Comments on: Frank Gruber on Putting the Public Back in Public Relations http://www.briansolis.com/2009/04/frank-gruber-on-putting-public-back-in/ Defining the convergence of media and influence Tue, 22 May 2012 18:12:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Juan Lulli http://www.briansolis.com/2009/04/frank-gruber-on-putting-public-back-in/comment-page-1/#comment-2837 Juan Lulli Fri, 10 Apr 2009 23:17:00 +0000 http://70.32.83.183/?p=6530#comment-2837 More than a book, Putting the Public back in Public Relations feels more like a historical accounting – done in real time -- of the past, present, and future of Public Relations. And where the future of Public Relations is already occurring now.<br/><br/>I’m new to social media and web 2.0, so what I saw through the pages of this book was something enlightening. What authors Brian Solis (www.briansolis.com) and Deirdre Breakenridge (deirdrebreakenridge.com) explain, to my way of thinking as a Wharton MBA-trained marketer, is classic “disintermediation” of the market role once enjoyed, in a sort of monopolistic fashion, by the traditional PR agency model. <br/><br/>Pre-web 2.0, PR performed the role of Brand Power Broker. It created, managed, distributed, and targeted the Brand conversation. It created the message of the brand. It distributed the message of brand. It chose the channels through which to distribute the brand message. It divined the profile of specific audiences against which to target those messages. <br/><br/>“…the conversations that are already occurring...”<br/><br/>But today, of course, Solis and Breakenridge explain that these brand conversations are already occurring without the enabling assistance of the PR agency model! <br/><br/>With ease and the awesome efficiency of real-time sharing and distribution of information, consumers, producers, journalists, new influencers, and collaborators are having these conversations directly with each other and across the web in seemingly infinitely arrayed social communities Solis coined as the Conversation Prism.<br/><br/>So instead of promotion that’s pre-packaged, static, and controlled, brand interactions and dialogue now occur naturally -- initiated, created, and shared by the marketplace, for the marketplace – without the middleman, without the Power Broker. <br/><br/>Less clear though, is how to encourage PR to discern, face, accept, and engage the new reality of socialized media – and how to re-invent itself and acquire for itself a value-added relevance.<br/><br/>Just as an aside, where I’m beginning to think this can happen best is with the “next-gen” crop of PR professionals at the University-level education. With courseware that educates all future PR professionals on the 2.0 landscape, it’s quite likely that the PR agency model can re-seize for itself an essential role in PR 2.0 today and in the future. Breakenridge has some insight on the New Curriculum for PR on her website. More than a book, Putting the Public back in Public Relations feels more like a historical accounting – done in real time — of the past, present, and future of Public Relations. And where the future of Public Relations is already occurring now.

I’m new to social media and web 2.0, so what I saw through the pages of this book was something enlightening. What authors Brian Solis (www.briansolis.com) and Deirdre Breakenridge (deirdrebreakenridge.com) explain, to my way of thinking as a Wharton MBA-trained marketer, is classic “disintermediation” of the market role once enjoyed, in a sort of monopolistic fashion, by the traditional PR agency model.

Pre-web 2.0, PR performed the role of Brand Power Broker. It created, managed, distributed, and targeted the Brand conversation. It created the message of the brand. It distributed the message of brand. It chose the channels through which to distribute the brand message. It divined the profile of specific audiences against which to target those messages.

“…the conversations that are already occurring…”

But today, of course, Solis and Breakenridge explain that these brand conversations are already occurring without the enabling assistance of the PR agency model!

With ease and the awesome efficiency of real-time sharing and distribution of information, consumers, producers, journalists, new influencers, and collaborators are having these conversations directly with each other and across the web in seemingly infinitely arrayed social communities Solis coined as the Conversation Prism.

So instead of promotion that’s pre-packaged, static, and controlled, brand interactions and dialogue now occur naturally — initiated, created, and shared by the marketplace, for the marketplace – without the middleman, without the Power Broker.

Less clear though, is how to encourage PR to discern, face, accept, and engage the new reality of socialized media – and how to re-invent itself and acquire for itself a value-added relevance.

Just as an aside, where I’m beginning to think this can happen best is with the “next-gen” crop of PR professionals at the University-level education. With courseware that educates all future PR professionals on the 2.0 landscape, it’s quite likely that the PR agency model can re-seize for itself an essential role in PR 2.0 today and in the future. Breakenridge has some insight on the New Curriculum for PR on her website.

