When Emily worked in a television newsroom, the anchor shocked her when she said that their 10 o'clock broadcast was just a headline service to get people interested in what was coming up in the next morning's newspaper. What this also means is that those public relations practitioners who have not yet embraced the online media as legitimate targets for story placement are missing the most desirable audiences. And before they know it, they will be irrelevant in the world of public relations and strategic communications. We're talking about the public relations firms that focus on non-technology clients. It may sound obvious here to those who are seasoned PR professionals, but now more than ever targeting the message is the most critical aspect of communications.
Users are interested only in the very narrow topics that affect their lives.
PR was concerned with the overall image of the company, the broader relationships with key constituents, the warm fuzzies in the community. It's an attitude that PR can no longer afford. Granted, the overall image of a company is still critical to its success. But not to the exclusion of other objectives, such as targeted communications to specific audiences. All rights reserved.