JOHNA BURKE: Hello, this is Johna Burke with BurrellesLuce, and I’m here at the Bulldog Media Relations Summit. I’m joined by Sally.
Sally, will you please introduce yourself?
SALLY FALKOW: Hi, I’m Sally Falkow from Press Feed, the social media newsroom.
BURKE: And, Sally, you’re doing a session tomorrow about social media strategy. Can you please share the two big things that whenever anybody is trying to develop their social media strategy for their communications and their public relations – what are the two core things that they absolutely have to keep in consideration?
FALKOW: Only two? We’re only allowed two?
BURKE: Only two for the purpose of this quick video.
FALKOW: OK. Well, first and foremost, I think you have to listen. Before you even start doing anything else, you have to listen to the conversations. We heard a lot this morning in the first session from people saying how much conversation and discussion there is out there, and that the role of PR people is changing from managing news and getting our news out and working just with mainstream media to actually participating in and shaping and directing what was discussion or conversation. So you need to know what is being said, you need to listen.
And the second thing, I think, is you need to really understand how you fit into the business and what the business goals are. And you can’t measure if you haven’t set a measurable goal. So you need to know what it is you’re aiming for, and then you can figure out how to get there.
BURKE: Sally, always great insights from you. Where can people find you in social media?
FALKOW: On Twitter, sallyfalkow. I’m pretty much just sallyfalkow, all together, one word, lower case. If you search that, you’ll find me pretty much all over.
I wasn’t able to attend this year’s Bulldog Reporter’s Media Relations Summit workshop (in New York) in person earlier this month. However, I did have the opportunity to attend virtually.
Speakers for the panel “The Future of Public Relations: Seizing the Opportunity” consisted of:
Aedhmar Hynes, CEO of Text 100
Matt Harrington, president and CEO of Edelman U.S.
Peter Land, SVP, communications, at PepsiCo Beverages Americas
Martin Murtland, VP, solutions for corporate communications for Dow Jones Inc.
I’ve listed some of the key points that I heard in the podcast. (NOTE: Unfortunately since there was only audio and no video, I was unable to keep track of exactly who was speaking at some times – so my apologies, in advance, to the panel if I’ve not credited you with your quotes.)
Hynes talked about marketing, advertising, public relations, etc. all being separate departments with separate budgets, as this is the business model that’s served well in the past. However, in reality, the future of the industry is about communicating the brand of the organization. What are the goals as a whole and what are the skill sets that match those strategic goals? This is the time for organizations to think about the fundamental concept of moving away from managing information or news to shaping and directing conversation.
Companies must influence the influencers. The concept of third-party advocacy has never been more important than it is now.
As in any discussion of PR these days, the conversation moved to changes in ROI and measurement and analytics. We all know we should get away from ad value equivalency, but what do we use in its place (aside from media value)? How do you know your campaign is a success? There are many tools out there that measure “online buzz.” Yet what does that really mean? It goes back to where you start – when you set your goals, they must be measurable. Measurable goals will drive your reporting and allow you to determine which strategies were successful.
So, what does the future look like for public relations?
PR now has more opportunity and voice as it relates to corporate strategy. In other words, PR professionals are gaining more access to the C-suite.
The future (of PR) is about confidence and being nimble. According to Land, we must be able to move incredibly fast and confident to walk into our CEO’s office and make suggestions.
The move away from “agency of record” was briefly discussed because corporations have multiple needs (e.g., advertising, digital, creative, B2B, direct to consumer, etc.)
The next decade in public relations is predicted to be the most exciting in history thus far. It may seem like it’s “back to the future,” as some have lost sight of fundamental best practices, but we must now come back to this strategic consulting in shaping views, per Hynes.
What would you add? What does the future of PR look like in your mind’s eye? If you attended the conference virtually, what are some of the points you took away from it. Please share your thoughts with me and the readers of BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas.
JOHNA BURKE: Hello, this is Johna Burke with BurrellesLuce, and I’m at the PRSA Counselor’s Academy with Linda.
Linda, will you please introduce yourself?
LINDA COHEN: Hi, I’m Linda Welter Cohen with the Caliber Group based in Tucson, Arizona.
BURKE: Linda, now, of the things that you’ve learned here at the last couple of days, which have been great sessions, what’s the one thing that you’re looking to implement right away with your team when you get back?
