It’s an exciting time to be in PR and communications. We have a raft of new communication tools at our fingertips to add to traditional channels. And, as evident at Freshfield, we have learned a glut of new skills and techniques – and still are learning. This period, combined with the outcomes of the recession, is a real pivotal moment for the whole marketing communications industry and the sub-divisions that lie within it.
We talk often talk to our counterparts in PR and other industries and it’s quite evident that people’s views differ on what the best channels are to use in 2010. Clients are also equally questioning on the optimum channels to communicate.
In this modern era it’s vital to use traditional thinking. If the channel is relevant to your strategy and your objectives, use it. If it isn’t, don’t. And if you do use it, use good content.
There is far too much box-ticking as people fall to the temptation of the latest new shiny thing. How many times have you heard ‘Get on Facebook’; ‘Traditional press is dead;’ ‘We can make a viral’. If you do hear this, ask ‘why’; ‘who to’; and ‘what for’.
Jumping straight into any tactic without having a sound strategy behind it is wasted money. And never, never ignore the notion that content is king. Since content is both the fuel that drives every communication channel as well as the principal product of PR activity.
Integration is also an important facet. Don’t place all your eggs in one basket. Integrating all components relevantly will aid every campaign.
An array of exciting possibilities has not been lost on sharper-minded PR professionals. They correctly deduce that the digital era represents a fresh conduit that does not require new communication skills so much as new approaches to delivering them. Same nut different shell.
The tools of the trade are evolving. But the basics of strategic thinking and good content are not.
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Posted by
Simon Turner
