by Molly McPherson

The world is smaller now as War of the Worlds becomes war of the Web. Social media has created a "media of the masses," where everyone has the power to make and be the news on a daily basis. With more than 13 to 14 million active blogs (according to BusinessWeek), everyone is more accessible as people all over the world voice their thoughts and opinions to the global audience. The Web is proving to be the final frontier for fields related to communication, such as advertising, telecommunication and, of course, public relations. Who’s keeping up with the trend? What is the effect on public relations? How can you get involved?

Politics & product placement

Social media’s pervasion of society has yielded social media success to groups involved in varying fields, from politics to products.

In the political arena, this past election brought the world into the social media century as candidates used this new media to get their message out. Barack Obama rocked this trend by using Twitter, YouTube, blogs and even Facebook and MySpace to talk to constituents over video, find their concerns with the contacts on networks and send out his message of change by using the changing media trend.

While other candidates like McCain fell behind in social media, other lesser known candidates like Ron Paul used social media as well to get the best coverage for smallest cost. Paul used YouTube and other media to get his message out, but his use of social media took a different approach. Liberty Political Advertising kept Ron Paul on YouTube, Google and blogs by creating the Ron Paul Blimp Web site, where people could donate to keep his message flying. One testimonial from a constituent proves the effect of social media:

"Wow, when I saw the blimp I thought "Ron Who?" I decided I needed to take the advice on the blimp and look him up on Google. So far I am totally amazed. This appears to be the candidate I was waiting for all my life, and a blimp told me about it," Kristen Henders, a constituent from Maryland said.

The Web has created a new breed of gatekeepers as people read more blogs, so many public relations, marketing and advertising campaigns cater to influential bloggers instead of worrying with costly commercials or press releases that may or may not be used.

For instance, Pepsi’s new design was part of a campaign where the company sent boxes of empty Pepsi cans with older designs and full Pepsi cans with the new design to the top 25 most influential social media users. This campaign was cheap as Pepsi only paid for the cans and postage and got back huge response as the bloggers discussed the new design on their sites, getting instant customer feedback and product buzz.

Social media & the PR process

For the field of public relations, the four-step process of public relations has been updated to include social media to help in public relations campaigns. Social media enables public relations to communicate with accessible priority publics, manage a company’s image, effectively manage crises and more on a much broader scale! Here’s a look at social media’s modification of the four-step public relations process to a practitioner:

1. Research
-Read blogs related to your priority publics to know their thoughts and opinions.
-Establish relationships with leaders in your publics’ fields by commenting on blogs, tweeting with them on Twitter and following their online identity.

2. Planning
-Look at your company’s online image through its Web site and check the information’s timeliness.
-Create ways for people to interact with your company online through Twitter, YouTube and social networks and manage these accounts to let your publics know they can reach you.
-Consistently follow blogs of influential social media users so you have a personal connection if you want to do a social media release with their help.

3. Implementation
-Create a social media release or Twitpitch to influential social media users.
-Let your publics know of your new campaign from your different accounts and be accessible and responsive for their feedback.

4. Evaluation
-Conduct online surveys that are easier for your publics to respond to.
-React quickly when they respond; Immediate feedback is a blessing and a curse, so be prepared.

Tips of the trade

Social media provides great opportunity to public relations practitioners as everyone is on the World Wide Web. The best thing for people to do to keep up is get involved and test it for themselves. Read blogs, Twitter feeds and online magazines and newspapers to keep up with the latest information on the Internet for the news and for social media tips. Attend Webinars or Web conferences about social media to help with any gray areas. Learn from the best by looking at how top companies are using social media. Finally, get out there and create your own online identity on Twitter and blog sites to become a part of the social media century for yourself.

For a more in-depth perspective of social media's impact on the practice of public relations and specific tools, be sure to read "Social Media in Our Changing World: The Tools."

by Martha Griffith

Viral, a history
Merriam-Webster still defines "viral" the same way it has since the word appeared in its dictionary in 1937. It is an adjective meaning "of, relating to, or caused by a virus as in a viral infection." Even the Oxford English Dictionary (the world of definitions and usage histories that word lovers think of when they think of heaven) has only a draft addition from September 2006, for the adjective "viral" describing it as "Chiefly Marketing. Of, designating, or involving the rapid spread of information (esp. about a product or service) amongst customers by word of mouth, e-mail, etc. to go viral: to propagate in such a manner; to (be) spread widely and rapidly."

