Early in 2015, industry media were predicting a lively year for public relations. For the first time since 2008, that prospect felt encouraging rather than unsettling. The financial crisis had made consumers and businesses cautious, but the way people used information had continued to change.
Our original article considered what that shift could mean for PR. People were no longer simply receiving information; they were actively finding, selecting, saving, sharing and challenging it.
The audience chooses how to engage
The old picture of someone passively accepting every message on a screen no longer described the way we encountered media. People made choices about what they wanted to see, when they wanted it and whether it was worth passing on.
That changed the task for organisations. The message itself still mattered, but so did the way it was presented and the moment it arrived.
A billboard, television commercial or banner could have a role. None of those formats, by itself, removed the need to understand the audience’s behaviour and interests.
Media were adapting too
Newspapers, magazines and online publishers were also responding to those habits. Their core responsibilities remained important: sharing information, asking questions and examining society and those with power.
At the same time, they needed content that helped readers make sense of the subjects they were actively exploring. Repeating a prepared announcement was not necessarily enough.
PR agencies could contribute by connecting relevant company knowledge with a publication’s interests. That required a story with substance for the journalist and value for the audience.
Technology created stories worth explaining
In our work, we recognised both the media’s interest in useful content and companies’ need for help deciding what to communicate. Technology businesses were becoming increasingly prominent in everyday life.
There were new products, developments and applications to consider constantly. Turning all that activity into a coherent communications approach was not always easy.
Yet innovation could also give an organisation a meaningful story. The task for a technology PR agency was to understand the development and explain why it mattered to a particular audience.
A reason for optimism
Those changes were why I felt positive about PR’s prospects in 2015. The prediction belonged to that moment, but the communications challenge is still recognisable: help organisations move from having information to sharing something useful.
That means combining media relationships, audience understanding and clear content. It also means being selective. Not every development needs the same treatment or belongs in the same publication.
To discuss which stories could matter for your organisation, contact Progress Communications.
Ruud Berendsen
More news ›