Rick V.
Expert Digital, Direct & Database Marketing, Social CRM, Business Intelligence, Sales Force Automation
Web 2.0 / Social Networking: Is the death of Public Relations on the horizon? (I have been asked to post this question on behalf of a colleague who wishes to remain anonymous)
(Details provided by my anonymous friend)
Defining PR has always been difficult, and there is no other communications discipline which encompasses such a wide range of specialisms. There is a tenuous glue which holds the bits of PR together, which is either the fact that it isn’t advertising, or the fact that it operates primarily in non-owned or controlled channels. This isn’t strong glue – especially since operating in a non-owned channel is now where everyone is headed.
There are forces conspiring to dissolve PR. The subject that increasingly comes up whenever PR people are gathered together – eloquently expressed is piece by Matt Shaw – but which could be summarized as the statement that “everyone is a PR agency now”. The advertising agencies and especially the media agencies are now colonizing our patch. But before we develop too sharp a sense of outrage at this fact, it is worth remembering that PR people have no automatic rights of ownership here – you could easily say that the only reason we have ended-up on this patch is because no one else has seen it as desirable real estate.
My view is that as this space disappears, PR will be more about shaping how companies respond to incoming communications and manage upwards content feeds. But whether this will really still be PR and best managed by the people formerly known as PRs will be anyone’s guess.
So the death of PR as a discipline is both good and bad news for those people in it. The skills PR people have will be in increasing demand, but the houses we currently live in will be knocked down and we will have to find new places to live.
Answers (46)
Frank F.
►CEO/Bd Director ►IT Governance Advisor ►Future-Proof Strategy ►Keynotes ►Inno-Change ►Social Media Mktg ►China Advisor
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Hi Rick:
Your colleague is half-right and half-wrong.
Or rather, is befuddled by what is happening.
The main problem here is that almost the
entire PR, advertising, marketing, and sales
infrastructure is befuddled. It fails to grasp
the nature of the new Internet multi-medium.
This is because it is trapped in the old mass
media mindset.
The Internet is causing a revolution that is far
more profound in scale and scope than was
the Industrial Revolution, which utterly changed
life, society, commerce, and politics, creating
a centralized model, on top of which was then
constructed a model of mass production, mass
consumption, mass media, mass advertising.
The digital revolution literally smashes that
model to bits. It forces existing players to
re-invent themselves, or they will indeed die.
One of my "Laws of the Internet" is that it
"reverses all processes". There are absolutely
no exceptions to this rule that I have yet found.
In simplistic but nonetheless profound terms,
"public relations" become "private non-relations".
That needs thinking through in terms of its
strategic implications for the profession. In
fact, at the same time, internal relations are
fast becoming external or public relations.
There is nothing contradictory there.
Everything is transparent, with mirror effects
all over the place. Advertising also gets
reversed, as does branding.
So, yes, now everyone is, unwittingly or not,
their own advertising, PR, and branding agent.
And this new environment is creating a huge
industry of snake-oil sellers who think they
have a handle on all this, who are trying to
sell their Web expertise to those desperate
to know what to do.
But the real opportunity for a PR agency is
to come to grips with the new multi-medium
and to address client needs within the new
context ... and its future direction.
This revolution and re-invention process will
continue to evolve rapidly, and while its future
can be ascertained, space does not allow me
to adequately address it here.
Simply put, PR needs to quickly find its new
multimedia modus operandi, and to do it at
warp speed.
Let me know if I can help more.
Frank
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Clarification added May 24, 2009:
I also meant to add another "reversal".
With the Web, monologue becomes
dialog, or a conversation.
Far too much PR has been propaganda
or spin. That won't work any more, if it
ever did. Web savvy people will expose
anything fictitious in seconds.
At the same time, false information can
be spread quickly online by ill-informed
people or deliberate liars. Strategies are
needed to deal with this also.
A lot of attention used to be paid to what
was called "issues management." There
is a great need to revive this and to manage
information in a much more strategically
effective way.
Erica F.
Social Media Optimizer, Publisher at ALC Publishing, President of Yuricon
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PR should always have been about how companies shape responses and communicate with their market.
