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July 2010
WEB ANALYTICS: The Gift of Information That Keeps on Giving
O would some power the gift to give us to see ourselves as others see us.
—Robert Burns, “To a Louse”
Robert Burns’ famous line may be a bit of a tongue twister (especially for those attempting to pronounce it in the original lowland Scots language!), but its meaning is as clear as it is timeless. What if we could learn how other people perceive us, and how much would it differ from how we see ourselves?
For organizations, publications, and businesses with messages to share via the Internet, Burns’ “gift” is available through the modern-day “power” of web analytics.
Web analytics have evolved from simple counters of website “hits” into powerful tools that provide valuable data to help shape, refine, and monitor the effect of online messages. For example, they tell site owners whether visitors are responding to a particular call to action by visiting a specific “landing page,” where their site visit goes from there, and how and where a particular message is being received elsewhere on the Internet.
Fundamentally, web analytics are no different from the more “conventional means” of message feedback (e.g., sales variations, mail-in comment cards, etc.). The difference is the immediacy, versatility, and volume of information web analytics can provide.
But for those who feel their computer literacy begins and ends with “point and click,” web analytics may seem as intimidating as Burns’ power of comparative perception.
Fortunately, web analytics tools have also become extremely user-friendly and, quite often, free. They include Google Analytics, the go-to package that’s as ubiquitous as its namesake; Yahoo Web Analytics; 4Q, which collects direct user feedback; and Clicky, which provides real-time tracking.
“As recently as two years ago, there were Fortune 1000 companies using Google Analytics (GA) as a supplemental source for analytics, but their primary tool was generally an expensive product such as Omniture or CoreMetrics,” said Delane David, president of Better Websites by Design. “Today, companies are taking a second look at GA, and some are using it exclusively. It's easy to understand why, because web analytics tools often come with a shocking price tag, and Google keeps adding new features that please enterprise-level marketers.”
There’s no shortage of assistance in understanding and tapping the power of web analytics, as well as staying abreast of the technology’s latest trends and features.
Top Rank’s Marketing Blog, which has covered online marketing and PR topics since 2003, regularly has posts on web analytics, from basic tips to putting those insights into action.
There’s also Occum’s Razor, a blog by Avinash Kaushik, author of Web Analytics 2.0 and the Web Analytics: An Hour A Day blog. Kaushik’s recent Web Analytics 101 post discussed some fundamental issues and misperceptions, while a 2007 post still provides valuable guidance for comparing various web analytics tools.
Another good source for those who really want to immerse themselves in web analytics is the WebMetricsGuru blog by online marketing and social media expert Marshall Sponder. This blog covers how social media and analytics tools are reshaping the online communication landscape on a near-daily (and, sometimes, hourly) basis, and what it means for other organizations.
Of course, a web analytics tool will only be as good as the message it shapes and measures. What an organization wants to say, who needs to hear it, why it’s important that they do, its place in a larger strategy, etc.—these are things that must first be addressed internally.
But once a message is formed, web analytics can then help determine how close self-perception comes to matching audience perception and provide guidance for narrowing the gap.
And that’s a power that even a louse might find very helpful!
Will You “Embrace the New Normal?”
From environmental regulations to infrastructure spending and the economy, the CWA Annual Conference “Embracing the New Normal” will reveal the opportunities and threats that are “the new normal.”
The construction market continues to change at an unprecedented pace, and the CWA Annual Conference Committee has gathered notable industry experts to prepare you for “the new normal” on October 25-26 in Chicago. Kicking off the conference will be Nate Clark, director of public affairs for the Construction & Forestry Division and John Deere Power Systems. In his presentation, “You Can’t Go Home Again – The Past & Future of the U.S. Construction Industry,” Clark examines the cyclical nature of the construction industry and discusses how future success requires overcoming the industry’s cyclical past.
Funding for infrastructure and transportation is a key influence on construction activity and the Associated Equipment Distributors’ President and CEO, Toby Mack, will provide an outlook for transportation and the highway bill.
The economy continues to dominate the construction landscape, and our conference will feature two of the best: Ed Sullivan, chief economist for the Portland Cement Association, and Bill Strauss, senior economist and economic advisor for the Federal Reserve Bank.