]]> By: Brian Solis http://www.briansolis.com/2009/04/frank-gruber-on-putting-public-back-in/comment-page-1/#comment-2836 Brian Solis Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:53:00 +0000 http://70.32.83.183/?p=6530#comment-2836 Hi Travis, indeed it's rising as companies, whether b2c or b2b will adopt a direct 2 consumer strategy. It's a bell curve. I have numbers and data that show the activity of IT professionals on the social web as they use crowdsourcing to make recommendations,decisions, and purchases. Plus, there's the whole idea of Social CRM as it relates to b2b communities.<br/><br/>Sam, thank you!<br/><br/>Heather, wow. That means alot! Would love to hear your thoughts when you're done. Hi Travis, indeed it’s rising as companies, whether b2c or b2b will adopt a direct 2 consumer strategy. It’s a bell curve. I have numbers and data that show the activity of IT professionals on the social web as they use crowdsourcing to make recommendations,decisions, and purchases. Plus, there’s the whole idea of Social CRM as it relates to b2b communities.

Sam, thank you!

Heather, wow. That means alot! Would love to hear your thoughts when you’re done.

]]> By: Heather Whaling http://www.briansolis.com/2009/04/frank-gruber-on-putting-public-back-in/comment-page-1/#comment-2835 Heather Whaling Mon, 06 Apr 2009 01:57:00 +0000 http://70.32.83.183/?p=6530#comment-2835 Brian,<br/><br/>I just finished Part 1 of your book this afternoon. I think it's quickly becoming my favorite PR book! I love books like this -- that make you think about things from a different perspective. Can't wait to read the rest!<br/><br/>Heather (@prtini) Brian,

I just finished Part 1 of your book this afternoon. I think it’s quickly becoming my favorite PR book! I love books like this — that make you think about things from a different perspective. Can’t wait to read the rest!

Heather (@prtini)

]]> By: Sam Mutimer http://www.briansolis.com/2009/04/frank-gruber-on-putting-public-back-in/comment-page-1/#comment-2834 Sam Mutimer Sun, 05 Apr 2009 11:46:00 +0000 http://70.32.83.183/?p=6530#comment-2834 Brian, can I hear a whoop whoop! I'm loving your posts matey! They are full of enthusiasm and substance - wohharr! Loved it so much that I even mentioned you in my last post! Have a squizz when you get a spare millisecond! <br/>High fives and keep pumping out the mind fizzing content! Sam Mutimer<br/><br/>http://www.letsrefresh.com.au/blog/?p=258#comments Brian, can I hear a whoop whoop! I’m loving your posts matey! They are full of enthusiasm and substance – wohharr! Loved it so much that I even mentioned you in my last post! Have a squizz when you get a spare millisecond!
High fives and keep pumping out the mind fizzing content! Sam Mutimer

http://www.letsrefresh.com.au/blog/?p=258#comments

]]> By: TravisV http://www.briansolis.com/2009/04/frank-gruber-on-putting-public-back-in/comment-page-1/#comment-2833 TravisV Sat, 04 Apr 2009 16:23:00 +0000 http://70.32.83.183/?p=6530#comment-2833 Brian- it was great to meet you at the Web 2.0 event. I enjoy your blog perspectives and have learned a lot here. Also plan to pick up the book @ Borders on Union Square.<br/><br/>One thing that perplexes me about "social" (I have been very stubborn / slow to jump on board, to be honest) ... is that in my particular industry (enterprise software), I don't see a lot of actual BUYERS out there on social networks. I see a lot of marketing folks on Twitter, for example, posting tinyurls to whiteppaers and blogs, but (via Twitter search) I NEVER see actual enterprise IT buyers sharing perspectives.<br/><br/>Conversely, it seems like there are tons of average Joe consumers on these networks, and they are ripe for the picking. If you are a b2c marketer, seems like there are vast social networking opportunities to exploit ... but IMO, for b2b (especially high level enterprise technology sales), the buyer activity just isn't there to exploit.<br/><br/>Agree / disagree? Am I missing something? I've been monitoring Twitter and Facebook closely for a few years now and I'm just not seeing the same degree of relevance to enterprise IT marketing. Brian- it was great to meet you at the Web 2.0 event. I enjoy your blog perspectives and have learned a lot here. Also plan to pick up the book @ Borders on Union Square.

One thing that perplexes me about “social” (I have been very stubborn / slow to jump on board, to be honest) … is that in my particular industry (enterprise software), I don’t see a lot of actual BUYERS out there on social networks. I see a lot of marketing folks on Twitter, for example, posting tinyurls to whiteppaers and blogs, but (via Twitter search) I NEVER see actual enterprise IT buyers sharing perspectives.

Conversely, it seems like there are tons of average Joe consumers on these networks, and they are ripe for the picking. If you are a b2c marketer, seems like there are vast social networking opportunities to exploit … but IMO, for b2b (especially high level enterprise technology sales), the buyer activity just isn’t there to exploit.

Agree / disagree? Am I missing something? I’ve been monitoring Twitter and Facebook closely for a few years now and I’m just not seeing the same degree of relevance to enterprise IT marketing.

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