PR became the funnel for downward only communication to the detriment of business.
In my opinion Social Media is a godsend that has revived the critical skills of relating to the public and given a whole new lease on life to an industry that had become little more than product announcements and financial reports.
Cheers,
Erica Friedman
Yurikon LLC
Intelligent Business Promotion
http://www.visualcv.com/elfriedman
I agree that the revolution is taking place and many people are getting it.but the exact same thing happened in early mid 1990's with the internet. Some got it right away, some said it was a fad.
I agree with both responses that it's about the conservation. unprecedented contacts and activities are occuring in this space. Anyone who is just looking to see how they can make money is missing the point.
As a PR tool, smart folks will thrive and already are. If you look in the heart of social media and figure out what your objectives are and who your target audience is, you'll strike a little bit o gold.
Dennis E.
CEO at Placemaking Group, LLC
Best Answers in: Public Relations (7), Internet Marketing (1), Viral Marketing (1)
Rick and your anonymous friend--
There has always been one main goal and an essential tactic to PR. The goal has been to help achieve your client’s goals. The tactic has been to make a journalist's job easier.
That used to mean sending out press releases and trying to pitch journalists at the exact time and with the exact story that they need.
The reality of the last decade is that everything leads back to the web site. So, a good PR company must understand how to still talk to the press, but make sure that when the press goes to the web site, everything they need is there. And once you add the web site to the equations, then you are really putting messages together for the press and anyone else who is interested.
BTW, if you want to talk to the press at the right time, learn how to tweet. We’ve found that Twitter is an excellent additional tool in getting your message to the press when they need it.
Every ten or twenty years, any given industry goes through some sort of change based on technology. If a person wants to do it (whatever that “it” is) then if you wait long enough, you become a creative anachronism! Until then, a good PR agency has to know how to use the technologies that are in place today.
So, to answer your anonymous friend’s question, there is a lot of room for a good PR agency to grow and help their clients!
Links:
- http://www.placemakinggroup.com
- http://placemakinggroup.com/Dennis_Desk/2009/05/11/learning-new-social-skil...
- http://placemakinggroup.com/Dennis_Desk/2009/04/24/old-school-was-one-to-on...
Clarification added May 24, 2009:
This subject is one of my favorites! That's why I got into PR and bought this marvelous agency, Placemaking Group, they've had a good deep experience working with the web and PR. The world of PR is changing quickly and based around the web. PR is now talking to the press, but it is, as importantly, talking to the various audiences that are important to our clients. So I included a few of our blog postings about this subject.
I'll rather say PR managers now have a new avenue to expore with Web 2.0 services, social networking, and more...
Mark A.
Leading GovCon mentor, educator & consultant, LinkedIn Blackbelt & sensei, author, keynote speaker, radio host
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Morphing, not dying.
I know those who still count "clippings" as PR, yet totally ignore the online conversations that are undermining their marketshare.
I know others leading the charge on Web 2.0 and beyond and ignoring traditional print, which still has significant relevance.
And "if everyone is a PR agency now", most of them are still pretty bad at it.
Links:
Brandon C.
Social Media Director at Identity, Communications Strategist, Startup Weekend Detroit Organizer and Global Facilitator
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PR isn't dead. It's just evolving. Instead of playing the role of a "publicist" and generating exposure for clients through preferred mediums (the media), PR professionals are now turning into "publishers." We are helping companies create content that can be used by both the media AND consumers.
What PR is and is not is still limited at present by the death gargles of newspapers and magazines as a medium, and the fact that PR is often equated solely with media relations. So it's more fair to say that social media is a facet of PR as a whole. I don't think it's going to kill off PR all on its own. Even if newspapers disappeared overnight.
PR really encompasses everything which involves "the public" as a whole, and has the potential to shape public perception. So there is always going to be a need for practitioners with the skills to both understand the world and translate it to others. It's more like a 2-way conversation between companies and individuals - the PR person is there to facilitate the dialogue.
It's as the original commentator said: "The skills PR people have will be in increasing demand, but the houses we currently live in will be knocked down and we will have to find new places to live."
