25 Jun Social Media Means That Everyone is a PR Person for a Brand or Organisation
#FlockFriday: an ongoing series of weekly interviews with progressive, intelligent, knowledgeable and insightful communications professionals who want to address the issues in the industry and make a real difference to its reputation and its future. 1 topic, 6 questions, a number of thought leaders…
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Chris Hall was one of the first people I started following in earnest on Twitter and is a relentless supplier of useful links and information. Extremely knowledgeable about the social web and the way this should integrate with conventional communications strategies, he blogs at Cowbell and is one of the founders of #themeet140, a series of casual networking events that enables the social media and communications Twitter community to meet up offline. He’s also a football fan who loves a glass of fine wine.
Q: PR/comms always used to be about building relationships with the media and with influencers; as client demands have increased, has the industry lost that ability and become too competitive and too task focused?
A: PR as an industry has always had to evolve with the times. I think unless it adapts quickly then it will lose much of its market share to newer and more relevant communications tools. The media has changed beyond recognition across the last five years. If PR wants to keep as close to the media as it has been then it must realise that with the advent of social media and other online marketing tools everyone is a PR person for a brand, company or organisation.
Instead of competing with each other, PR companies need to see what’s going on outside their walls.
Q: Is fear and/or a lack of understanding or knowledge responsible for the PR/comms industry not fully embracing new digital marketing tools such as Twitter and Facebook? And if so, what are we scared of?
A: In one word, both. It’s my experience in working with the PR industry across the last few years that too many dismiss the new tools available with ease and disdain. The fear comes from the threat it poses. I believe that many feel that if they don’t recognise it as part of communications that’s here to stay then soon enough it’ll go away. We know that isn’t how it’s going to play out and the interesting thing is that when I’ve sat down and demonstrated how Twitter works and its potential to the client, then all of a sudden the penny drops.
Q: Digital media is changing the face of the communications industry and yet many CEOs and MDs in PR/comms agencies seem unwilling to learn the evolving skill sets needed to drive the industry forward. Do you feel that the onus is falling on individuals to take personal responsibility for their own learning and development in this area and, if so, is this a good or a bad thing?
A: If someone within an organisation isn’t going to embrace this then the journey is over before take-off. Once that ‘social media advocate’ is in then it will filter through the company. After a short time the growing number of advocates will be able to demonstrate some form of ROI, and that’s when the CEO sits up and takes notice. A few months ago I sat down, with a non-believer and asked about her client. Very quickly I demonstrated that conversations across social media were happening about the company on a regular basis. Once she realised that engagement, collaboration, measurement and real connections could be made then the penny dropped. It is now across the whole PR company.
Q: The ‘new generation’ of PR/comms professionals, which is embracing the social web, appears to be far more collaborative and supportive than the more competitive and guarded old school. Do you feel that a chasm is emerging within the industry between the online community and those who are less progressive? And if so, what are the effects on the industry as a whole?
A: That’s exactly how I see it. There are almost two different sectors to the PR industry now. Those in, and those out. The effects will be dramatic. Organisations looking at PR companies will choose the type more relevant to their needs. In more cases than not that will be the ones who have embraced social media – the more dynamic, creative and forward thinking.
Q: The PR/comms industry has a poor reputation for being ‘spin doctors’ and PR flacks. Who do you feel is best placed to build credibility, educate business owners and consumers, and change this reputation, and how do they go about it?
A: Social media allows the PR/Comms industry to show it’s credibility and enhance its reputation. Agencies need to be more open and engaging with all. By that I mean show their faces, be real and true to themselves. Adam Vincenzini is a great example of this. His tweets are informative, intelligent, knowledgeable but then often silly, funny and crazy. All a true reflection of him. We all know he works for Paratus and after getting to know him through his personality on social media I’m much more inclined to hire him and his organisation. This I’m sure is how prospective clients would see it.
Q: With regard to the competition between PR agencies, specialist digital agencies and full service marketing agencies, how do you think things will play out over the next five or ten years? And what will happen to the PR/comms industry if things don’t change?
A: Well we’re at the start of a massive shift in communications. Five years is a long way off but with the release of the iPad and iPhone4 already changing the way we communicate and publish, the digital landscape is where everyone will have to gain some market prescnce and share. The PR industry cannot watch from the window, it needs to join the party and understand the huge influence online is having on all our lives.
My advice would be find your niche, develop your skills set and look to embrace all areas of communications. This does not mean you are now a social media agency any more than you are an advertising one, but you must understand all areas of marketing and communications otherwise you’ll get left behind. No-one is suggesting every PR company or indeed every client must be involved in the new social media landscape but you owe it to yourselves and clients to understand and feel comfortable with it. If things don’t change then agencies will simply have their niche as a ‘traditional PR’ company but the size of that market will be much smaller than the other
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