The OED tells us that the earliest recorded use of this new definition of viral was in September 1989, appearing in PC User magazine. It was not until 1998 when the Washington Post used the "viral campaigns" term to refer to tactics in which the consumer becomes the transmitter. Since then it has exploded. Viral is for many marketing, advertising and public relations strategies the ultimate goal.

A firm's perspective
To find out more about a firm's perspective on "going viral," I asked Edelman Senior Account Executive Jennifer Hudson and Digital Vice President Dave Coustan, both of the Atlanta office, for their thoughts.

"We often describe 'viral' as an outcome and not a strategy," Coustan and Hudson said. It is important to make sure "a piece of media is as easy as possible to share, remix and experience in multiple contexts." But even with all this, there is no guarantee that information will actually be shared. It is up to each individual receiver to decide if it is "useful, entertaining or enlightening" enough to pass on.

Interdisciplinary medium with an opportunity for PR
Because of its rapid development and power to encompass several disciplines, viral is not just a marketing term, an advertising term or even a public relations term. Viral refers to them all, serving to further confuse those who cannot separate the fields in the first place. But for practitioners of all, it can give a unique opportunity for collaboration on a larger goal that can be set up through a holistic PR campaign.

Coustan and Hudson emphasized the importance of looking at communications as a whole, making sure each element works together with the others and fits within the larger strategy saying, "Public engagement is by nature interdisciplinary."

In his blog, Richard Edelman shared advice from Jeff Levick, vice president of industry development and marketing, Americas for Google. Number one on the list was that "Nowadays companies could care less about which firm (PR versus advertising versus direct) provides what function — whichever has the idea and ability to execute can get the order. This is a real opportunity for PR firms."

Showing that all ideas, including viral, are anyone's game should motivate public relations practitioners to utilize it more when appropriate, educators to incorporate it into their curriculum and students to take the initiative to learn more about it in order to make themselves more marketable upon graduation.

Public relations is about two-way communication, and viral campaign elements are just another way to engage audiences, Coustan and Hudson say.

Viral knowledge and personal marketability

Becoming familiar with social media tools that can be utilized in viral campaign elements is beneficial when interviewing with companies, Coustan and Hudson noted. You don't have to utilize all of them, however; just be sure to know about them.

Sources:

Dave Coustan (dave.coustan@edelman.com), Digital Vice-President, Edelman Atlanta

Jennifer Hudson (Jennifer.Hudson@edelman.com), Senior Account Executive, Edelman Atlanta

by Molly McPherson

Would you like fries with that?

Fast food restaurants are an everyday convenience for today’s average American. They save time and provide an easy meal. Nevertheless, fast food restaurants have to worry constantly about their reputation and image. A challenge for these establishments is to find new, exciting ways to promote their business with food as a constant product. Fast food restaurants are using different public relations strategies to win consumer support, such as going green, getting involved with charity and even hosting costume parties.

Trade the grease for some green

Subway works to give a positive image by being in the business of health and responsibility. Subway’s “eat fresh” campaign invites Americans to trade the burger for a better-for-you sub sandwich. According to a recent press release, Subway is becoming involved in the green movement. The restaurant chain recently participated in the “Change a Light, Change the World” program, trading their old lights for energy-efficient fluorescent lights. Furthermore, Subway has changed its equipment by making its napkins from recycled materials. Subway has even moved its distribution centers closer to its stores to cut down on gas emissions.
“We have made a commitment as a brand to become more environmentally accountable,” said Bill Schettini, chief marketing officer for the chain. As the environment trend grows as a priority in society, Subway is joining the cause to provide you with fast food and an eco-friendly outlook.

Lending a hand gives a leg-up on the competition

McDonald’s has always had a leg-up on the competition when it comes to charity because of its relationship with the Ronald McDonald House. With disasters happening all over the U.S., McDonald’s is doing its part in helping alleviate some need by giving a meal to victims. Last year during California’s wild fires, McDonald’s gave a free Extra Value meal to any emergency worker involved in the crisis, according to a press release. In addition, the company provided many displaced families with Wi-Fi Internet access, making communication easier. Moreover, McDonald’s encouraged its staff, owners, operators and suppliers to work at local evacuation centers to help the crisis as much as they could. “We’re all members of this community and know personally the difficulties people are going through,” said San Diego McDonald’s Owner/Operator Philip Palumbo. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and McDonald’s is certainly looking to help with disaster relief.