Some people seem to think the future of PR under Web2.0 is posting fake customer comments to say how great a product is, or how bad the competition is. Your anonymous friend is obviously testing the process by getting you to post his question....
Wallace J.
Multimedia Producer, i3D Programmer, Acrobat 3D PDF, Android App, Virtual World & iTV Design, Kindle, Nook & Sony eBooks
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PR is a valuable service, and thus will never die. Did Quicken kill accounting? Did Radio Kill Print, TV Kill Radio, Internet Kill TV, Mobile Kill Internet? No. Walls. MindTaffyLLC@Yahoo.com
Links:
naw, just another tool in the toolbox. and sm/sn as we know it today will look entirely different a year from now. (when we get to the point where 140 can express everything we have to say as a brand or as a human being, for that matter, well how very efficient and dull and detached we will have become!) my mantra has been, whether for pr or mktg; it will *always* be about the message. delivery methods will continue to evolve so all these kids who think they're pulling-off a revolution? take a hard look at the lessons of web 1.0 that seem to have been forgotten. what we got here is a very flashy milestone in the continuing evolution of communication and media. the pc was supposed to produce the paperless office, remember? now HP gives away their hardware and sells paper and ink. brands will continue to need credible spokespersons and that function is usually best left to folks who don't earn their money from commissions or pontificate from within the anonymity of their narrow personal agendas. brands by definition need a distinct face and voice of their own. <giant ranting blog concerning traditional media vs. web 1.0 vs. web 2.0 vs. papyrus leaf under construction! stay tuned!> of course, the immediacy (sp?) of sm/sn/whatever does makes message management more complicated, and as a result marketing and pr roles will in some ways overlap more than ever, or at least become more interdependent...but they really are still different functions. i love this stuff!
Gianluigi C.
Managing Partner 90:10 Group ★ Do you leverage Social Media as business accelerators? Be Faster, Better and Cheaper
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Hi Rick,
I still do not understand that Web 2.0 / Social networking is the death for PR (as a profession).
It for this reason that PR increases in importancy!
Everybody can communicate about/on the brand and all is visible,transparent and eternalized.
To maintain a good brand awareness, PR only will increase in tasks.
Best regards,
Gianluigi Cuccureddu
Udai J. suggests this expert on this topic:
Harjiv Singh is the Co Founder Gutenberg Communications
Steven B.
Senior Financial and Business Professional, Board Member & Devoted Father
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I love social media.
We are our own PR!
____________________________________________________
● Steven Burda ● view my profile or http://whywebpr.com/burda
The title of the question and the question are at odds with each other
First social networking is on the increase
Second social networking is about public relatios
Third social networking is a tool that should be used by any savvy PR officer
So can you understand why the question just does not come together for me?
First-- love Erica's answer best-- because it really nails my thinking with this quote:
"Social Media is a godsend that has revived the critical skills of relating to the public and given a whole new lease on life to an industry that had become little more than product announcements and financial reports."
Also, because it is short-winded. :)
I came across the "PR is Dead" statement at a Boston Media Makers meeting recently so had to confront it head-on, and as the only PR person in the room. In short, aside from the above "back to basic skills" sentiment, I also feel that new media means new opportunities. Wee are communications professionals. This is exciting, not end-times.
Cyrus A.
Public Relations, Editorial and Social Media Consulting
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I don't see where forces are conspiring to dissolve anything. I've said repeatedly, but will say again, we get WAY too caught up in the medium that transmits a message and think that the emergence of a new medium to use for communications means something has to die. In reality, all that happens is the way you craft a message has to change to reflect the culture of the new medium.
What does this mean? Quite simply, proficient PR pros will learn how to craft clear, succinct messages communicating a client's value proposition in the social-media space. Right now, there's much too much hyping going on, but hopefully this will change.
As far as "everyone's a PR agency," my view there is that PR has done such a poor job of branding itself and expressing why it's valuable that everyone's always thought they know how to do PR better than those actually in the business. It's one of the reasons client retention rates are low in comparison to other professional services.
But in the end, all we have is a situation where conventional media outlets are struggling with a new monetization model and social media -- while emerging and potentially very powerful -- is going to have to find a way to become a permanent part of the mix. Let us not forget that most social media outlets don't make any profits either.
