The other night I received an email inviting me to attend a Social Marketing workshop. After reading this email and, no offense to Giovanni as I’m sure attendees will learn a lot, but the first thing I thought was – Social Marketing? Now we’ve got another name in the mix that’s basically a description of what “Public Relations” or “Integrated Communications” is when incorporating social web tactics.
Here’s the email copy:
Social media has turned advertising, marketing and public relations upside down. Giovanni Gallucci is one of the most well-respected and well-known social media experts in the industry. He’s delivered social marketing solutions to some of the world’s best known brands and garnered media exposure for clients that would make any marketing & communications professional envious.
This one day social media training workshop will train you to utilize the new media marketing tools of twitter, blogs, videos, photos, social networks and other social media related websites in your online marketing efforts.
As discussed in prior posts, IMO, social media is a channel of which to conduct communications activities, which is what PR is at the heart of it. Communications. Connecting with your audience but that’s not what PR stands for any more. The word association is so tainted that sound of “PR” when vocalized does not beget much respect in the business world at large. PR is a means to a cheap end and not recognized as one of the most crucial strategic elements to any company. But then again, most PR people aren’t operating their programs at this level.
Are PR people stuck in a rut and now reliant to hire out to Social Media Experts instead of becoming ones themselves or is this the natural educational evolution for our industry? There are a ton of people out there claiming themselves as experts and mis-guiding gullible PR people but they’re getting paid and companies are eating it up (along with your budgets!)
Be smarter! Do you really not know how to use Facebook yet? Or Flickr or Twitter? If not, then you deserve to have some other third-party come in and tell your clients what they’re missing since you aren’t! It’s not hard folks. Listen to the conversation, observe before jumping in and then make sure that when you do it’s authentic and appropriate. And, you can focus efforts on the most popularly used channels. Facebook and Twitter don’t exactly take rocket science to figure out. And you can build a blogger list just like a press list.
I truly fear for PR agencies in the future. I think smaller more nimble boutiques that offer a more comprehensive set of services will start to nibble at larger agencies bottom lines. Big brands will pump money into fancy PR agencies in NY who have “Consumer expertise” but those agencies will see their creativity continually suppressed (read: stuck w/ media relations as core competency) and their budgets shrink as “interactive marketing” and “social marketing” and “integrated communications” firms demonstrate returns on programs that move the business needle. PR as most people do it now, does not. It’s trying, but it it’s just not respected enough in that way by executives, and often, by people in the field.
Public Relations should be known for being the go-to strategy to reaching your intended audience. Instead it’s now sharing the stage with Marketing and Social Media…Well, more like PR crashed marketing’s spotlight only to be upstaged by the shiny new potential of Social Media.
So, again, I am back to asking the question: What is PR? How is it different from “Social Media” experts? Where do they play together and what is completely separate? What is marketing and what part of that is also now PR?
What is PR’s responsibility?
What is Marketing’s responsibility?
What is Social Media’s responsibility?
What is Branding’s responsibility?
I’m struggling with the clear divisions. Are you? Got some insights or opinions? I’d love to hear how you all think the activities between these responsibilities shake out in this new order.
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I can think of several PR agencies that have built complete practices under the guise of digital and social media. Instead of training the already good people they have, they recruit more people to fill the jobs created by the higher billings. It all soon will crumble, I predict.
I agree. I’ve seen agencies fracture out their offerings but in the long run it’s going to come down to who can act quickly on a holistic level. Thanks for reading!
Is PR part of marketing? I thought marketing was the umbrella word that covered everything from product name to its design to public relations.
Good question Andrew! That’s part of what I struggle with when I simply say: I do PR. You know that what I do is much more than “PR” in the traditional sense. So would you call me a PR person or a marketer? There are differences, at least there used to be. And is marketing even the umbrella anymore or is “branding,” with communications, marketing (online and off,) social media and events as supporting tools? I think the old names and descriptions just don’t cut it anymore.
Kudos on another great blog post… I think you’re on the money regarding PR agencies subcontracting to “social media experts” — they might as well also outsource media relations, writing, strategy, etc. Also, how did the term “social marketing” come to mean “social media marketing?” When I was a young PR guy, “social marketing” referred to campaigns aimed at achieving some sort of socially-beneficial behavior (e.g. encouraging people to quit smoking).