Pigskins and cow costumes

Chick-fil-A has long been the college football champion because it sponsors the Chick-fil-A Bowl, but this year Chick-fil-A decided to kick it up a notch for kickoff by giving free Chick-n-Strips to anyone showing their football pride on Sept. 1, 2008, according to a recent press release. Not only does Chick-fil-A encourage dressing up to support football teams, it also holds a costume party in the summer for Cow Appreciation Day. This past July, Chick-fil-A had its fourth Cow Appreciation Day when its loyal customers who dress up in a cow costume are given a free meal, according to a recent press release. This event inspired all age groups to dress up and show their support for cows. “While the event is a natural tie with our cow-themed marketing campaign, Cow Appreciation Day is intended to be a fun day to reward some of our most loyal customers with free food,” said Steve Robinson, Chick-fil-A’s senior vice president of marketing. Between the costumes and the college football parties, Chick-fil-A identifies with its customers by offering a fun-loving, celebratory image.

Fast food restaurants market a steady product by creating new, innovative strategies that revolve less around the food and more around the trends of society. Whether that is taking a social issue and expanding it to a public relations strategy, giving to charities and current disaster relief efforts or creating celebrations and rewarding loyalty, fast food restaurants constantly manage their image and reputation as they seek to gain consumer support.

by Dana M. Lewis, Contributing Writer

Public relations has met the health care industry head-on, leading to a patient-centered and patient-focused health care system in which patients take charge of their care with the help of the Internet and social media tools. The Web has expanded this focus exponentially as nearly every disease or condition has its own set of private and public organization Web sites, blogs, networking communities and social media applications. Health care online, once thought to be used only in force-fed content Web sites such as www.webmd.com, has now shifted throughout the Web and is known as a phenomenon of its own, Health 2.0.

As public relations practitioners it is important to understand the climate of the different online communities before using or inadvertently taking advantage of them. When working with clients or organizations associated with health care, public relations professionals may seek Health 2.0 as an introduction to understanding a disease or condition, getting sources and background information or conducting primary research. Here are a few tips on how to best interact with and pitch to these online patients.

Note: These tips mostly focus on blogs and blogging communities, but they also apply toward outreach with users of social media sites (e.g., Facebook groups) and on organizations’ Web sites.

Pitching to patient bloggers: “Do unto them as you would to a colleague”

Have you ever been pitched to or received a verbal proposal that had no planning, thought or consideration behind it? Think about this when you pitch to people who write health care blogs or patient blogs. These people are people first and sources to you second. They will not give you the time of day if you send a generic e-mail or “Dear Sir” type of request to be a source or to contribute to your understanding of a subject.

Carefully write your request so that it is not offensive by including your name and organization, your reason for contacting them and what you are asking from them specifically. Do it correctly, and you may have your golden ticket to this person and their audience or community; otherwise, you may be unceremoniously blackballed.

Interact

Your chances of getting sources, ideas and content from online health care communities significantly increase if you are a presence in the community and take time to interact. Some practitioners may be looking for the rare source, but for those who have ongoing projects, or clients or agencies with strong interests in these areas, it is best to invest time and resources into the community, even if it is only to read the top blogs a few times a week. However, instead of lurking, try leaving comments in a few blog posts. The comment can be about your reaction to that particular post; a chance to introduce yourself and explain how or why you ended up at their blog; or an opportunity to just applaud them for their commitment to sharing their experiences and helping others (at the end of the day, this is what everyone is doing and appreciates receiving acknowledgement of).

Participate

What do you have to lose? Yes, your company or client may not want you to put its name out there as part of an online health community, but there is something to be said for understanding on a personal level what types of people interact in these online communities. Try starting a personal blog outside of work and talking about your health experiences, whether as a caregiver or patient with general information or posts on a specific disease or condition.

Also consider why these patients are online rather than just dealing with their health situations by themselves. Some may not have any support in their daily lives; others want to share the positive/negative experiences and educate; and some may try to raise awareness of a certain group. Walking a mile (or blogging a while) in their shoes can help you to better understand their unique perspectives.

by Whitney Taylor

Some say actions speak louder than words, and after considering the intensely competitive world of air travel, airlines are taking notice and doing just that. Make sure your seatbelt is securely fastened—public relations practitioners are stowing the standard press release in the overhead bin and taking their public relations efforts to new cruising altitudes.

