PR Is Not Dead … Just like Everything Else, It’s Evolving
Maggie B
Did your first mobile phone come in a briefcase-sized carrying case that you kept under the seat of your car “in case of emergency?” If so, you – like me – are old enough to call yourself a witness to the communications revolution of the last couple decades.
As a public relations and communications professional winding my way through this revolution, I attend my fair share of seminars, educational events and networking groups. The content of these meetings and events has obviously changed over the years to address the domination of all things electronic, social, and mobile. And, as such, I’ve been hearing a frequent refrain: PR is dead. Of course, as someone who has built a consulting business based on 15 years of experience in “PR,” this is a bit of a scary statement. And one with which I whole-heartedly disagree.
Maybe it’s not as simple as the semantic shift that has us now more frequently saying “mobile” rather than “cell” (if you have a cell phone you sound oh-so 2000), but to say PR is dead fails to consider the important and awesome ways in which we as communicators, consumers, and professionals evolve over time. Call PR what you will – word-of mouth marketing, social strategy, brand building – but most of these names and buzzwords are simply components that flow from what has always been the essence of PR: how you relate to your public.
If anything, in our cluttered world of Constant Contact and counting click-thrus, I would argue PR has become an even more critical piece of the marketing puzzle. How you relate to your public becomes your brand voice, it builds your reputation, it generates content for your social channels. PR is alive and well, nurturing all that is social and mobile and helping shape how we communicate now and in the future … kind of like the wise elder watching over the young kids, trying to help them grow into healthy, productive, and responsible grown-ups.
Guest Blog Provided By Maggie Baum, Founder & President of Maggie B. Communications
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