Thanks Erik. I really value your opinion, especially since you are living and breathing agency life right now. What’s the hurdle for PR people to jump so they can start thinking about, and executing, communication plans that involve all channels, including social media? I’d love to hear more from you about what it’s like working with clients on this regard. Do I sense a guest post?
Sure - I’d love to “kick some sand” on the topic. I think a lot of older agency pros are not only concerned about “jumping” into multi-channel campaigns… they’re even more worried about being “pushed” by clients. Others love all the opportunity that comes with the brave new world of social media. Interestingly, I feel moderately up-to-speed when I attend tech events, but way ahead of the curve (big time) when I’m at a PR event.
Howdy Nicole,
I tried to post a comment here but it got kicked back. I tend to be a bit wordy.
Here are my comments regarding your post and some of the responses you received: http://blog.gallucci.net/2009/02/response-to-nicole-jordan-kickingsandcom.html
tear it up!
Nicole,
I really enjoy your blog. From my experience in the Gaming Industry, PR handles press/press releases and events, while Community Managers end up with the majority of the Social Marketing.
I wonder if PR is having the same difficulty that IT tends to have. When a company has a talented person that can handle a variety of tasks, the company then looks to that person to handle all of IT. When really there are so many specialties within. Do you find that this was starting to happen before the economy problems?
Again, great blog and hope to meet you at a future event.
Have a great day,
Trina
In case anyone’s curious, here’s the reply I posted to Giovanni’s blog in response. He makes a lot of good points (and although he might not have meant to) that agree with many of the things I’ve said in the past about PR agencies needing to own up on their weak spots and educate themselves or else be replaced…
Wow, what an excellent post with so many thoughtful points. I’ll keep my reply brief: I don’t disagree with what you’re saying and I’m not saying PR agencies shouldn’t hire out to Social Media Experts if that’s what it’s going to take for them to learn the new tools that are available to them. My beef isn’t with social media folks, it’s with the PR professionals that aren’t taking the fast steps to learn new communication avenues so that they are quick, nimble and savvy- hence why I think a lot of PR agencies will have a hard time in the future. The whole post is part of an ongoing discussion of what does the term PR even mean any more? In my PR world, which I’ve been practicing for over 10 years, I knew that to conduct communications (”PR”) for a company or clients I needed to take a look at all available channels, not just media/press. But that’s what most PR people do. So I hope your post also serves as a wake-up call to those behind-the-times professionals that talk about the new world order but don’t walk it. Thanks for sharing!
Many PR agencies have made the mistake (again and again) of farming out work or splitting the agency team into specific areas of focus. While, as a client, you might feel good knowing you have a “social media expert” and a “writer” or “editor” on your team - doesn’t it leave you wondering what the heck everyone else on your team does? As someone who has worked in the agency PR biz for a decade, that’s what I would wonder if I was you. Not saying your agency should never farm out work (i.e. don’t want account execs doing HR or janitorial) but anything that is a core part of the PR mix (which social media now is) should be something that everyone on your team knows and continues to gather insight into via day-to-day work and ongoing education. Here, here, Nicole!
One overlooked issue in this whole discussion goes all the way back to the top of the original post. C’mon people!
“Social Marketing” is NOT “Social Media”…its a different discipline all together. Those who incorrectly use the phrase “social marketing” appear ignorant in my opinion. If you doubt me, look up the definition of “social marketing”.
I recently read an article in Entrpreneur magazine in which the writer made the same mistake…and I was quite surprised that the Editor allowed that story to go to print.
My reaction was the same as Tom’s. “Social Marketing” is a specific discipline around using marketing techniques for social good. Nedra Weinreich (social marketing guru) had this post that helps draw the distinction: http://www.social-marketing.com/blog/2006/09/social-marketing-vs-social-marketing.html
To the topic, though: I think the divisions are tough and I’m not sure they are going to get any clearer. I, too, am wrestling with this as I think about how I teach these things (particularly PR and social media) - and even how I refer to each in classes. I recognize the importance of my word choice and try to be deliberate.
Thanks for good food for thought, Nicole.
Go Ducks!
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