Safety ... and fashion first
While many passengers may choose to ignore the mandatory onboard safety instructions required by the Federal Aviation Administration prior to departure, Delta Air Lines generated buzz last February with the introduction of its new safety video posted to the corporate blog and YouTube Web site.

The video features Katherine Lee, a beautiful flight attendant dubbed “Deltalina” by her online followers, who adds a level of humor to the video as she playfully smiles, flirts with the camera and walks passengers through the standard safety instructions.

Chris Babb, the Delta project manager for the video, stated on the corporate blog that he wanted to make the video more “fresh, modern and human.”

To date, the video has been viewed over one million times on YouTube causing Delta to further play into its popularity. In Atlanta, Ga., the hometown of the Delta Air Lines headquarters, fans of the Atlanta Falcons are greeted by “Deltalina” on the Jumbotron in the Georgia Dome before each home game. Lee explains the “proper” pre-game procedures to fans, and even explains “what to do in case of a touchdown.”

Since her debut, Lee has been interviewed on CNN, Fox News, and even accompanied talk show host Ellen DeGeneres on a Delta flight from Los Angeles to New York where they not only entertained passengers with onboard flight safety instructions and comical demonstrations, but they kept the flight lively with a game of charades.

In addition to keeping up with the online trends, Delta is keeping its appearance fresh, as well. Delta recently enlisted in the help of world-renowned designer Richard Tyler to bring back the era of glamorous air travel. Tyler designed sophisticated and functional pieces for flight attendants, such as wrap dresses, peacoats, felt hats and silk scarves, to further enhance Delta’s image.

Delta has also been celebrating October as National Breast Cancer Awareness month in style. Female flight attendants have even been wearing the Richard Tyler limited-edition Pink Dress while passengers have the option of buying pink lemonade on flights where proceeds benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Gone nuts
Delta is not the only airline taking advantage of online promotions and trying to maintain a “fun” reputation amongst airline carriers. Southwest Airlines is marking their spot in the cyberspace world with their “Nuts About Southwest” blog, as well. The blog features video options, podcasts, current news, polls and access to Southwest’s media center and public relations representatives 24/7. While the blog is extremely informative, it is by no means what some would consider “normal.” Southwest CEO Gary Kelly recently requested customers’ help in determining a suitable Halloween costume that will live up to those of recent years (Kelly has dressed up as Gene Simmons from KISS and Jack Sparrow from “Pirates of the Caribbean” in the past).

Kelly is not the only Southwest employee getting in the Halloween spirit. Southwest Airlines has recently teamed up with the largest Halloween retailer, Spirit Halloween Superstores, which is providing decorations for the ticket counters in 64 of Southwest’s cities, as well as treats for flight attendants to pass out to customers on flights. Southwest also uses Halloween for internal team building every year when they turn their home in Dallas, Texas, into a “Haunted Headquarters” for a day of celebration and employee skits.

Going green (and bald)
With the current economic situation causing many travelers to clutch their purse strings tighter recently, Air New Zealand is trying to keep a “head” above the competition with its latest campaign. This month, Air New Zealand is paying 30 people in Los Angeles to shave their heads where “Need a Change? Head Down to New Zealand” will be temporarily tattooed.

Roger Poulton, the airline’s vice president in North America, said that Californians need a change because of the gas prices, economy, bank situation, housing market and the November presidential election.

“What better way to illustrate a dramatic transformation than to shave one’s head?” Poulton said.

Aside from the airline’s current “cranial campaign,” Air New Zealand is trying to connect with an eco-friendly customer base in the skies and in the office.

The New Zealand carrier is currently researching alternatives to fueling their planes with fossil fuels by using weed plants and algae as possible biofuel substitutes.

This green campaign is not only pushed upon Air New Zealand’s customers, it is branded into corporate culture as a part of their daily routine in the office. Last year, the company made various efforts to reduce energy use at its corporate headquarters by installing electricity-saving technology to reduce unused lighting and providing employees with bicycles to use for work transportation.

With an unstable economy and an uncertain future, travelers are now being forced to carefully contemplate possible trips, destinations and airline carriers more than ever. However, although there may be many airlines to choose from, public relations specialists are making the decision a bit easier for customers with their innovative and eye-catching PR efforts.