This year, for the first time, attendees can choose from one of two educational tracks on the afternoon of Oct. 26, one focused on building and the other on infrastructure. Each session will bring attendees face to face with experts from the industry’s most complex construction projects such as Chicago’s $1 billion Children’s Memorial Hospital and the reconstruction of Chicago’s historic double-decker Wacker Drive roadway. All members are invited to tour the Children’s Memorial Hospital project, which is scheduled for completion in 2012.
Back by popular demand are the editors’ roundtables, which will focus on social media and other communications hot topics.
“There is really no other conference where all journalists, writers, public relations and marketing communications professionals in the construction industry can meet face-to-face to discuss common issues, problems and opportunities,” said Don Marsh, editor, Concrete Products, Penton Media, and 2010 CWA conference chair.
This year’s conference is set to be the biggest CWA event of the year, and that means even more opportunity for networking. “Everything about the conference is conducive to great networking,” said Tracie Christie, president of CWA, “from the people, to the topics to the facility. We’re here to help you get the most from your investment.”
The conference will also include a Grand Awards Dinner honoring this year’s Silver Hard Hat, Hall of Fame, Journalism, Photography, Marketing Communications, Website and Electronic Communications, and Build a Future Scholarship award winners. The Grand Awards Dinner and conference will be held at the Hilton Suites just steps from Chicago’s famed Magnificent Mile.
For more information or to register, visit www.constructionwriters.org/events.
Learn more about how to attend the Welcome Reception (Networking) and the Construction Tour for FREE. More »
Learn more about how to earn a chance to win a “free ride” to the 2010 annual conference-FREE full conference pass and one-night hotel stay $500 value. More »
And the Winners Are …
CWA Announces 2010 Journalism and Photography Awards
The Construction Writers Association (CWA) has announced the winners of the 2010 Journalism and Photography Awards. Independent communications professionals conferred in May to judge the awards in six major categories.
“Competition remained fierce among this year’s entries, and discussion among the judges was spirited,” said Committee Co-Chair Janet Cohen, director of research for Barton Malow Company. “Entrants wrote on a broad range of topics, with the stimulus, environmental concerns and new building strategies covered most frequently.”
Nadine Post, editor-at-large, ENR, was the winner of the Godfrey Award, which honors journalistic talent in a large body of work. The award is named after Ned Godfrey, past president of CWA. Articles included “Model Contract for Integrated Project Delivery Is on Hot Seat,” “Dallas Curtain-Raiser: Staging Machinations,” and “Not Just Another Pretty Place: Landscape Architecture Rising.” An honorable mention was awarded to the writing team led by Michael Chusid, president, Chusid & Associates, for articles in The Construction Specifier, Post Tensioning Institute Journal, and Concrete Technology Today.
Tom Sawyer, ENR senior editor, and Angelle Bergeron, ENR correspondent, received the Robert F. Boger Award for their special report, “Saving the Deltas.” Larry Stewart, executive editor, Construction Equipment, received an honorable mention for “Running Green.”
Tony Illia, ENR special correspondent, received the Boger Award for his feature, “Inside a Safety Turnaround.” Robert Carpenter, editor, Underground Construction, received the Boger Award for the editorial, “The Price of Free Money.”
The Boger Awards are named after Robert F. Boger, a CWA founding member and publisher of McGraw Hill’s Engineering News-Record and Construction Methods & Equipment magazine. The association established the Robert F. Boger Awards in 1975 for editorial excellence and achievement in construction journalism.
The winner of the Gordon Wright Photography Award for a feature photo is William Conway, for "Quantum-Nano,” (Daily Commercial News). “Wind-Topped Scaffold" by Richard Gilbert, staff writer, Journal of Commerce, received an honorable mention. Conway also received top honors in the “series of related photographs” category for his "Super Flat Floor" series, published in Daily Commercial News.
The photography awards honor Gordon B. Wright, a distinguished editor in the industry and CWA past president. The association established the Gordon B. Wright Photography Award in 2006 to recognize his service to CWA as a meeting photographer for more than a decade.
Winners will be honored at the CWA Grand Awards Dinner on Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2010, in Chicago, during CWA's Annual Conference (Oct. 25-26, 2010). Come and join in the celebration and network with these talented members of CWA.
