Podcast Review: "Are PR Agencies a Dying Breed?"

“Are PR Agencies a Dying Breed?” This podcast talked about the pros and cons of public relations in a digital world. After listening to the podcast I do not feel PR is not dying, I just feel that it is changing. Communication technologies of the digital age are creating more competition and redefining the way PR is done. The digital age is changing how PR agencies are driven and how they present information. The podcast talked about how smart agencies today are no longer trying to own a conversation but are trying to engage in a conversation. It also talked about how every new communication outlet has a different culture and that agencies need to use and engage in each outlet differently. Certain tools of PR agencies such as press releases may be dying, however the same information is still being delivered, but in different ways. A panelist from the podcast used the term “traffic cop” to describe a PR practitioner who is able to use these new tools to direct issues to the right people.

I also liked what was said about twitter. One of the panelists talked about how so much of the information is not useful or even interesting. He talked about how much he hated when someone tweets about how they just woke up or what they are eating for breakfast. He used the phrase “yogurt vs. informational yogurt,” to explain that there is a big difference between a tweet that is interesting and useful vs. a tweet telling what someone is eating for breakfast. On the other hand, it seemed like everyone agreed that twitter and other outlets like it are, extremely important. I think they said there was something like five million people using twitter and over 20 million people using facebook, so there is obviously a huge audience. One of the panelists gave an example showing how even the biggest corporations are paying attention to outlets like twitter. Peter Shankman, one of the panelists, posted how he was in a rage because McDonalds did not serve him a burger because it was a few minutes before they started serving lunch, even though the burgers were ready. When he got back to his hotel, McDonalds had put $200 on an arch card which was waiting for him at the front desk. They also said posting on twitter does not make sense for all companies, but that all companies should at least follow twitter.

It was interesting what was said about how college kids use these outlets. They also talked about difference between the way individuals and businesses use the outlets. They talked about how college kids have the skills and knowledge to use these tools but they do not use them correctly. They are proficient with the tools, but they need to learn what to talk about.