-phrases that some professional communicator came up with over margaritas at last month's offsite, these employees are helping customers get chips out the door--which is what customers want in the first place.

The only difference is that these conversations can now happen online as opposed to on the telephone, in person, or in front of a trade show audience. These employees are already trained in what they can and can't do offline, so if a company is worried about what they'll say online, offer additional training. Add a section in the employee handbook. Write a Social Media Policy. Then, if an employees violates that policy, it's management's job to assess the situation and take appropriate action.

The upside of online customer conversations outweighs the downside.

Q: The book talks a lot about transparency.  Could you share the anecdote from the book involving Wikipedia edits, the Common Power Format, and transparency?  I don’t mean to be controversial in raising this, but I thought it was a really good example that hits close to home in EDA and is something we can all learn from.

Ron: First of all, under full disclosure, I used to work for Synopsys as a full-time employee and am presently under contract with them as a consultant.

The story you are referencing involves someone vandalizing Cadence's Common Power Format entry in Wikipedia. The vandal thought that they were under the cloak of anonymity, but Wikipedia doesn't work that way. It logs every edit, including the IP address of who made that edit, and stores that information forever. Unfortunately, by running that IP address through the whois.net, it was found that the edit came through someone logged into Synopsys's network.

When this issue was brought to Synopsys's management, they were mortified. Independently of whether or not it happened online or offline, the act was a violation of Synopsy's code of employee conduct. It was also a violation of the company's Social Media Policy that stipulated that online activity must be done  under an employee's real name. But rather than shoving the embarrassing issue under the rug, Synopsys did the right thing by drawing attention to it through its internal employee communications website. In addition, the company also updated its Social Media Policy to include a special line item to address this specific issue.

And as a final note, before any EDA vendors point accusatory fingers toward Synopsys, be careful. A few keystrokes into a Google search reveals similar shenanigans instigated by other EDA vendors. The question is, does their upper management even know?

Q: When I finished reading the book, I was motivated to participate even more in New Media as part of my job at Cadence.  What’s the next thing you’d like readers to do after they finish the book?  What’s the call to action?

Ron: Use the tools. The only way to understand the nuances of New Media is to engage with it. Just because you read a book by Dr. Spock, it doesn't mean that you know what it's like to be a parent. The only way to do so is to have a child of your own. Use the tools and I guarantee you'll learn something valuable.

What to do Next:

• Visit the Web page for ”Read This First” (and check out free audio recordings of the book)
• Follow Ron on Twitter: @RonPloofVisit (and subscribe to)
• Ron’s blog: RonAmok.com

Question of the Day:
What you think of New Media’s role in the electronic design community?  Do confidentiality requirements limit its effectiveness?  Or are companies smart to leverage New Media in order to build closer relationships with the companies they interact with?

I'd like to thank Ron for taking the time to share his thoughts with us.

-Bob Dwyer