Independent Contractors Under Attack
According to the Coalition for Independent Contractor Freedom, new anti-independent contractor legislation at both the state and federal level would force more companies to convert their independent contractors to employee status. Read more about this on the organization’s website.
Attend CWA's Annual Conference for Free
Here's your opportunity to earn a “free ride” to this year’s annual conference. Refer an industry colleague to become a CWA member and you have a chance to win a complimentary registration with a one-night hotel stay during this year's annual CWA conference, titled "Embracing the New Normal." That's a value of nearly $500. The annual conference will be held on October 25 and 26 at the Hilton Suites Chicago-Magnificent Mile.
We’re looking for editors, writers, and marketing, communications, and public relations specialists in the construction industry to become CWA members. The CWA member who refers the highest number of new members will receive the complimentary conference registration with a one-night hotel accommodation. If we have a tie at the end of the contest, a random drawing will determine the winner. Be sure to remind your referrals to write your name on the member form.
Consider CWA Sponsorship and Increase your Networking Power
There are sponsorship opportunities still available for the CWA 2010 Annual Conference-Embracing a New Normal. A sponsorship will ensure your company has top visibility among more than 300 writers and experts from leading companies and publications and recognition as a premier supporter of CWA. Current sponsors include market leaders such as Caterpillar, McCarthy Building Companies, Hilti, National Asphalt Paving Association, Turner Construction, Golden Square, Mortenson Construction, Randall-Reilly, Awards Company of America, Portland Cement Association, and Potomac Group Communications. Please contact Deborah Hodges, CWA executive director, at info@constructionwriters.org for more information regarding becoming a CWA sponsor. We are glad to work with you regarding your special needs.
Correction
CWA received some inaccurate information that appeared in the article “You’ve Won A Boger Award. But Who Is Boger?” in our last issue. Robert Boger was not involved in the transformation of ENR from a monthly to a weekly publication. Scott Lewis, ENR’s Editorial Research Director, informs us that “ENR has been a weekly during its entire existence. Both Engineering News and Engineering Record were weekly publications ever since the 1880s, and we have continued to publish weekly since they merged in 1917 to form ENR.”
We believe our source may have confused ENR and Aviation Weekly, for which Boger also served as publisher. Aviation magazine became Aviation Weekly in the summer of 1947, which appears to coincide with Boger’s tenure there, but we cannot absolutely confirm his involvement in that effort.
We regret the error.
CWA News
Marketing Communications Awards
The deadline is approaching soon but there is time to submit your winning entry. Here is your chance to win a Marketing Communications Award! The competition is open to any industry-related individual, corporation, association, or publication. It's time to showcase your best work. The CWA Marketing Communications Awards includes a diversity of collateral such as ads, advertising campaigns, internal/external newsletters, annual reports, brochures, direct mail campaigns, media kits, multimedia, proposals, presentations, public relations campaigns, exhibits, video, and more.
Entries will be divided into four classifications in this award family:
- Advertising Award
- Corporate Communications Award
- Public Relations Award
We have a special newsletter award:
- T. Randolph Russell Award
Check the tips on how to submit your entry and read about the history of the T. Randolph Russell Award. More details »
If you have any questions, contact Michael Anderson, chair, Marketing Communications Awards Committee, and senior editor at Randall-Reilly Publishing Company at mike.anderson@rrpub.com or Deborah Hodges, CWA executive director, at info@constructionwriters.org. Don't delay-the deadline is Friday, July 30, 2010. Entry Form.
Be Green-SAVE $$$ by Registering for the 2010 Annual Conference by August 1, 2010
It’s not St. Patrick’s Day but you can be green. Register for Embracing the New Normal 2010 CWA Annual Conference by August 1st and save green bucks. Every dollar saved is important in this tight economy.
Members can save $25 by registering for the annual conference by August 1, 2010. Register Now.
Non-members can save $50 by registering for the annual conference by August 1, 2010. Register Now.