Successful PR pros know how to use the best parts of all worlds to help their clients succeed. You can do this in the same house and without dramatic change -- provided you know how to craft clear, succinct messages.
Jeff M.
Managing Partner at Socialize Your Stuff LLC
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My view of PR may be a bit different from others, to me it is about influencing people to create positive dialogue around the organization that hired them. What a PR agency historically did is to influence analysts, and writers, which resulted in articles that would influence potential consumers, today all those channels exist but are just in much greater numbers.
In the past writers and analysts were associated with specific media outlets, today bloggers, and micro bloggers have been added to the mix and can be just as powerful as the traditional media in creating dialogue. Some may argue the bloggers and micro bloggers hold even greater influence over the dialogues that are generated.
So the real challenge is how can organizations take the offensive to lead and initiate positive conversations. How can an organization influence a dialogue when they may not even know where that dialogue is happening?
A good PR person can adjust to the changing environment work to influence the traditional media, (which is still important) and to now influence and even create the dialogue through the new mediums.
Ironically a company now has a lot more power to try to influence conversations with in their own walls. Considering the amount of employees on the social networks an organization has a built in broadcasting capabilities literally at their fingertips. Treat every employee as a broadcasting syndicate and now you have a team of influencers to work with.
Links:
PR is not DEAD, but evolving. PR is and will always be about forming, building and maintaining relationships between the organization and the public. Too many people pigeonhole PR as being only media relations. This is only one function of many. The McCombs/Shaw Communications Model is evolving from a triangle (or cycle) of Media ---> Public ---> Policy to a square (or cycle) of 5th Estate (SocMed) ---> Public ---> Media ---> Policy. PR is far from dead. The essence of our industry is what makes social media thrive. We must remember, though, that social media tools are just some of many we have in our communications tool bag. As an industry we will succeed by integrating tools and going beyond campaigns and working towards strategic longevity and movements.
John J.
Marketing and Business Development Executive
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John J. suggests this expert on this topic:
George has been discussing the changes taking place in the PR industry and I'm sure he can give you some great insight.
PR can not die. According to PR godfather Edward Bernays, “public relations is a management function which tabulates public attitudes, defines the policies, procedures and interest of an organization followed by executing a program of action to earn public understanding and acceptance.”
It seems this definition is still intact; however, the “program of action” has taken on an unexpected life of its own. In a world where anyone with access to a computer can shape public perception by publishing exactly what they think about you, your company or your product in a status update, blog, a podcast, or a vlog, this “management function” can seem untenable. However, it allows us avenues for segmentation never available to us before and the opportunity to reach fewer but more targeted leads....A la Chris Anderson's "Long Tail."
Third party validation will always be a better testament to business than anything else. I think the question we should be asking is "where are the standards for ethics in journalism and citizen reporting and how do we sift through copious amounts of BS?" And in a world of affiliate marketing how do we ensure that "Key influencers" in social media and blogs are not being paid to promote products.
Amy Selbach
Director of Strategic Planning, Zenzi
amy.selbach@zenzi.com
www.zenzi.com
What we seem to be coming around to in this discussion is a future does not depend on the media through which we mediate a client or employer's relationship with the public but on whether we understand that precisely that--mediating the relationship--is public relations. We tend to confuse the tactics and tools of PR with its purpose. PR is much more about what an organization does than what it says. If we ground ourselves in the purpose of PR--to shape a company's actions (not just its messaging) in order to safeguard relationships with stakeholders and publics--our future will take care of itself.
Lisa M. M.
Public Relations Manager at Creative Civilization
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Pshaw I say!
There exists a beautiful flexibility in not being able to define what PR really is. Not being able to pin it down makes some people uncomfortable, yes - but for those of us who do it for a living - it makes me neither insecure nor nervous to face this question and wonder if my career or industry is doomed (it isn't). :)
Lisa M. Martin
Creative Civilization
When that question is brought up the answer is simple: you're not understanding what good PR is. Put simply when it's done well, you don't know it's happening. Influencing the zeitgeist will never become extinct. To say otherwise is Web 1.0 hubris. Hint: Good PR is not a party sponsored by an alcoholic beverage.
