What’s the “next big thing” in public relations?
Authenticity, Transparency, Social Media and Relationships are all taken. The “conversation” has been going on a while, and only now does it seem like adults are taking over the discussion.
Yet, we continue to be obsessed by the puerile and infantile, largely don’t discriminate between fact and opinion, and then act surprised when a heretic pops up to declare that the emperor is naked.
I’m not talking just about social media, but in many ways all media. Of what value is a media story when readers and viewers have strong misgivings about the authenticity of the media itself? It almost seems easier to declare the era of new media begun and try to go directly to our customers. But they don’t trust us any more than other businesses, the media, regulators, government, the medical profession or investment bankers.
So what’s the next thing? Some say Twitter is jumping the shark alongside Facebook. Search Engine Optimization and advertising enable alteration (if not manipulation) on Google. How will we decide whom to trust?
I believe the answer starts with a willingness on our part — that is, those in the PR industry — to start with truth. Facts and data.
- Make no assertions or assumptions about the tools we employ; instead set measurable objectives and hold ourselves accountable to them.
- Operate from a base of research and make data-driven decisions.
- Consider audience perspectives in developing plans.
- Avoid “one size fits all” recommendations.
That’s not an easy path — especially when a prospective client (even an internal one…) starts the conversation with the wrong question: “How can we use this new media stuff?” The right question is, “How can we make our communication activities more effective?” That question leads to strategic planning, to research, and to tactics that actually acheive what we set out to do.
We don’t need more people climbing on the cluetrain — we do need the people on the train to have a lot more than just a clue.
Hi Sean – Long time reader (well, as long as you’ve been blogging), first time commenter! Excellent post. and gets to the heart of the issue. Apologies to McLuhan, but the message ultimately trumps the medium, every time. As a profession we often bury ourselves in the tactical details, for which new media add many layers…While new media may change tactics and styles, it always always always comes back to the 4 bullet points you’ve noted.
Great blog, by the way, and a real addition to the conversation….
Jim, thanks so much for your kind comment. In my month-long social media farrago, I’ve seen good and bad… Certainly the worst if not the best, but still some good. There is a growing weariness with the breathless, overwrought pronouncements of the “social media gurus” who really are just being opportunistic. I don’t include Shel Holtz, Shel Israel or Katie Paine in that category — they’ve earned their bonefides several times over. But the latecomers to this conversation seem to want, by sheer will and repetition, to rewrite the communication profession. Hence, my closing comment about having the right people on the bus, to quote Jim Collins.
We are at our best when we are at our most strategic and least tactical — and that means knowing what’s what among our many tools.