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The more things change, the more they stay the same - The role of PR in a new media landscape.

By Jennifer Janson

May 21, 2012 | 5 min read

As media continues to evolve and expand in the growing digital environment, Jennifer Janson, managing director of technology PR company Six Degrees discusses what role PR plays in the current landscape.

It’s probably no surprise that a recent survey conducted by Eurocom Worldwide found that online media remain the most popular way for senior executives in the tech sector to source industry news. The channels by which those media are consumed, however, didn’t exist only a few short years ago.

Tablet computers have been around for years, but it was really Apple’s iPad that launched the category’s stellar growth in 2010. Today, the Eurocom survey shows that 30% of people access their news via a tablet device and more than 60% via smartphones.

The challenge for online media remains to turn all those eyeballs into revenue and profit. And the challenge for brands that have traditionally used the media as another channel for their message is to figure out if that’s still the best way to reach their target audience and build their brand. It is a fragile ecosystem.

According to the survey, while online media are the main way senior executives get their technology news, print media have held up remarkably well. With almost 70% of respondents still reading a print industry tech journal at least once a month and 40% doing so at least once a week, the industry isn’t quite on its last legs.

So what does all this mean in terms of PR?

There is ongoing debate within the industry about the value of PR and where the centre of gravity lies, with specialist digital agencies creating wide-reaching tailored, measurable campaigns. In particular, there is a growing grey area in which agencies of all kinds are starting to talk about paid media versus earned media. Should the two go hand-in hand? Is the new media landscape forcing a completely new approach to PR?

Maybe so. But I think we are getting distracted by petty debates over who ‘owns’ the client. I am all for measurement. And as the principle of an agency that has had its feet firmly in the digital space since we launched Skype in 2005, I completely get why online PR is so important, and should be integrated with broader online (and offline) marketing efforts.

The bigger point to be made, from my perspective, is about reputation. The essence of building a positive reputation hasn’t changed one bit since the arrival of social media and digital communications. Reputation is what people think of you. Sure, the average person’s voice can reach further and be heard louder in today’s online world, but the basic principles of reputation building still apply.

A company who is seen to be consistently responsive, customer-focused and respectful is one that wins the trust and loyalty of its customers. While interaction with customers used to happen in shops and boardrooms it is now happening online, for all to see.

Reputation matters now more than ever. And while a highly creative campaign might grab the attention of your target audience, I would argue that the solid foundations that form the building blocks of your reputation must be in place: strong and consistent key messages, unique positioning, a willingness to engage (now no longer just with journalists and analysts, but with your public, directly), and an agreed approach to communications that is completely in line with the company’s personality and values.

It doesn’t really matter where the centre of gravity lies…only that the core essence and understanding of long term reputation management sits at its heart.

Image courtesty of Shutterstock.

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