So, kick back and enjoy the flight. Expect the new ideas to keep coming and don’t count on an emergency landing any time soon.

by Stephanie Summer

Remember the old days when people listened to music from huge records or radios? Nowadays music comes from tiny hand-held mp3 players or CD’s and the music industry is changing with the technology. Public relations as well has grown and become more accessible for independent musicians to use as their own.

So, are PR practitioners really rocking out? No- unfortunately bands are the ones rocking out, but they are learning from PR professionals’ new inventive ways through the use of online media, relationships with fans, past relations with major labels and new relations with independent labels. Public relations will always be needed in the music industry because as bands are able to do their own PR in the beginning, the long road to success is a curvy one and outside help is impossible to live without.

With the advancement of online media, musicians are able to do their own PR from home. The Internet has provided artists with a free gateway of public relations. MySpace, Facebook, iTunes, blogs and webzines have provided ways for music and information about artists to be heard by millions without having to leave your room. Through these outlets, musicians are able to communicate with fans and important players in the music industry at the touch of a finger.

How it works in online media

Musicians can put iTunes on their Web sites, which connects to the iTunes Store for fans to purchase their songs. MySpace is a profile page where artists can upload pictures and videos, post blogs or bulletins about what they are up to, provide a calendar of shows and communicate with fans through the use of private messaging or wall posts (where bands usually leave ads). Facebook works in a similar way, except MySpace is better known for music pages because it has been in existence longer and the look of the site can be specially created. Some artists have been discovered from their MySpace page according to the number of hits their page and songs receive.

Other online resources offer information on where and how to provide promotional material like press kits. Web sites such as Artist PR can help connect musicians to labels, vendors, festivals, radio stations, magazines and film opportunities and can increase fan base. Media Web Source offers music industry resources, articles, band promotion and music jobs and statistics. Webzines are also a new online media craze. Many music industry magazines have either migrated to online magazines, such as Band-It Magazine, or do both print and online. It is always a good idea to try and get a magazine interested in reviewing an album. It is a good resource for a press kit and it gives the musicians even more promotion.

How it works in public relations

Aside from online media, musicians use other means of public relations. Bands are recording their own albums with the advance in technology and distributing it themselves at shows or finding contacts with local distributors, such as Oz Music in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Bands are nothing without their fans, which is why most successful unsigned artists are doing well—they get their fans involved and build a relationship with them. For example, some bands use their fans to do the legwork for them. Halpscript, a hard rock band from Atlanta, Ga., created a street team called Order of the Halo.

Saint, guitarist for Haloscript, said, “It is our version of a way to interact with fans. It lets them be a part of what we’re doing and not feel alienated.”

The fans can promote the band by doing the things that the band does not have time to do, such as hanging up fliers, finding places to perform, running and updating a Web site or simply just spreading the word about the band. In return, the fans get to help out a band that they love and support, while the band members get to know their fans better personally.

Aside from fans, it is all about knowing the “right people” if a band wants to make it in the music industry; therefore, building relationships with radio stations, venues and journalists are another way for bands to do their own PR. Contacting the local radio stations to get your songs played on air is a great medium. Then, developing a relationship can get you a spot for an interview on the radio. The same can be done with venue owners and journalists. Get to know them and keep the ways of communication flowing. Over time, musicians can develop regular bookings at venues and receive write-ups in local newspapers or magazines.

How it works in major labels

Every musician’s dream is to be signed to a major record label—until about five years ago, this was the dream. Now, with the help of the Internet and reality T.V., everyone is a star and there is an insane amount of competition. Learning from the success and failures of big stars such as Toni Braxton and her falling out with LaFace/Arista Records, some bands now do not want a major label. According to Billboard, referring to Braxton’s 1997 lawsuit against her record label claiming that they cheated her out of money, in 1998 the pop star filed for bankruptcy and asked the court to label her contract ‘unenforceable’ due to the “seven-year law.” The two clients settled their differences and Braxton resigned to a new contract under Chapter 7 protection from The Federal Bankruptcy Code.

This is where the expression “signing your life away” comes into play. The musician themselves do not see much of the money that they are working for. They receive royalties from the label and the label owns the copyright laws to the music, unless a distribution deal is made. Huge percentages go to managers, technical support and publicity. Other percentages from concert and album sales goes back into the label itself as a pay off for all of the expensive spending done along the way to fame.

