After spending two days at the #SFPRSummit listening to countless, intelligent humans in the following areas…
Journalism
Public Relations
Social Media Relations
Marketing Communications
….discuss the current challenges faced by the PR industry while offering predictions around imminent changes, 3 things became readily apparent:
#1 – The fleeing of journalists both to the PR industry and to brands (where they act as internal news editors and content marketers) will fundamentally shift how PR is defined.
#2 – Brands will treat themselves as “media companies” whereby developing owned media will constitute a majority of the PR department’s time and they will rely less on agencies to develop content and will utilize them more for media relationships, creative idea generation, and strategic insights on sectors/industries.
#3 – Spamming journalists with news releases will land you in what can only be described as “PR jail.” Mark my words.
Oops, I meant 4:
#4 – There will be a standardized form of measurement that doesn’t include BS news release headline impressions and whose request by senior executives doesn’t make you want to poke out your own eyeballs, slowly, with a spoon.
On that mildly graphic note…
In homage to one of my favorite young writers and cultural phenomenon interpreters, Ann Friedman – whose propensity for creating over-the-top, hilarious pie charts which gently approach taboo topics – I bring you the pie-chartization of the PR industry evolution.
It’s fun. It’s simple. And It’s certainly tweet-able.
Now that you have a two year head start on where the industry is going – and chances are, if you’re reading this blog you are in the “innovation” space – you can join us in leading this PR evolution…or better yet, this PR revolution. This is happening. Are you in?