As you can see on my blog I've been struggling with the same debate...it's a tough call. As someone who has spent the majority of my career as an internal communications person but is now an agency guy...I'm torn. Ultimately, I do see social media helping to automate much of the tactical work done by agencies, helping to diminish their effectiveness. However, agencies will remain very relevant during the beginning stages (next 5+ years), particularly the agencies who can provide the PR and technical aspects of building a social media program. As this stage ends I'm interested to see how we make agencies relevant, particularly for larger companies. My initial thoughts are that PR agencies must focus more on interactive services, digital communication creation and strategic messaging. One thing I'm sure of; we'll be talking about this and formulating opinions for many years to come.This is not just an opinion sprouted from the recent negative perception of agencies, this is a topic that I've been talking about with many of my colleagues on both sides of 'the aisle'. PR agencies must begin a monumental shift, today, if they are to be relevant in the future. No longer is it ok to be a media relations shop, perhaps with a dash of social media know-how. We must be able to go into a company and give them strong advice on messaging, brand (more than a logo!), how to deal with competitors, how to better position individual products, build web communities, implement a pitch wiki, and much more. If we rely on our legacy as PR agencies we will become irrelevant. /kff
At a technology conference sponsored by The Wall Street Journal, Microsoft today will unveil the fruits of six years of research pushed by Chairman Bill Gates -- a computer designed like a table with a touch-screen. The system, called Surface and aimed initially for use in hotels and casinos, includes features that allow users to buy tickets to events, wirelessly retrieve and display photos and play games. It goes on sale later this year.We got a glimpse of this from Scoble a little while back. The Surface is going to be aimed at hotels and casinos, initially (anyone remember the good old days of sit down arcade game tables?). I obviously have not used Surface, but I have to say I love the idea. The look and feature set seem very slick...even 'Apple-esque'; it is certainly something I could see in my house. But what I really love is using it as a virtual poker table! It will be interesting to see if this announcement helps Microsoft win a small PR battle against Apple in the innovation department? /kff
So what I am recommending is not how to manage an agency, but something more radical: not hiring an agency at all.Glenn goes on to state his top ten reasons not to hire a PR agency. The list is accurate for the most part, but unfortunately focuses primarily on generating publicity, not public relations. There is an enormous difference. I'm NOT a publicist; I help communicate messages through various channels, including, but not solely, through journalists to various publics (customers, investors, partners, employees, etc). I could create a top ten list of my own on why to hire a PR agency (1. We aren't drunk on your kool-aid; 2. Established relationships with more than just press; 3. Collaborative brain power; 4. Flexibility in economies of scale; 5. More hands touching your business...), but the truth is, with all the agency bashing over the past few months people have an overall bitter taste to PR agencies and the water is simply too cloudy. Rather than duke it out with Top Ten lists I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing here on the blog. There are a lot of folks who get what PR actually is (hint, it is NOT publicity or even media relations) and how to use today's technologies to better communicate with different publics. Some of those people actually do work for PR agencies and make a HUGE difference for their clients! /kff
Hello folks and welcome to the newly minted weekly installment "The Week that Was: PR & Technology". Every Friday I'm going to try and give you a quick snapshot of conversations ongoing in the PR and technology space, since that is sort of what we do here each and everyday. This is a syndicated post that will also appear on my company's blog and it will collect topics discussed on that blog and other pockets of the blogosphere. Like all things, this will evolve with time, but let me know your thoughts, your hopes, your dreams...
Onto the week that was:
Bill & Steve: The Reality Show
Exciting upcoming interview for Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher. Check out the pics. Am I the only one wishing that Bill Gates and Steve Jobs hole themselves up in a biosphere for 12 months and film every interaction?
Blogger Relations 101
Some really great advice out there this week on how to best touch base with bloggers. Free advice for the day, if you lump bloggers into your media relations campaign, you are doing it wrong!
The future of paper
Doc Searls discusses Andy Kessler's great piece in The Wall Street Journal. The first fact I find fascinating; Andy posted the entire article to his blog
for non-subscribers to WSJ.com. The second fact; the alliteration I just used in that second sentence, it's all 'f-this' and 'f-that'.