Although, now major labels are contracting “360 deals.” According to an article, "Rock's New Economy," in Rolling Stone, bands such as Paramore are signing these deals to ensure more than just recording rights. Fred Goodman, writer for Rolling Stone, said, “they seek to cover every facet of an artist’s career, including publishing, touring, merchandising and licensing, the new deals are a way for record companies to hedge their bets in a declining record market…”

With great fame comes great consequence and that is why it is important to have public relations professionals by your side when you are a musician in the spotlight. If a band does decide to sign with a big label, it is impossible for them to do their own PR anymore. Not only making an album, but touring in a different city every week, making public appearances, and doing photo shoots and interviews are too much for a band to handle planning. And I doubt a fan will work that hard for free or have the experience it takes to accomplish all of that. It is all up to the band if they want to sign with a major label and there could be good or bad things that come out of it. But starting locally or going with an independent label and building a fan base on your own is a good place to begin—and that is what most bands are doing today and most record labels are looking for.

As for the “Go it alone” technique, it is being used by bands signed to major labels such as the White Stripes, as well as bands signed with independent labels. The White Stripes “negotiate distribution and marketing deals with labels on an album-by-album basis,” Rolling Stone writer Goodman said. This method is working for bands in today's era, but it all started with independent labels back in the 1960s.

How it works indie

That brings me to “indie rock.” You may be saying, what is that term? You probably have heard it used in different contexts. Distinguishing the contexts, indie rock is coined from independent labels. Indie rock is a derivative of alternative rock music and can be associated with independent labels, but not in all cases.

In a Popular Music article by David Hesmondhalgh, about “Post-punk’s attempt to democratize the music industry,” he states that the British companies began the independent label movement in the 1960s with punk artists. Entrepreneurs Chris Wright and Terry Ellis with Chrysalis, Tony Stratton-Smith with Charisma and Chris Blackwell with Island Records helped establish independent labels because of their close relationship with cultural values to their signed rock musicians.

‘“These Do-It-Yourself labels were the institutional embodiment of punk’s famous commitment to access, propagated in fanzines and the music press and on record sleeves.”’

Independent labels have been in the works for over 40 years now and musicians themselves are moving the music industry to what it is evolving into today. The 1960s were just a jumping off point for record companies and the issue of control was deviated.
A founder of Rough Trade Records, Geoff Travis, said “…the thing to do is to get your own distribution network, then you’ve got control and give people alternate means of information. That’s critically important” (Hesmondhalgh).

Some bands recently began creating their own labels, if not signing with existing independent labels. Sevendust is a good example of a band that left their major label and started their own. The band created 7 Bros. Records after being contracted with TVT Records and Winedark Records. Having their own record label gives the band more control over money issues and PR decisions. Sevendust has not signed any other band to their label, so it is possible that it is a purely independent label only for that band; however, they are not “indie-rock.”

Signing with an independent label is the modern form of the music industry, which is a far cry from what the industry was 10 years ago when Braxton topped the charts. Independent labels give bands more freedom in recording and writing their own music and if a band independently releases their CD, they receive all the profits unlike the deal with major labels. Major record labels are looking for how well a band does on their own, before signing them as well. They want to see a big fan base so that they have a better idea of how successful the music can be. Sometimes it is a good idea to start out with an independent label and then move up to a bigger one or stay with the same one. It is all up to the band depending on how content and successful they are doing with an independent label.

The music industry has clearly changed from times when musicians had to go straight to a major record label to be able to get their music heard by millions. Now, bands use the Internet to create contacts in the music industry, to have their music heard by millions and to build relationships with fans. Many musicians are making it on their own without a major label, it just depends on the amount of success they want. A lot of bands make music their career because they love it and they couldn’t see themselves doing anything else, so being famous is not of interest to them. The key is to keep using PR strategies: developing contacts, distributing albums, touring on their own (perhaps with an independent label) and using online media to build a fan base. Then the band should be on its way to success—according to their expectations of success.

Sources:

Morris, Chris. 1998. “Braxton asks court to label her contract `unenforceable.’.” Billboard 110, no. 14: 6. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed October 14, 2008).

Morris, Chris, and Don Jeffrey. 1999. “LaFace Re-Signs Braxton.” Billboard 111, no. 4: 6. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed October 14, 2008).

