PR in a 2.0 world

8 Jun 2016

The whole world has embraced the future of their industry through the opportunities that the world of technology has brought. The public relations (PR) field, however, somehow thinks it is the death of their industry and has kept the world of PR in this traditional backward thinking. Sure, we now do online editorials, and are slowly catching onto the world of social media, but we should be the pioneers, not the last to catch on.

Throughout the technological boom, people in PR have stayed silent, operating in clearly defined, behind-the-scenes roles that were mostly confined to media relations. This ‘traditional’ mind-set leaves little room for innovation and creativity (characteristics that we pride ourselves on).

People in PR need to stop hiding behind what they know, and engage with new platforms, new technology and think how best to grow their clients' brand.

PR is not threatened by the digital age, but has become more important than ever. With Ad blockers, and information overload, consumers seek out the exact information they need, and filter out all the rest.

Brand building was linear and has now become a multi-sourced, multi-opinion based process. PR specialists need to join the conversation about their client’s brand, and influence it in the direction of the messaging client desires.

Traditional, digital, innovation and PR need to mix together smoothly. Our value as PR specialists will increase once we let go of the generational taught ideas and cling to innovation, creativity and new strategies.

About Tamsyn Kiddle

Tamsyn Kiddle, Corporate PR Specialist. As Journalism graduate (UJ), she has experienced both sides of the media curtain. Her focus is on corporate brand reputation through public relations.