DISQUS

Geoff_Livingston · 2 years ago

Ahh, the problem with PR people is that they're PR people! They buy their own BS! It seems to me the primary issue is relations, or lack there of. Relating requires other-centric behavior in all things, and that's the antithesis of most PR firms activities.

OK, oversimplifying the problem by a grand mile, but man what a bloody mess this industry is in.

Friendly Ghost · 2 years ago

Brian, I love you and I want to have your babies.

Chris Heuer · 2 years ago

This is really great stuff Brian - as usual. You really are a forward thinking visionary for the industry. Unfortunately I think the industry is more apt to hang you than applaud you - most especially because you are right, as is Geoff. I hate saying it, but I do think there is going to be a serious bifurcation in the industry - those who understand the holistic, integrated communications and consulting that you are espousing here and those that still see their primary business as getting 'hits' in media outlets that can be measured as success or no success. Those who adapt and change and those who fight it till their last breath all the while pretending that they 'get it' by adopting the language but not the beliefs that make it real.

As much as I want to help people get it with our workshops and other activities, I think we are just fighting to get out of the Brea tarpits (or maybe PRea tarpits). This PR game is getting old - it is time to play a new game, on a new playing field and with new rules. Yes, it is informed by what has come before it, but it will not fight for a seat at that table any longer. We have a better/faster/cheaper/stronger alternative and it is time to stop being defined in terms of the old world view...

I keep hearing the song "this is the dawning of the age of aquarius" as I am writing this (no I am not taking LSD or shrooming) - but it is telling of the emotion of freedom in letting go of the shackles of the old world. As Shakespeare said, "what dreams may come when we have shuffled off this mortal coil"

What dreams may come? What dreams will come? How can we be defined by what it is rather than by what it was?h

John · 2 years ago

*edit*
This is my first time reading your blog and it is great.

It's about building the relationship, and you can't 'attack' 'shmooz' or 'slide' your way into a successfull relationship. It's the 6 P rule --> prior planning prevents piss poor performance <-- Expand your capabilities and know your clients niche, or your own, and then taking the correct action will come naturally.

I enjoy the writing, great knowledge.

David Brazeal · 2 years ago

Thanks for the mention, Brian. I, too, am a recent visitor to this blog, and I'm really impressed at the huge amount of stuff you manage to pack into our posts. Keep up the good work!

PR Bud · 2 years ago

Brian,

A very nice post and an eye opener, ofcourse!

Thanks for the vision!

shel israel · 2 years ago

Brian,

This is a wonderfully thought out piece. I think the simplification is simply that PR people need to facilitate conversations more and contrive messages less.From that single point, it gets easy to shift the role of the communications professional.

LF · 2 years ago

This is a great example of the many different facets of the PR world, satisfying both internal and external clients, and focusing on who the audience is and the end goal. It's certainly a growing market, and all PR professionals and clients alike are going to have to adapt to changing their plans and targets to web 2.0 and understanding the best way to utilize new media and trends, while still remembering traditional PR.

Geoff_Livingston · 2 years ago

I'm with Chris on this one. Personally, the firm is slammed so we're hiring again, and I've gotten to the point where I really don't want agency people.

Re-training PR agency staffers is much more difficult than teaching the ropes to a former journalist, blogger or recent college grad. It's better to show them the new way from scratch rather than suffer through arguments about the merits of SPIN (Stupid PR Inserted in News). SPIN stops information from being translated and hurts long-term relationships.

If Chris is right, then we've separated from the PR pack. In theory, we can't be called a PR agency. What will our agencies be dubbed?

Another $.02 delivered.

James Clark · 2 years ago

Ah, you've nailed it. I wrote two articles last year called (1) Fire Your PR Firm and (2) The Placement Crash - The Failure of PR in a Conversation World, that addresses the issues of knowledge, skill sets and technical abilities lacking in 90% of today's PR agencies.

To fix it, PR needs to invest heavily in training for skills in the new age of communications. As a former large agency owner, I know this is one of the few areas PR firms focus on.

Fire Your PR Firm can be downloaded at:

http://www.capturetheconversation

and The Placement Crash can be found at:

http://snipurl.com/1n147

Thanks for keeping the conversation active and positive.

James Clark
Owner
Room 214

Ponn Sabra · 2 years ago

Brian,
This is my first time here, and I just stumbled and bookmarked it in del.icio.us with this statement, "Extremely well-researched comprehensive study, with detailed steps (multiple examples) to best utilize Online Public Relations techniques (such as, utilizing social media) that can be done by anyone willing to succeed and able to take action to achieve it!"

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I'll definitely be sticking around more often!

Feel free to contact me at anytime!

To our success & empowerment,
Ponn

Margie Zable Fisher · 2 years ago

Brian,

My goal - to open up a conversation with my original info on Guy's blog - was more than accomplished.

I enjoyed your post, especially re: social media. Many of my clients don't even know what blogging is. One of the ways I educate them is to get posts like Guy's and explain the benefits to them.

Also, if you wouldn't mind changing this on your post, my company is theprsite.com, not theprsource.com.

Thanks,
Margie Zable Fisher
www.theprsite.com

Margie Zable Fisher · 2 years ago

I re-read this again and really love the parts for Company Executives. I posted some of them in my blog:

http://zfpr.typepad.com/practical_pr/

Best,
Margie Zable Fisher
theprsite.com

Kim · 2 years ago

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