I went to an interesting conference last week on Social Media in London. With some good quality speakers lined up from the likes of Microsoft, HP, moneysupermarket.com and Diageo, I expected to come away with all the answers. Unfortunately I didn’t!
What I did take out of the conference though is that pretty much everyone in all different industries and sectors are grappling to find the right approach for their company/brand when it comes to social media and that there is no one-size-fits all strategy. What works for Microsoft and HP doesn’t work for moneysupermarket.com, and companies need to develop individual strategies that support their commercial aims and objectives.
But perhaps the most insightful message which was heralded by all the speakers is that social media must not stand alone. Social media is simply another channel and should be considered alongside more traditional outlets such as national newspapers, regional press, TV and radio or trade publications. Social media represents a massive opportunity for the PR industry to show its value. As bloggers essentially are becoming journalists, understanding how to engage with these new audiences requires skill and expertise not technical digital know-how.
Whilst we have witnessed the rapid growth of digital agencies, I can’t help feeling that the industry needs less ‘techie nerds’ (a term coined from one of the conference speakers!) and more PR specialist that understand how to engage.
Social media and the age of user-generated content are here to stay and will only continue to grow. Transparency is the name of the game and there is no hiding place for brands. The most forward-thinking brands are already embracing it and engaging it, sometimes getting it wrong but learning how to play the game all the time.
Times are certainly changing but it’s definitely exciting positive change!
May 6th, 2010
Interesting blog about the development of Social Media within design and advertising. I was particularly interested by your thought’s about less techie and more PR specialist.
Which in itself seems tan interesting view of social media and it’s power. I believe people have become very wary of PR over the years with a feeling that it is a controlled response to cover up and to aid in selling for selling sake. It seems Social Media from my experience is more about the genuine authentic responses of real people. People who get things wrong and right. It is through these relationships that long lasting conversations and relationships are sustainable.
Look forward to hearing your thoughts
Julian
Thanks for your comments Julian.
I certainly don’t disagree that people are wary about PR and social media. There have been some dreadful examples of where companies or brands have pretended to be someone else and interacted with people online. They soon got ousted and the fall out saw them scrabbling about trying to mend their shattered reputations.
However, we are very clear with any clients (that we represent) that they have to be transparent when communicating online. For example, we recently worked closely with some parent bloggers around the launch of the Skoda Yeti. Our approach was to treat them like we would do with motoring journalists i.e. we gave them access to a car and then asked them to review it. The power of a good or bad review lay in their hands and we accepted that it could go either way. We were delighted when all posted positive reviews!
What the PR industry needs to accept is that we now have many more potential journalists out there to deal with that can post reviews (good or bad) about brands, products and services. And this is where the skills of a good PR comes into play. Brands need people that know how to interact and communicate with these new potential journalists, not people who build websites.
I’ve worked in PR for over 15 years, and these are some of the most exciting (and challenging) times. Many in our industry are still refusing to accept that online is here to stay, whilst others are charging full steam ahead. Me – I’m enjoying the new challenge!
Tim /Julian, good points
This is an exciting time indeed. I believe this is very much down to the fact that the grass is still green and the path not yet trod. Right now there are many people, from a selection of sectors, investigating, adventuring and searching for the most direct route to their respective end-goal. It’s exciting because we, in PR, are in the very middle of this constantly evolving platform (instinctively riding the social media wave if you like!) and in one of the best positions to identify and forge the paths ahead.
You are absolutely spot-on that there is no ‘one size fits’ but, at this time, only truly bespoke solutions to fit the specific need /desired end-state. However, simple processes and techniques have /are being established and methods to better engage with audiences /communicate the various offerings continue to be found. In addition, and incredibly importantly, especially where PR is concerned, ways to evaluate the success of the approach (and where necessary enhance, adapt and evolve its component parts) are improving.
Whereas social media is a hugely important development in interaction and engagement (understatement of the century perhaps!) I wholeheartedly agree that it should not be viewed in isolation but simply as an exciting and important additional platform, one that should be integrated into the wider comms process and utilised alongside other activity relevant to the campaign.
As a final note… Just like every other industry there are cowboys out there – I have met some of them(!) – who preach about social media in language that would confuse Einstein, describing this new world order in the tones of some paganistic dark art /suggesting unscrupulous approaches. The best PR is about transparency, authenticity and truth (it really is!) – agencies must reflect this in their positioning. Clients, whether new to the platform or not, are looking for comms providers they can trust – partners who will talk in layman terms and be open about the opportunities, and risks, of riding the ‘new’ media wave.
You can definitely see your expertise within the paintings you write. The world hopes for more passionate writers like you who are not afraid to say how they believe. All the time follow your heart.