The $100 Laptop (actually it's $176)
Intel and Professor Negroponte squared off this week. Lovely that we can create a battle when we should be talking about the possible good this lumpy bit of technology could provide the world.
Mmmmm, that is del.icio.us
Need to know how to use del.icio.us...need to know what del.icio.us is?
I Don't Get It
Typically I'm the first to love any new social media product (I'm against calling things Web 2.0)...but this one just doesn't make sense to me. My apologies to those who disagree, tell me why in the comments (Liz, I'm talking to you).
How do you Google Read(er)?
Robert Scoble talking about what attracts his attention when going through Google Reader, interesting stuff that most of us probably do but it is illustrated well. Flip this on it's side (not literally) and this is a tutorial on how to discuss a story with an influencer.
Let's go fly a kyte
Have you tried kyte out yet? “kyte allows anybody to create their own interactive TV channel on their website, blog, social network or mobile phone.†Check out an example I posted earlier this week on how this might work in the PR world; all compliments concerning my child should be directed at my wife.
So a PR flak and a Lawyer walk into a bar...
Guy Kawasaki posted a top-ten list from Margie Zable Fisher yesterday. The list was Top Ten Reasons why PR Doesn’t Work. Is it me or is the " PR people are dumb" jokes overtaking lawyer jokes? Some folks, namely myself, had an alternative opinion.
My YouTube Technology Clip of the Week
A good weekend to all, /kff
As someone who has been on both 'sides of the fence' for a long time; you don't need a top ten list on why PR relationships fail. All you need are two things for success: 1) Set and re-set concrete expectations of each other from the very beginning and every day thereafter; 2) Pure, unfiltered honesty every single day; The most fruitful relationships I have had with PR firms and as a member of a PR firm are when we treat each other like we would a trusted colleague. It's a cliche for a reason...Then I started going through the other comments and I was again dismayed at the perception of our industry, here are two that stood out (with quick snippets): Mike Johnston:
"A PR firm's role (to me) is to work through the traditional media channels such as TV and print (a necessary evil regardless of your personal opinions about blogs vs. WSJ)."Dave:
"again, there are a few great PR firms (but mostly just individuals) who get blogs & social networks, but most don't. most don't blog themselves, and aren't really even casual users of many popular social media tools & services. this is a HUGE issue... sort of like doctors who smoke, or heart surgeons who aren't aware of the benefits of exercise & a low-fat diet. practitioners should know their trade. PR firms should understand blogging, and bloggers. most don't."Tough to argue with either of these gentleman, since they have a perception of an industry that is hurting itself each and every day with poor tactics and misguided strategy. There is a reason why PR people are called 'flacks', 'spinners', and other misnomers. We, perhaps not you and me, but our industry overall doesn't understand the new form of communication that is occurring. But don't fear my communications brothers and sisters...there are smart people out there who actually practice the fine art of Public Relations and are doing it with social AND traditional media! They are pushing back on clients and becoming strategic partners, not a clip-producing sweat shop. You want to eliminate the acrimony that drips when someone says "PR"? Read these folks each and everyday; Phil Gomes' Blogservations Blogging Me Blogging you The Bad Pitch Blog A shel of my former self PR 2.0 PR-Squared New Persuasion Scout Blogging Marketing Roadmaps The Buzz Bin There are more! Who would you add to the list? /kff
"From time to time, I am cruelly slandered by members of the public relations industry, who accuse me of writing unfairly about their profession. Nothing could be further from the truth. I love PR professionals. They're a hoot, because they are such pathetic, desperate dillweeds."Here we go again, right? Wrong! As I've said before, journalists have every right to keep slamming PR folks because so many of us are actually doing this crap each and every day. Check out the rest of Gene Weingarten's article in the Washington Post, it is an instant classic. The point, I think, is that we (PR folks) are filled with so much nonsensical jargon that our actual messages are being lost. Think back to your most successful relationships with journalists; why are they a success? Most likely because you talked like a human being and you DID NOT use a press release. A topic I discussed in quite some detail at my old blog. /kff P.S. Shout out to Kerry Walker for the lead on this article, a PR pro who gets a bit salty when it comes to using marketing jargon in a press release.
