Mar 21 2009

Review from SXSW: Technology Gives PR New Life

Guest post by: Ashley Brown (@ashbrown)


Each spring, Austin welcomes entrepreneurs, CEOs, students, and tech junkies alike to the annual South by Southwest Interactive festival. This year was no exception as an undeniable energy ran through the five day conference, (or perhaps that was the “tuned” AT&T service) and served as a platform for what to expect in the coming year. 

In PR, technology has become undeniable. It is no longer a question of whether SMR’s and SMNR’s will work, but how to best use them. And as Sarah mentioned yesterday, having a basic knowledge of HTML and SEO are increasingly expected. However, with the onset of services such as Twitter and Facebook, many argue that PR will soon become extinct. 

Not suprisingly, one of the most popular panels during this conference was the discussion which asked “Are PR Agencies a Dying Breed?” Led by Brian Solis, Erin Portman, Karly Hand, and Peter Shankman, the panel sought to examine technology’s impact on the PR industry and what repercussions we can expect to see in the near future. 

Debates quickly formed around the importance and function of social media tools like Twitter and Facebook. Solis said it best when he discussed new forms of competition that agencies now face. The old system of distributing press releases and knowing what information was received by our audience is dead. Technology has given entire companies a voice. Users now manage their reputations across various platforms. The purpose of PR is in question.

However, as with other industries that now incorporate new media, PR is not dead. Instead, professionals must adapt to the unmistakeable information overload that is now accepted as communication. This is an opportunity to be proactive. Management is partially a reaction, but is more importantly an active organization of information. Understanding what pieces of technology can aide in this process will only further the use and relevance of PR.  

Unfortunately, every agency does not have the resources to maintain a constant evaluation of what tools to use and how to use them. Therefore, it may be a slow and rocky process. But industry begs for adaptation, and we are at the beginning of an evolution in PR practices. 

Be open to changes but maintain the knowledge that your fundamental skills can only improve your success and the success of your clients. 

Your thoughts?

Guest post by: Ashley Brown (@ashbrown)

3 Comments on this post

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  1. Sylvie said:

    Great post — wish I could’ve seen the entire discussion. Yes, some companies are questioning the relevance of PR and feel that because of various technologies and the rise of social media, there’s less need for agencies to help get their messages out to the public. What many don’t realize is that dissemination of news is merely a subset of what PR is. Strategic PR involves determining what to say, how to say it and when to say it. Having a variety of tools to communicate directly to the public is good, however, it also brings a point of vulnerability when too much information is divulged too soon or when inaccurate (or what can be perceived as) offensive messages are distributed. It’s like Live TV – it’s more difficult to take back what you’ve already said (case in point: President Obama’s Special Olympics comment on Leno this week).

    So if anything, I think that technology is making tactical PR practices irrelevant but making strategic PR practitioners all the more important.

    March 21st, 2009 at 4:49 am
  2. Ashley Brown said:

    Sylvie-

    Great point. Technology definitely produces both a level of vulnerability and inaccuracy. One might argue, however, that with that vulnerability, there is power. Without technology, we would not have such an influx of information from multiple sources, but we would also not have the ability to manage or respond to it as well.

    In addition, just as you mentioned that strategic PR practices are the primary concern when working within a technological industry, agencies need to understand HOW to navigate multiple platforms and services. And because of the level of communication necessary, PR is the perfect industry to adapt to these needs and changes-if the agency is willing and able.

    March 23rd, 2009 at 4:38 am
  3. Aluminum Laptop Cases said:

    I don’t think PR agencies are a dying breed, but I do think that most will have to adapt to current technology to thrive. As customers & businesses develop new ways to communicate with each other, a PR agency has to be on top of all of these technologies to best reach the company’s target audience.

    February 11th, 2010 at 4:12 pm