An article just up on ZDNet covers a recent event about the social media / death of PR issue. It makes interesting reading, as anyone who works in PR knows social media is bringing change, and the event that the article covers includes a star slot from top industry analyst, Forrester's Jeremiah Owyang. Conclusion - social media exposes a weakness in PR.
Here's some of the article and Jemeriah's good bits from the event: During the panel, both [Susan] Etlinger and Owyang handed these issues to the audience on a silver platter. Specifcally, Owyang made the critical points that yes, PR is changing, and it’s more important now than ever that PR engage 1) beyond corporate communications 2) throughout the customer lifecycles and 3) with a new and improved skill set. And, most important, PR needs to fix its own reputation (Owyang expands on this in detail on his blog).
First, enhance existing functions. Look at how to communicate with press, analysts, customers, media, bloggers and so on direct and through one another. If PR doesn't get its head around all these channels and doing it in an evolved way then it will be bypassed.
Second, differentiation. Jeremiah says that PR people should become part of the community they serve, regardless of the client they're working on and become known as experts in their industry.
Third, extend the customer lifecycle. PR firms must look beyond media relations and develop a variety of ways of accessing audiences direct for their clients.
Fourth, fix your own reputation! Jeremiah says PR firms should be using social media more to tell their own stories and also let their clients advocate their people and services more.
It's not rocket science and for PR firms already in social media it's a bit of a case of nothing new there. But good to see an independent analyst putting down their thoughts of how the industry as a whole can and should adapt to the opportunities on the table.
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