Hesmondhalgh, David. “Post-punk’s attempt to democratise the music industry: the success and the failure of Rough Trade.” Popular Music 16.n3 (Oct 1997):255(20). Academic OneFile. Gale. University of Alabama – Tuscaloosa. 20 Oct. 2008

Goodman, Fred. “Rock’s New Economy: Making Money When CDs Don’t Sell,” Rolling Stone 29 May 2008.

www.mediawebsource.com

www.artistpr.com

by Martha Griffith

Criticism abounds
Robert Scoble, in his blog “Scobleizer,” said he does not like to hear about new Web sites or products from press releases (see these two articles: one and two), but he is not the only one. Steve Rubel argues that he enjoys the thrill of the chase and would rather write about something he found before anyone else, and Michael Arrington claims that public relations is broken. It seems like there is a storm of criticism in the blogging world about public relations, which all leads to one question: Is PR dying?

What’s killing PR?
In order to understand if public relations is truly going away forever, one must first know what is killing it. One of the biggest criticisms that public relations practitioners are facing is that their efforts to attract bloggers in particular are coming off as spam.

The days of the traditional press release are gone as Tom Foremski claimed in his 2006 blog post on the Web site SiliconValleyWatcher. According to Rubel and Scoble, it is more fun to find something on your own and be the first to write about it rather than hear about it from a public relations professional. If a blogger just acts on a press release, he or she would have to be one of the first to do so to even make a blip on, in the instance of new technology, the TechMeme rankings map.

A changing field
In the face of such criticisms, public relations is both dying and thriving. Those who fail to take into account the fact that PR is changing daily will surely die. From its inception, public relations has been a dynamic, not static, field. The written press release, audio news release and video news release have all come before, and the social media news release is developing now. As with the emergence of all these new practices of PR professionals, their value to a client’s needs has to be analyzed and a plan composed that utilizes what is best for the client and audience.

And public relations is evolving, just maybe not as quickly as bloggers and PR critics may like. Many public relations professionals are learning to cater to this new audience better by allowing them to participate in beta tests of new products or utilizing social media news releases when getting the word out about a new service.

It takes time for current professionals to learn about these new tactics. Professors must be on the cutting edge to manipulate their lesson plans midsemester in order to share this information with their students, and students themselves have to take the initiative to stay abreast of current trends in PR. While there is a great learning curve to overcome, it is increasingly being done.

Integration and education
Still there is a place for integration of both old and new tactics. A large campaign that used only one form of communication and one small audience would never be adopted, and so those who are composing PR’s dirge must understand that these critics are not as important as they sometimes think they are. The online aspect may be only one element in a communications plan that includes press releases, news conferences and informational brochures.

Since these new tactics and audiences are available, professionals should be knowledgeable about how to utilize them effectively, but only within the broader scope of a complete campaign. The press release was not thrown out the window when newer technology developed, and it should not happen now either. Just as the video news release can now accompany a press release in a completely integrated fashion, so too can these new innovations be incorporated in an effective way. There will never be a way to please everyone, but that is old news in this profession.

Not every campaign needs to contain elements that reach out to bloggers or hope for a “viral” effect. There are, and will be for the foreseeable future, plans that have no need to target such outlets. The local animal shelter will always need to send out pamphlets with information about proper pet care, but has no need to be covered by a big-name blogger. A local unit of the American Legion does not need national coverage when its annual poppy sale is coming up, but it does need to alert local media. Information about Social Security sent only via e-mail would miss many older people who do not own a computer or who do not have reliable Internet access.

While new is good, it should not signal that the old should die. Public relations practitioners, students and educators have the responsibility to learn about these innovations and understand both sides of the argument, but they also need to figure out how to use these tools effectively. No one threw away all of their CDs when viable MP3 players came onto the market; they just uploaded the music from their CDs to their MP3 player, integrating the old and new technologies. Public relations will not be thrown out with the trash either. It will be integrated, utilizing the best of both old and new to the advantage of all.

For additional information on this debate, please look at the following links:

http://mashable.com/2008/08/12/role-of-public-relations/

http://www.siliconvalleywatcher.com/mt/archives/2007/10/a_reader_writes_3.php

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/does_good_tech_need_pr.php

http://pop-pr.blogspot.com/2008/08/can-i-can-get-big-cup-of-stfu-please.html

http://www.auburnmedia.com/wordpress/2008/08/14/jeremy-pepper-telling-it-like-it-is/