1. IT’S A HOT TOPIC OF CONVERSATION Never before has PR been discussed by so many people who don’t work in the industry. Admittedly not always in a good light, but you can’t deny the profession is a hot topic of conversation among the media, business people, marketers, bloggers and a whole host of different people.
2. CONSUMERS ARE MORE SAVVY THAN EVER BEFORE. Advertising doesn’t work like it once did – if it ever did – and, quite frankly, I don’t care about the latest razor David Beckham is pimping. Direct Mail? Nothing more than offline spam.
3. THE ADVENT OF SOCIAL MEDIA IS PERFECT FOR PR. The fundamentals of the profession are about establishing relationships and two-way communication – the very essence of social media. Bring it on.
4. BUDGETS ARE SHIFTING. Only narrowly but it’s still early days. Businesses are beginning to understand the value of long-term clear and authentic communication, as opposed to spending huge amounts on a one-off display ad.
5. REPUTATION HAS NEVER BEEN MORE IMPORTANT. In the age of globalisation, intrusive journalists, a cynical public and the ability for anyone to break news on a global platform, looking after reputation is just as important as looking after the balance sheet.
BONUS REASON
6. IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT ONLINE! Please don’t be so insular in your outlook. Step away from the computer every once in a while; you may realise that PR works in many shapes and forms. Admittedly, not always for good (but one can say that about almost any profession) but often for very worthwhile causes.
Stephen is a communications consultant based out of the UK. You can connect with him on Twitter or check out his LinkedIn profile. | Email Stephen
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ines
Managing brands is not just advertising, and i think the notion that PR was just people trying to distort the “facts” is long gone, in most countries..
But, still long way to go, maybe the PR sector need a little rebranding, hum?
ines
robin1966
Moving to work at an Ad agency to do digital PR after spending all my working life in PR agencies, I’ve really noticed how PR is seen as a source of expertise when it comes to social media. It kinda makes sense as PRs are trained to build relationships, create interesting stories and start conversations. Which, seems to be what social media is all about.
Stephen Waddington
Cracking post Stephen, and spot on as ever. You should do more. We miss you. And I mean that genuinely.
Stephen
Cheers mate. Been a bit tied up lately with a project I’m working on. Hopefully should be blogging more often in the next month or so.
ourman
Thanks for the link. I think it’s only my second for the new site.
I received my tickets and visa today. All systems go.
I want to make my fundraising work in Cameroon an exhibition of what web2.0 can achieve. I’m essentially a PR man posing as a fundraiser.
But I believe, from doing this job before in Hanoi, that the best way to reach people is via the net and the best way to give something back is allowing people to see where their money is going via web2.0 from pics on flickr to embedded movies and the occasional Twitter tweet too.
To some extent I feel like I am representing our profession here and I’d like to be able to call on the expertise out there to really achieve something special.
If we can do that then I know we can make a real difference.
Roger
Great post, Stephen. I think your suggestions on two-way communication and reputation management are spot on. Social media offers an amazing opportunity for businesses to openly and honestly communicate with their stakeholders and PR can certainly help drive this communication. Also, having these relationships strengthened online can only benefit in times of crisis. Well said.
Richard
Great post and some very good points, interesting to see that its the big tech bloggers that are discussing the relevance of PR, like Scoble and Arrington.
I think its going to be the tech sector that really takes PR forward now.
Dan
Nice post Ste, I couldn’t agree more. It’s definitely the ‘white knight’ approach to successful PR, through creating relationships and dialogue, that sets it apart from advertising.
But it’s an idealistic, utopian approach. For the most part, many PR pros (and amateurs) are too lazy to build relationships and create dialogues. Especially in terms of social media, the infidels amongst us treat bloggers the same as traditional media, and bombard them with irrelevant news — which the bloggers just see as spam.
I’d love to see a post on the way you think PR needs to change to thrive in the future — especially now it’s clear that the future for print and online is integration, not divergence.
Or am I talking b*llocks? Or have you done this yonks ago and I’ve not seen it…?
Robert French
Excellent post, Stephen. You always say it straight, simply and on point.
The myopia of the self-anointed PR experts always gives me the shivers. Your bonus point hits the nail on the head.
I, too, wish the pundits would not be so insular in their outlook. They are all tech oriented, in the links you provided. Sadly, they don’t seem to realize that their sector of PR practice represents probably about 1% of PR practitioners. Yet, they choose a broad brush to paint the entire practice. Sigh.
Femi Fasoyinu
Point #1 is very true as the others are, but rings out very clearly to me. Everywhere you go, whether it be in print media or new media, PR is being mentioned more and more. It is in all facets of the world we live in and will continue to be discussed more and more.
TravisV
What about the fact that access to publicity is now so much easier? There are SO many blogs, publications, social platforms and other entry points for a company / product to get discussed … a single publicity placement no longer has the same degree of impact, in my opinion. I would say it’s the Golden Age of “noise.” And that while access to creating noise has never been easier, it’s the ability to rise above the other noise that’s become a lot more difficult.
GabK
Happy Blog Day! http://tinyurl.com/6apmp6