Forum Moderators: not2easy
I recently set up a website for the purposes of carrying out online surveys on a particular subject. I published the results of my first survey recently, and I intend to carry out and then publish the results of further surveys in the future.
At the bottom of the published results of my first survey, I put a copyright notice and a statement saying and 'Please credit MyDomain.com if using the results of this survey.' Now I'm a bit peeved as a TV show talked about the results of my survey but did not mention my website, they just said "A website survey..." Am I entitled to be annoyed, am I right in thinking they should have credited me given they talked about my survey? It was a pre-recorded documentry programme that talked about my survey and they only talked about it for about a minute.
Thanks
Michelle
Will people searching for that survey find your site?
If not, that's what you need to fix for future surveys. It's very common for TV shows not to mention specifics.
However, there's nothing preventing you from stating "As seen on TV on the Joe Bloggs 6 O'clock Show..." (as long as you are certain that it was your survey being referenced).
TJ
Thanks for the advice and welcome.
I expect somebody looking for my survey in a search engine probably wouldn't find it. The keywords are quite common and my site is not well ranked yet. It is a pretty new site and I don't have many good links in yet.
I guess I just feel that it is my survey, I devised it, I got a domain, hosting, survey software etc, I studied the results and published the findings, and it wouldn't kill people to give me credit if they are going to use it.
It is a major TV station and I almost feel like they left my credit out deliberately, as they said "A recent online survey carried out by a website..." before talking about some of the findings and it would have been just as easy to say "A recent online survey carried out by MyDomain.com..."
I want publicity for my surveys and I'd hoped to get that by newsmakers using my surveys crediting me.
Michelle
If they are at all likely to do another doc. that could mention your site this is far more likely to do you good than focusing on what they didn't do.
If the past is a good guide to the future, the programme it was is a type of documentry that this TV station only does about once every 5 years, with a different team every time.
I guess from what people are saying here, it is not a problem for TV stations to not give credit when talking about surveys, so I should just leave it.
Shame, my favourite charity would have liked their donation I'm sure if they'd been in the wrong! ;-)
I'm no lawyer but I wouldn't say that. If I was you I would call or write them and ask why they used your copywrited infomation without permission.
Who knows what might come out of it.
Andy
I'm sure it feels like every silver lining has a cloud!
No matter, the thing to do is - as has been mentioned - cite the media coverage on your site. For the moment make it as big and as bold as you dare, then, after a couple of weeks, tone it down somewhat whilst ensure it's still prominent. Just make the most of it.
Your experience is not uncommon. Nonetheless there are lots of things you can do to decrease the likelihood of it happening.
Such as:
* Write a press release/executive summary (call it what you will) about the survey results and post it up on your site. Make a point of ensuring the 'survey results' announcement is prominent and thus easy to find.
* It's your survey; you understand the results better than any one, surely, so comment upon the results. Include these quotes (soundbites) in the press release. The media is, in the main, very lazy and wants everything done for it - make it easy for them! For example...
"The survey shows the importance of widgets to the community", said michelle22, the survey's editor.
Spell it out (the results & conclusions) in the most basic, stating-the-blatantly-obvious way you can. Cite the source (you and your site) frequently. Throw in three or four good quotes that the media can extract and use as a soundbite. Help them do their job.
You get the idea, I'm sure...
I put a copyright notice and a statement saying and 'Please credit MyDomain.com if using the results of this survey.'
No, no, no - and thrice nay again! In this dark and noisy age of mega-branding in which everything is a product and the only way for a product to survive is by shouting, putting a polite notice asking if people would be kind enough to give a mention to your product - if they feel like it - just isn't good enough!
Solution? Brand your survey(s).
For example: "The widget-survey.com annual survey of widgets 2006."
I can assure you that I've gained substantial media exposure for a survey with a name considerably longer (and even less catchier) than that (although, of course, the catchier the better...)!
Whilst this won't always guarantee a full and proper mention, it does help most of the time. And, if you repeat the survey you've already started the process of creating an established industry/sector benchmark especially if in the second survey you cross reference conclusions with the results from the first survey (although here I don't want to get into the scenario of teaching granny to suck eggs....
The most important and encouraging thing in all of this though is:
...a TV show talked about the results of my survey...
It shows that the media (at least an element of it is, but a bit more on that in a mo...) is watching; you caught their attention. This then highlights two things:
1/. Fairly obviously - if you've caught their attention once you can do it again.
2/. The media industry is lazy. As I said earlier the media invariably wants everythng done for it - bread not only buttered but spread with jam too. Be aware that media channels watch other media channels for things (news/items/ideas) they can use themselves secure in the knowledge that the best source for new ideas is the competition. This means that if something is featured in one element of the media it is very likely to be picked up by others...
Well done on getting the coverage - great stuff. Now push the survey(s) down their throats a bit harder and, in future, ensure that they have great big labels attached - that way the media will know what it is they're choking on... :-)
Erm, looking back I seem to have rambled. Hope at least a little here is of some use.
Syzygy