Save $129 per night by reserving your hotel guest room early. Don’t forget to make your hotel reservations by September 1, 2010 to save some green bucks and for the greatest savings. Please inform the Hilton Suites hotel that you are attending the CWA Conference. More details »
Attend the Welcome Reception and Construction Tour for FREE
This year, CWA members can attend the Welcome Reception and Construction Tour for FREE. Yes, that’s correct. If you are current member in good standing, you are invited to attend the first day of the conference activities for free. The welcome reception in the evening following the construction tour is free to all CWA members regardless if you are attending the conference; however, registration is recommended. This is our thank you to you for supporting CWA! The construction tour is the new Children’s Memorial Hospital project. More details about the welcome reception location will be announced soon. Pre-registration is recommended. More details »
To REGISTER for the welcome reception, construction tour or the conference, click here.
All non-members are welcome. If you are not a CWA member, there are three ways to attend the construction tour:
- Register for the construction tour and the welcome networking reception only.
- Register for the conference, then the construction tour is included as part of the full conference package.
- Join CWA and the tour is free.
Individual membership is $100. There is no initiation fee. To register for the welcome reception, construction tour or the conference, click here.
To join CWA, click here.
Join CWA by September 15 for Your Chance to Win a Free 2010 Conference Pass + Hotel Stay-Value $500
For new members only
If you are not a CWA member yet, take advantage of this unique opportunity to join the Construction Writers Association (CWA). By joining before September 15, 2010, you will be entered into a special drawing to win a complimentary registration to this year's annual conference titled "Embracing the New Normal." The conference is scheduled for October 25 and 26 at the Hilton Suites Chicago - Magnificent Mile.
The winner will also receive a complimentary one-night stay at the Hilton Suites Chicago during the conference. The combined registration and hotel stay is valued at $500!
This year's annual conference features multiple sessions on the building and construction industry, the economy and the latest in technology. Our keynote speaker will be Nate Clark, Director of Public Affairs for the John Deere Construction & Forestry Division and John Deere Power Systems, who will speak about “Embracing the New Normal” in our industry.
New members will also qualify for the complimentary tour of Children's Memorial Hospital on Monday afternoon and a welcome reception on Monday, October 25, 2010. To join CWA, please fill out the form available online. If applicable, be sure to list your referral's name in the "How did you hear about CWA?" section. For more information, contact the CWA office at 1-773-687-8726 or info@constructionwriters.org.
CWA Member News
Scranton Gillette Communications Partners with MB Media
Construction Titles to Re-launch in September 2010
Scranton Gillette Communications has partnered with MB Media to form a limited liability corporation. This new equity partnership will oversee the construction group brands that MB Media acquired from Reed Business Information (RBI) in May 2010.
The new partnership includes the following print and online properties: Building Design+Construction, Custom Builder, Construction Equipment, Housing Giants, Professional Builder, Professional Remodeler, Construction Bulletin, SpecCheck, www.BDCnetwork.com, www.LogInAndLearn.com, www.VisibleCity.com, www.ConstructionEquipment.com and www.HousingZone.com.
These properties represent more than 325,000 construction professionals, including contractors, engineers, architects, remodelers, single-family home builders, and equipment managers and owners/developers working in residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, single-family, and multifamily markets.
"SGC’s commitment to these markets began more than 100 years ago with my great-grandfather, Halbert Powers Gillette," said SGC President and CEO Edward S. Gillette. "He was recently named as one of the Top 100 Private Sector Transportation Construction Professionals of the 20th Century by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association for his contributions to the industry. We are enthusiastic about this opportunity to expand our service to construction professionals."
The construction group properties will continue to be led by Mancini and MB Media President Rick Blesi, who will each maintain equity interest in the properties. Mancini and Blesi, who were former publishers within Reed Construction Media at RBI, have more than 30 years of combined experience with these brands. Many key team members also will continue to support these titles following their re-launch in September.
Scranton Gillette Communications (SGC) is a 104-year-old business-to-business publishing company, serving a variety of industries. Its brands include: Water & Wastes Digest, Water Quality Products, Storm Water Solutions, Infrastructure Solutions, Roads & Bridges, Transportation Management + Engineering, Imaging Technology News, Diagnostic & Interventional Cardiology, GPN, Lawn & Garden Retailer, Big Grower, Residential Lighting, Hospitality Lighting, Home Fashion Forecast and The Diapason. SGC is headquartered in Arlington Heights, Ill., with a major sales and publishing office in Scottsdale, Ariz.
