By Kiera Daly
Consumers in 2009 are not passive. They do not wait for information to come to them; they seek answers themselves. Between smart phones, blogs, wikis, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, podcasts, newspapers, magazines and radio, consumers are constantly gathering information, processing it and putting in their two cents– all in a matter of seconds. In fact, a recent study from Forrester Research found that a staggering 80% of Americans use social media monthly. Information sharing has never been more interactive, easy, fast and exciting. Technology has empowered the consumer and simultaneously, has changed the climate of how companies utilize public relations to promote their product, message or brand.
As PR professionals at Devine + Powers, a Philadelphia public relations firm, we love that consumers can choose what information they receive, when they receive it and the channel through which they get it – because guess what? We are consumers too! In any given day you will find us reading the news headlines and then posting our reactions, connecting with clients and their customers on Facebook, watching (or creating for a client!) the latest viral YouTube video and tweeting about our favorite new restaurant (current favorite is new client’s restaurant– Square 1682) or interesting news article. We, like most of you, are continuously sharing, learning and communicating with friends, family, clients, media…the list goes on.
Technology has become the source of a magnitude of communication avenues. More and more we are posed with the challenge to choose which communication channel to use for each of our clients. Should we focus strictly on social media? Should we stick to the time-tested traditional mediums of television, radio and newspapers? Should we use a mix of both? The answer lies in the development of an appropriate media strategy – identifying the target audiences and crafting the message we want them to receive.
Most Individual consumers have a “home base” – their primary channel and source of information. Whether it is the local newspaper, an online news source, Twitter, blogs or radio, it is our job to know what channel our audience is using, and we must meet them there, with information that is relevant and appealing to them. This is only the first step though. The advent of Web 2.0 has allowed everyone to have a voice. With so many people “talking” we must ensure that our message is original, stands out above the rest and is creative. It is all about the relationship not just the medium.
As technology evolves, so does public relations. Like most creative industries, we cannot be sure of what’s next, but by staying at the forefront of the Web 2.0 revolution, we can continue to innovate rather than follow.
We are pleased to mange the public relations efforts for the 2009 Global Creative Economy Convergence Summit – and we will be working all communication channels to help spread the word!
