PR 2.0: New Media, New Tools, New Audiences - Deirdre Breakenridge (2008)
I picked up PR 2.0 hoping to gain a better understanding of new media and what impact it will have on the PR industry in the near future. After finishing the book, I can say that I do feel better informed about the current state of new media in the PR industry and where the possibilities lie for the future. Breakenridge uses a combination of her own industry insight and multiple Q&As with industry professionals to demonstrate how new media tools can be an asset to todays PRs.
One of the primary messages of this book is that new media is here and it’s not going anywhere. Mark Regan, CEO of Regan Communications, warns of an inevitability to move toward social media that will mean if you don’t do it, your competitor will. The challenge that PRs then face is how best to incorporate new media into a communications strategy in a relevant way, and not just for the sake of doing something new.
But is new media really for everyone? Consumer PR seems to be far more involved in new media activities than non-consumer PR at this stage. This discrepancy is discussed quite a few times throughout the book, and will be one of the central focuses of my blog. Thom Brodeur, Senior Vice President at Marketwire, addresses this issue in a Q&A with the author.
“Q: Would you say that B2C are Early Adopters of social media and B2B brands are a little slower?
A: From our perspective, there’s obvious utility to both markets, but what you’ve seen is that consumer brands really leveraged social media earlier. This largely occurred because, if you think about it, even in the traditional sense, consumer brands are typically more interested in pushing their messages to the public because of the benefits of word-of-mouth and viral marketing.”
Brodeur goes on suggest that B2B brands should also get involved in social media, both as a means of presenting themselves differently and also as a way of making their message a bit more user friendly.
For both consumer and non-consumer sectors, a significant benefit of incorporating new media is the creation of a two-way conversation between the company and the end user. This argument made by Breakenridge and supported by multiple experts throughout the book is something that could potentially be a significant force of change for the PR industry. Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia and Web 2.0 guru, provided the following insight on the impact of social media:
“(Y)ou have to understand that it’s very different from a broadcast-oriented world where you control the message and you put your message up… The conversation about your product is no longer just between you and your customers. Now, you actually get to listen to your customers talk to each other. The difficult part – you can’t control the conversation; you can participate in it, but you can’t control it!”
Bottom line, if you’re interested in new media and PR 2.0, this book is worth the read. Whether you agree with her or not, Breakenridge raises some very thought-provoking points about new media and the potential impact on the PR industry. Check out Google Book Search for a limited preview of PR 2.0. Not all pages are included but you can browse quite a few pages, and the search tool helps!
