Issued by: Idea Engineers


That's according to Janice Spark, partner at Idea Engineers. She says that the basic principle of PR - getting the right message across to the right people at right time - still applies in the world of online media.

Says Spark: "Over the past ten years, electronic communications - from email and the Web to blogs and RSS feeds- have changed the way that information is disseminated by PR agencies and the media. What has not changed is the message itself: the concept of shaping and controlling messaging and driving it through the available media outlets. This is the heart of traditional PR, and in the competitive world of online media, it's perhaps more important than ever."

“PR is about the creation and the delivery of messages - starting from the identification of newsworthy developments in a client's business, through to creating story angles, and then creating content tailored to a range of media (online, TV, radio, print) and outlets (mainstream, trade and technical, business, consumer),” says Spark.

The other vital role that PR agencies play is establishing and maintaining relationships with media outlets. Many relationships between PRs and journalists stretch over years and cannot be replicated easily.

Tracking and managing relationships with influential media professionals as well as bloggers, consumer activists (e.g. MyBroadband), and other less formal media is a massive task in an environment where new online and offline outlets are rising everyday.

Spark says that traditional PR agencies will need to make some adjustments to ensure their continued relevance in a world of online media, however.

They need to cut the spin and bluster that characterised a lot of media releases in the past, since the thousands of people who see these press releases can see right through hype.

PR professionals also need to start thinking about how they can get their messages across to the thousands of people who have large readerships through blogs and podcast, yet don't form part of the mainstream media.

Most bloggers get their information from media outlets, so they're usually influenced indirectly by the work that PR agencies do to get their messages across to journalists. But direct relationships will need to be forged with many 'citizen journalists' and bloggers.

“South African communications professionals have longer to think about these issues than counterparts in the US and Europe, but even here, online media is becoming an increasingly influential and important part of the media landscape,” says Spark. In many markets in South Africa, like telecoms and IT, online media already rivals print and broadcast media for influence.

Spark concludes: "New technologies have changed the way that the audience consumes the message and the way that communications professionals disseminate it. But PR still has a critical role to play in creating and spreading that message. Provided PR professionals can adapt and learn to use new technologies such as RSS effectively, they will be as integral a part of the online landscape as they are in the world of offline media."

Visit our PRESS OFFICE: Idea Engineers www.ideaengineers.co.za is in business to do one thing - grow yours. We believe great brands are built by a differentiated strategy, a strong reputation, excellent brand communications and an experience that lives up to the brand promise. Need to boost your business? Let's talk. Mail janice@ideaengineers.co.za or call +27 11 803 0030.- more....

[28 Aug 2007 15:23]

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