PR Under the Microscope

What’s the digital era? It’s everything you see around you. It’s the dominating use of technology by 'average joes' and professionals alike to increase the speed and scale of knowledge. It’s society as we know it today. It’s life as we know it today. But before the digital era, life still existed.

Publication relations, PR as it is commonly called, has existed in some form for over 100 years. From publicizing people and events, interacting with the public, building a brand and name, and restoring broken images, PR does a lot for those it represents. Since the digital era emerged though, PR has been going through a massive shift – a massive transformation driven by advances in technology and increasingly stressed value of technological communication.

A lot has changed for PR thanks to the digital era. Drama and crisis are frequent fliers in media. Audiences aren’t as secluded as information quickly can reach across the country and world. There are vast opportunities for providing information. There’s room for people to talk. They can put public input on brands and individuals that spans across media. Relationships are harder to build as face-to-face contact is limited and overrun by distractions. There’s lot to focus on, and it’s not reasonably possible for the PR officials to know and see everything happening regarding the brand.

Both consumers and technology are demanding attention from PR. This demands a PR transformation. So, what does that mean? It means that PR must focus on both the consumer and technology simultaneously. Live streaming and “real time” interactive marketing is a recent development that permits this. To keep up with technology, PR officials must also pick up their pace. Messages must be released quickly (and be quick reads) to ensure a successful interaction. Traditional print releases aren’t as viable of an option anymore, but instead building relationships with bloggers who will share the content.

The bottom line is that the purpose of PR is still the same – positive, extensive brand building – but the execution has transformed. PR workers must now consider the integrity of the digital world and all that it has to offer. Doing this benefits the consumers, providing ease of access and keeping up with their fast pace. It also benefits PR in that they can now utilize SEO and link usage to increase views. They can track their connections. It’s a different world for PR and its ever changing with technology.

But whether that’s for the better or the worst is still to be determined.