Is PR 2.0 the New PR 1.0?
Last week, I gave Julia Hood, editor-in-chief of PR Week a call. Having begun
blogging, I have new found appreciation for the old adage of publish or perish. Linking to and commenting on other sites is another matter all together.
She graciously took a quick break from putting to bed the latest issue of PR Week to chat with me about a web 2.0 query. I try to read PR Week regularly, but don't always have the chance to do so cover to cover.
It struck me that there was no regular section specifically devoted to new media. Given the proliferation of PR blogging sites, new podcast initiatives and social media discussions, I asked her why.
Julia's response was immediate. New media is already such a "major part of the PR arsenal that it needs to infiltrate all of our coverage rather than be relegated to one section."
She has a valid point. New media is becoming so critical to our day-to-day efforts that it can't be relegated to a side bar or an after thought. Beyond the hype, technology is enabling new forms of public dialogue and allowing us to tell our story in new and innovative ways.
But my conversation got me thinking. Have we reached the point of collapsing the distinction between traditional PR and its new media offspring or mutations (depending on your perspective)? Has PR 2.0 become the new PR 1.0? Or as every parent has been asked on that road trip to grandma's, are we there yet?
My unscientific polling suggests that my peers and I are in the same back seat -- to extend the metaphor. We are still grappling with the pros and cons of blogging, while we continue doing our day job of generating MSM media, keeping our bosses and clients happy and having a life outside of work.
There is still a steep learning curve for reluctant clients and bosses who have not embraced the Cluetrain Manifesto or instituted a coporate blogging policy. There are still many of us who are learning how to produce, distribute and track an effective podcast. And while I have no data to support this, I suspect technology companies are much further along in the adoption curve than their non-tech counterparts.
For me, new media is still in its infancy and is the biggest opportunity since I sent my first email on EcoNet in 1993. Just last week, we completed production on our first podcast, and that 3 minute 30 second audio file generates a greater sense of accomplishment than any press release we have written in recent memory. The possibilities of this new medium feel boundless.
As further evidence of the changes in our profession, I point to Todd Defren’s Social Media Press Release discussion. I can’t recall the last time the format of press release generated so much attention.
So I ask, where does new media stand in your world view? Does it need to be incubated and separated from the other responsibilities we have? Do agencies really need new media groups? Does it merit additional resources and its own policies and objectives? Do we have enough time to keep up with all the changes, both technological and legal on our own?
I think new media is new enough that it requires special handling and added attention. I think corporate America is coming to terms with the new transparency and bottom up emergence. In this sea of change, PR 2.0 will soon be the new PR 1.0. I just don’t think we are there yet.
As always, let me get back to you.
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Benito Castro. Seville, Spain (Europe)
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We invest a lot in press releases. As soon as they hit the Internet, a wide range of media pick them up. Radio, TV and print follow through but often hours, days or weeks later.
Added coverage in a blog or blogs offers additional deep briefing which enhances a stories potency and offers journalists (including citizen journalists, add opportunities to spin extra content and context (and a wiki to proved even more content is better still). Cross posting adds Google Juice, tagging prompts wider coverage and an RSS feed on the release, blog, wiki, web pages means that some people will come back for more because it is a subject of interest.
Podcasts about releases from authorities in their subject also adds legitimacy and trust.
For all these reasons, it seems that the, already significant, investment in a press release is not fully realised without the contribution new media makes.
For something like a doubling of cost, there is the opportunity for many times the benefit.
New Media is a competitive and commercial necessity. (Comment this)
Blogs, RSS, podcasting, vidcasting... just other tools in the arsenal. But yes, PROs need to learn them, understand when to use them and how to use them and we're definitely not there yet.
I look at this from a European perspective and there's certainly a lot of work to do (maybe even more than in the US) but more and more communications professionals do start to think new media.
Also, over here, we need to take into account a lot of cultural differences toward new media and this on a small geographic scale + the language... Very interesting space to watch. (Comment this)
In my opinion, this is a perfect example of the "echo chamber" at work. In the past 2 years I've presented to hundreds (probably thousands) of PR pros and communicators of every type and working in every industry. And, 98% of them have no idea what is happening in new media or the depth and breath of the new media landscape. They've heard the words,like blog and podcast, but have no idea how to even begin incorporating these into real strategies. Mostly, their clients are pushing them into these uncharted waters.
Yes, it needs to be incubated - and PR pros need better ways to learn - peferably from people who are actually practicing "new PR." Yes, agencies need new media groups that are integrated into the "old media" teams - it is a great way to expand thinking and cause learning to happen "on the job" because practicing PR pros simply don't have the time to keep up with the changes. Does it merit additional resources? Absolutely!
While I applaud PR Week for having moved its thinking to a totally integrating media landscape, I just have to wonder what reality they are operating in. I want to live there. :-)
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