PR in the global, always-on digital age

PR in the global, always-on digital age

How we communicate is just as important as what we communicate.

One of the most common mistakes PR professionals commit in the digital space is the need to have complete control over the message, James Olsen, senior VP, digital strategies group at Waggener Edstrom Worldwide says.

Olsen, who was in Singapore on a two-day whistlestop trip says with the center of gravity tipped heavily in favour of consumer control, companies and the PR professionals they engage, have to learn to let go as it would only mean fighting a losing battle.

"Let the audience tell and share the story for you, that is why storytelling is so important," he says, stating Dove's ‘Evolution' campaign as an example.

PR professionals need to stop segmenting PR efforts into traditional and online campaigns and start thinking of their activities in terms of integrated influence and how best to leverage the strengths of both off and online media for their clients. A big driver in enforcing that rule would stem from understanding the audience the client wants to reach and what that audience's media consumption habits are. 

Also, trends in the rapidly evolving new media space would have implications that affect the way PR practitioners practice PR, forcing them to evaluate how the discipline can keep up and remain effective in the digital age.

"From the greater accountability that individual addressability will bring to our profession to navigating the digital divide that exists in China, India and other emerging markets - PR professionals need to view the future of our profession through a wide-angle lens or they risk being caught flat-footed in this rapidly changing world," Olsen says.

BOX-OUT

James Olsen's tips on working in the new media environment

Have an integrated mindset to how you approach communications. Think about how you can leverage both offline and digital media to achieve your business and communications objectives.

Start with the audience. Understand the audience and how they consume news, information and influence. For example, before you spend a lot of time debating whether your company should have a blog you need to understand whether your target audience reads or contributes to blogs.

Focus on the story you want to tell. Start thinking about the story that you want to tell about your company then use the most relevant and creative tools you can find to enhance and extend that story.

Experiment! As the media landscape is constantly changing, don't be afraid to test the different digital tools available to see what works best for your business. Constantly testing emerging communications technologies will help ensure that you are prepared for the digital trends that ultimately become mainstream in the future.

Make your PR accountable and measurable. With the advent of digital media, it's now easier and more important than ever to define measurable objectives and invest in research and tracking methodologies to gauge your performance.