This image pretty much nails it. Each silo within the communications industry is trying to convey the same message, yet their approaches represent the culture clashes that historically pit them against each other.
So, what happens when social media enters the picture? Uh-oh ...
Which industry is the rightful "owner?" Which discipline has the muscle to speak credibly about social media's short- and long-term value? In other words, which industry (and its army of agencies and consultancies) will nab the most dollars for social media engagements?
Each camp has its own arguments, but social media is new terrain, and there's still no clear-cut answer. There are merits for each, but when push comes to shove, I'd put my money on the PR pros for many of the same reasons that this op-ed explains
What's worth pointing out is that this was published in 2008, and the same arguments hold up just as well today as they did nearly three-and-a-half years ago.
I put my money too on the PR pros. It's not just that most people don't have the technological expertise for social media. It's that most people don't exhibit a strategic communications mindset, period.
ReplyDeleteHere's the $64 question about marketing, advertising, branding and social media campaigns. How many times are they done without a well-thought strategy? Problems with strategy leads to ineffective tactics, and you wind up missing your goal; or even your target audience all-together.
I think PR pros are generally better at seeing the big picture, than straight marketers, advertisers, branders, or social media users. Good PR pros don't look just at both sides of the situation. They look at all sides of the situation. And many business people don't have the insight to do that.
Why must one claim credit over another? This makes no sense. I can't presume that one field has greater proficiency with s.m. than another. I can't believe that PR folks or marketers have a jedi-like mastery of social media. Facebook, YouTube and the like are simple to use and highly popular. Yes, there's a certain sense of responsibility to use whatever tools are available for anyone in sales or marketing. Job tasks can dictate the utilization of s.m. tools as well as their strategic application to get the job done. But lo and behold, social media can easily be applied in an intelligent and strategic fashion with a little imagination and some YouTube videos. Take a look at Justin Beeber. How many thousands of parents are strategically uploading videos of their kids to create a buzz and hopefully garner the attention of LA Reid or Usher?
ReplyDeleteDo we really care who was the first to develop the deep dish pizza or use a skateboard on the snow as a new sport? Not really, so long as we can reap the rewards and have some fun, who cares? Anything new will always have its critics and its posers. Social media has been around for about a decade or so. Everyday its value is tested and acknowledged. If you want to be the dinosaur and negate it, so be it. It was the same for personal computers and it will remain for anything that creates change.
This is a valuable conversation, especially as it relates to the name of our course: Public Relations Functions and Practices.
ReplyDeleteI want to clarify that the post isn't about "credit" for social media -- as a new form of communication -- but rather as a Function or Practice. When there's $$$ involved, you can bet that catfights will break out. There's only so much budget to go around.
When it comes time to divvy out the budget, will the overarching business community see social media as a PRFandP, a MFandP or an AFandP?
For example, would Toyota hire a public relations firm or an advertising agency to handle their Super Bowl spots? Of course they're going to hire the ad firm, and their PR firm will promote the ad campaign via media relations, etc.
So, when it comes to the social media strategy to promote that SB ad campaign, which arm should be responsible: the ad agency or the PR folks?
This is what's happening with social media responsibilities. It's a communication function, just like marketing, advertising and public relations. That means companies have to set aside $$ to build and execute the social media programs.
Social media, at its most basic level, is about honest, genuine conversations -- just like we're having in our course blog. Of the three "traditional" communications industries, which one has the chops to do this best?
Companies probably don't want folks from each of the three arms posting to Facebook, tweeting, blogging, etc. How would this look and sound to a company's target audiences?
It depends on the intended goal of the organization. Marketing focuses on the sales technique. Advertising focuses on persuading the audience to act. Branding focuses on self promotion. Public Relations is the only function that focuses on developing relationships. If Toyota wants to create one ad to increase sales, call the Ad agency. However, if Toyota wants to foster a long term relationship, call the PR agency.
ReplyDeleteRelationships are developed through communication. In the professional realm, social media is a new form of communication that should be left to the pros. Public Relation practitioners should be encouraged to develop and/or sharpen their social media skills in order to become effective and well rounded communicators. This will allow Public Relation Practitioners to better connect to an audience and perform their jobs well.
Social Media IS the future of "mainstream" media in my opinion and for that reason it's paramount that we as strategic communications are completely comfortable in the social media world. We have to know our audience and keep abreast of technology that we can utilize. Social media/new media/media in any form it presents itself is our territory. This is not not be the function of marketing, advertising or corporate branding. One of the reasons(in my very limited experience and understanding) I'm hesitant to work in-house as a Corporate PR communicator is I don't think executives genuinely believe the time and effort put into managing social media campaigns or investing in social networking platforms can be measure in "bottom line results" for the company... Okay that was a rant that went off topic. In net, I believe PR is the right industry to manage social media.
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