MB Media LLC Acquires RBI's Construction Media Group
Philadelphia-based MB Media LLC has announced the acquisition of the Construction Media Group properties from Reed Business Information (RBI). The Construction Media Group includes the following print and online properties: Building Design+Construction, Custom Builder, Construction Equipment, Housing Giants, Professional Builder, Professional Remodeler, Construction Bulletin, SpecCheck, BDCnetwork.com, LogInAndLearn.com, VisibleCity.com, ConstructionEquipment.com, and HousingZone.com
The Construction Media Group brands will be relaunched in the near future and will serve the following professional audiences: architects, engineers, contractors, remodelers, single-family home builders, and equipment managers and owners/developers working in residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, single-family, and multifamily markets.
"The support from both our reader and advertiser communities has been incredible. Our close and unique relationship with our subscribers will remain paramount to us as we work with the industry on its way to recovery," said Tony Mancini, CEO, MB Media LLC. "For advertisers, our leadership in audience delivery across all media platforms, coupled with our pay-for-performance price model, will allow for efficient and successful marketing plans. Marketers need proven results for everything they do and we are committed to providing the metrics they need.
Mancini and his business partner, Rick Blesi, president of MB Media LLC, were publishers in the Construction Media Group when it was owned by Reed Elsevier. Together, Mancini and Blesi have more than 30 years of combined experience with the group's publications and Web sites and look forward to building on their brands to better serve the industry.
"The market will feel an entrepreneurial spirit that has been missing from construction media companies. We are going to be fast, nimble, open, and committed to the success of this market," said Mancini. "We are extremely excited to bring these highly respected and leading brands back to the construction industry."
Welcome New Members
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Angelle Bergeron William Conway Kristin Dispenza Scott Ellenbecker Ian Harvey |
Mark Junkersfeld Richard Korman Cameron Snyder Pete Sobic Tara Taffera |
Calendar of Events and Important Dates
August 15-18, 2010 APWA 2010 International Public Works Congress and Exposition in Boston, MA. For information, visit http://sites.apwa.net/congress/2010/home.aspx.
August 24-26, 2010 Green Building Focus Conference & Expo at the Birmingham
Jefferson Convention Center in Birmingham, AL. More information, visit: http://www.greenbuildingfocus.com.
September 1-4, 2010 Business as UNusual: Gaining Advantage in a Dynamic Project
Landscape at the Ritz Carlton Grande Lakes in Orlando, FL. More information, visit http://guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Summary.aspx?e=3888456d-9961-414d-8fe1-c9beb9f80ea9
September 14-16, 2010 Healthcare Facilities Symposium & Expo 2010 at Navy Pier in Chicago,IL. For information, visit http://www.hcarefacilities.com.
September 29, 2010 McGraw-Hill Construction’s Green BIM: How EnvironmentalPerformance Modeling is Improving Sustainability at the Mid-America Club in Chicago, IL. For information, visit http://construction.com/events/midwestgreenbim/.
October 3-5, 2010 Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) 2010 National Conference & Trade Show at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, CA. For information, visit http://cmaanet.org/conference.php.
October 17-20, 2010 American Council of Engineering Companies 2010 Fall Conference at El Conquistador Resort & Spa in Las Corabas, Puerto Rico. For information, visit www.acec.org/calendar/conferences.cfm.
October 25-26, 2010 CWA’s 2010 Annual Conference-Embracing the New Normal
is at the Hilton Suites Chicago on the Magnificent Mile. For information, visit: http://www.constructionwriters.org/events.
November 4-5, 2010 10th International Conference on Construction Applications of Virtual Reality 2010 in Sendai, Miyagi, Japan. For information, visit http://www.convr2010.com/.
November 7-9, 2010 AEM Annual Conference in San Antonio, TX. For information, visit
www.aem.org.
November 7-11, 2010 IRMI’s 30th Construction Risk Conference, location TBD. For information, visit www.irmi.com/conferences/crc/.
November 13-16, 2010 Healthcare Design at the MGM Grand Las Vegas,
NV. For information, visit http://www.hcd10.com/ME2/Sites/Default.asp?
SiteID=A3CBD44D64F14DF4B593CBF7CCAB4643.
For more information on CWA’s Board of Directors visit:
http://www.constructionwriters.org/about/board-committees
For more information to sign up for CWA Committee click here.
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Send comments or queries to Construction Writers Association at info@constructionwriters.org
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