John L. also suggests these experts on this topic:
Advertising has the phrase "everyone's a copywriter". However, the industry is still relatively bouyant although still adjusting to the new media and new consumer channels.
With respect to PR the phrase “everyone is a PR agency now” is no different. The industry is or should be adjusting to the new media, new channels and new opportunities that are evolving.
One of the greatest learnings is the creation of communities and attaching a brand to a communitiy. The greatest change that has occured is the shift from pushing brands/ideas to causing brand assimilation.
For greater insight into this shift, try reading "Brand Hijack", "Buying In" or "Consumer Tribes".
As long as people and Brands need to create and manage their reptaitons there will be a need for PR. PR is not dead or dying, hopefully it is just assimilating new concepts.
Jonathan B.
Manager of Social Media at WellPoint
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Before you read the last rights to the PR discipline you may want to consider:
A) PR is a discipline, not an industry. It is the art of communicating with and ultimately persuading different "publics" or communities. There will always be a need to liaison with communities and use these skills.
B) Bright Shiny Objects (Facebook, Twitter, Flutter, Flatter, etc.) come and go. Relationships will always exist as an important part of business.
C) More conversations are happening now. Which means more PR people are needed.
Ronald G.
Communications Director, AudioStocks
Best Answers in: Public Relations (5), Ethics (1), Using LinkedIn (1)
Rick,
It is worth noting that if you better understood what PR was you might realize that your "friend" (by remaining anonymous and asking you to post the question in his stead) is casting you in the PR role, thus immediately nullifying much of the basis of this fallacy-laden question.
As long as there have been and continue to be emotion-driven, politicking, communicating human beings there has been and will continue to be public relations; that remains constant. What changes is how PR is practiced and what we consider to be well-practiced PR.
Links:
Clarification added May 27, 2009:
By the way, PR is one of six professions I believe are absolutely necessary to restoring confidence to the world's economy.
Wouldn't you agree?
Joseph W.
Quantitative Finance Research / Astrophysics
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I think that social network and web 2.0 make excellent public relations even more challenging and people that can do it more valuable. Anyone can write a press release, but how to handle image, branding, and communications in a world in which people can talk and bite back and in which everyone is overloaded with information (some true, some not) and in which flash mobs can develop in an instant is a real challenge.
I think the corporate PR discipline will shift from crafting and distributing communications to seeking and solving problems online.
If a customer publishes their customer service problems online, only someone with the technical skill set and access to resources to solve the problem will have an opportunity to convert the negative communication to something neutral to positive.
All hail the customer service consultant/copywriter!
Abraham L.
Empowering Executives to Imagine Their Businesses Without Roadblocks, Dark Clouds, or Unhappy Customers. :)
Best Answers in: Business Development (2), Change Management (1), Market Research and Definition (1), Enterprise Software (1), Software Development (1)
The mainstream adoption of social media only increases the need for leadership driven PR. PR will always represent the voice of a company, and social media allows the company's voice to be heard through many different channels (sales, customer service, marketing, etc). Until a "Social Media Office" is established as a standard in companies, it is PR's responsibility to manage and coordinate these channels to ensure that the voice of the company is congruent and unified.
Matt Shaw is absolutely right when he says that "everyone is a PR agency". Everyone in a company, regardless of their role, is involved in PR and marketing -- especially if they have a direct connection to customers. For this reason, PR needs to work with these teams to educate, train, and ensure that the messages being shared with customers are consistent with the company voice. Zappos and JetBlue (among others) are great examples of companies that understand this and do this well.
PR as a discipline is not dead. If anything, the need for PR discipline and leadership is larger than ever before as departments that now have the ability to engage with customers via Social Media may not have the discipline necessary to do it well.
Links:
- http://www.briansolis.com/2008/08/pr-is-not-dead.html
- http://www.slideshare.net/bethharte/theforefront-successfully-navigating-so...
Clarification added May 28, 2009:
I've added a slide deck that I found on slideshare.net that discusses navigating social media from the standpoint of PR, and how PR responsibilities have changed in a "PR 2.0" world.
