Employee Communication—Short and Sweet Like an ice cream cone on an August afternoon, summer is melting away faster than I can take it all in. The season is short and sweet, and not completely satisfying. I'm always left on Labor Day wishing there were a little more "summertime" to enjoy. That's the trend in employee communication. Intranet content is best when it's brief. Business communicators scoop out just enough information to offer a taste of what's important in the organization right now. We mix in links—like nuts or chocolate chips—to give employees details to munch for added flavor, if they want it. Consumer-driven communication is even more sparse. Text messages are tiny drops of information, sprinkled over your PDA. Is there anyone under 80 who doesn't know the meaning of LOL, LMAO, or WTH? At 140 characters, most tweets feel bloated. Here at Vitiello Communications Group, we're looking into the application of short message service in corporate communications programs -- and we'll keep you posted in upcoming issues of Dialog and on our VTLO blog. In this issue of Dialog, I'll link you to fascinating research that shows social networking affects the brain like falling in love. (Sweet!) We'll visit summer reading lists with a twist. And, you'll have the chance to view our 20-year history in a three-minute video compiled by Scott Slotkin, our summer intern. So skim, click and enjoy! Best, Jill (P.S. Sharing is caring. If you enjoy Dialog, please click on Forward to a Friend to email the issue to a colleague.)

August 2010 Find us at: Love Tweets Reading Lists Time Flies Upcoming Events Talk to Me Let's keep the Dialog going. I'm listening. Twitter: @JillVitiello LinkedIn: Jill Vitiello Blogger: Vtlo.Blogspot.com E-mail: jill@vtlo.com Web: www.vtlo.com Phone: 732-238-6622 Know someone who would be interested in reading Dialog? Forward to a Friend. Manage My Account

Love Tweets The July/August issue of Fast Company published an article titled "Dr. Love and the Twitter Drug." The feature is worth reading, but here's the bullet for business communicators: "Neuroeconomist Paul Zak has discovered, for the first time, that social networking triggers the release of the generosity-trust chemical in our brains. In a world of social networks, companies that can connect with us and raise our oxytocin levels should prosper. Those that can't, won't." The article quotes social media and market research expert, Brian Singh: "One day, a company might be better off asking not what its margins are, but what its trust factor is." The article goes on to say: "The idea is that if businesses wish to thrive in our interconnected world, where consumers' opinions spread at the speed of light, they must act as a trusted friend: create quality products, market them honestly, emphasize customer care...Companies that instill trust create a bond with customers." Public relations professionals have understood this truth for years. The Edelman Trust Barometer, now in its tenth year, gauges corporations' credibility. In 2010, Edelman reported: "For the first time, this year's survey shows that trust and transparency are as important to corporate reputation as the quality of products and services." The interconnection of trust, reputation and personal opinion shared over back fences or blogs and their impact on success in the marketplace is intricate and complicated. Turns out Tim Sanders is right. Love is the killer app after all.

Reading Lists

One of my favorite applications on LinkedIn is the Reading List by Amazon. For years, I've kept a journal of the books I read. Now I can easily share my opinion of them online with my LinkedIn network. Over the years, I've gotten leads on great titles everywhere from The Wall Street Journal and blogs to librarians and bookworm friends. Where do you get your best ideas for reading? What are you reading now? And in what format—print, iBook, audio?

Time Flies

How do you compress 20 years of business communication activity into three minutes? Ask a Gen-Yer for help. Watch our video, "20 Years of Communicating for Results," created by summer intern Scott Slotkin, to see how Vitiello Communications Group grew from one freelance writer to a team of expert business communication consultants ready to help you make change.

Upcoming Events

Autumn is approaching and with it a bounty of professional development opportunities. Here are a few of the best:

September 15
Business Development Institute
Mobile Social Communications - Case Studies and Roundtables
The Graduate Center of The City University of NY
New York, NY

September 27
Business Development Institute
GeneratioNext
Advertising Industry Diversity Job Fair and Leadership Conference
The Graduate Center of The City University of NY
New York, NY
Special note to Generation Y job seekers - this one is a freebie!

October 16-19
PRSA 2010 International Conference
Powering Progress
The Hilton Washington
Washington, DC

October 17-19
2010 IABC Heritage Region Conference
Home of Independent Thinking
Loews Philadelphia Hotel
Philadelphia, PA

October 27-29
2010 HBA Leadership Conference
Leadership impact delivered: Innovate, Orchestrate, Perform
Marriott Philadelphia Downtown
Philadelphia, PA

November 10-14
Ernst & Young: The Strategic Growth Forum® 2010
Including the 24th annual Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year national awards gala
Request an invitation
JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort and Spa
Palm Desert, CA