COHEN: I would say when I get back to the office one of the first things I’m going to do is schedule a session with Jason Baer to come to the Caliber Group and impart many of the social media tips and, in particular, some of the newest technologies and training out there on measuring the impact of social media and connecting the dots and how we can counsel our clients to understand this medium better than what they currently understand it. I think that there is so much potential. Everyone understands the potential, I think, but I think there’s so much potential to take our clients to a new level and harness this medium better than we’ve ever done it before.
BURKE: And I can say that probably taking that action and with Jason, you’re choosing a good commander at the post.
COHEN: Right.
BURKE: Now, where can people find you on the web and in social media?
COHEN: They can find me on Twitter @lindawcohen, and on Facebook at Linda Welter Cohen.
JOHNA BURKE: Hello, this is Johna Burke with BurrellesLuce, and I’m here at the PRSA Travel and Tourism Conference in Aspen, Colorado. And I’m here with Doug.
Doug, will you please introduce yourself?
DOUG MacKENZIE: Good morning, Johna. I’m Doug MacKenzie. I’m the president of the travel and tourism section of PRSA, and the director of communications at the Greater Phoenix Convention and Visitors Bureau.
BURKE: Greater Phoenix, indeed. So, Doug, will you please talk to me about what some of the trends are that you’re seeing in the industry right now?
MacKENZIE: Certainly in the travel and tourism PR industry, the trends are certainly enhancement of our social media tools, really a lot of interactiveness, and also there’s a good development of digital storytelling.
BURKE: Great. And then, you know, amongst that of your members specifically, are they talking to you about things that they would like to see as far as future programming and developments there?
MacKENZIE: I think the tools that certainly track and measure the social media arena, certainly an easy interface where they can certainly message and story tell to the best ability, and to really work with different communities and show the spirit of their destination.
BURKE: Great, Doug, and thanks so much. Is there a blog where people can find you?
MacKENZIE: You know, at our visitphoenix.com site we have the Hot Sheet blog which gives all sorts of good tips on visiting Phoenix.
My friends and I have joked over the years about CEOs (who will remain nameless) taking on the persona of the “Emperor” in the Hans Christian Anderson tale, The Emperor’s New Clothes. It was all fun and games until we let a CFO friend in on the joke, who suggested that, perhaps, marketing and public relations professionals are the scoundrels in this analogy. Ouch! This seemed harsh, but it gave me pause to reflect and better educate my CFO friend on why we are not the scoundrels.
In the spirit of his DNA, the CFO only responded to the numbers. Not just any numbers, but those that impacted the bottom line of the business. Certainly, this was the beginning of a beautiful relationship. He opened my eyes to the importance of every activity driving the bottom line, and I opened his eyes to the importance of the customer experience. Without evaluation and measurement, it was hard to know where you’ve been, where you are, where you’re going, and the most efficient way to get there.
While he appreciated the metrics I was using to manage the department (the outputs and the outtakes) and pointed out that perhaps those were simply the bolts of invisible fabric, clothing my CEO (and organization) with those metrics would be just like sending him out into the crowd naked. This was a pointed lesson that took hold and has stayed with me throughout the years.
In this analogy, is social media the cloth, the crowd, or the golden thread?
Social media is the golden thread. It’s real and it’s quantifiable. It’s how you use it in the weave of your fabric that makes it an effective cover of your efforts.
In social media, one of the easiest metrics to quantify is the conversion of an unknown to a qualified prospect. While this is an important metric to the marketing department to understand how your campaigns are performing, it’s only when the conversion becomes a sale (or outcome equivalent) that it really matters to the organization as a whole. The same stands true with engagement. While engagement is important, we should all look for opportunities to listen and learn from our customers. Until there’s a marriage or the deal is closed, it’s really all ceremony.
The moral of the story?
Know the difference between metrics necessary to manage your department and those important to the business objectives of your organization.
Don’t allow your organization or CEO to be naked while pretending to be clothed.
As a matter of strategy, make sure your organization’s “suit” is made of only the finest fabric, woven with solid metrics that are visible to the crowds (investors and stakeholders).
Don’t invest your time or resources in anything—including and perhaps especially, social media—that doesn’t cover your organization as you venture out into the crowds.
In the final analysis, trust your eyes, and if something doesn’t look right, say so. Even if it isn’t a popular thing to do.
I wasn’t able to attend this year’s 
