|
Reprinted from the January 2006 issue of Summa magazine with permission by Summa.
Jerry Olszewski, a senior partner at the public relations agency Ketchum, says the advance of technology forces us to rethink communication strategies and opportunities for information exchange.
Are the mass media losing power?
Regardless of the answer to this question, the truth is that the Internet, the standardization of wireless connections, the increasing sophistication of mobile phones, and the boom in digital technological devices have led to exponential growth in the so-called “new media.” These include virtual newspapers, portals, search engines, online directories and communities, Web blogs and citizens’ networks.
|
|
What is the current state of the media?
It is evolving every day, and in order to take advantage of the great opportunities that are opening up, companies need to look for more creative, more efficient ways of interacting with their audiences.
Given the multiplicity of messages and sources, the public has become more selective, and is very specific about what it wants. This is gold for our industry. For example, in the United States you can’t reach young people aged 18 to 22 through the mass media. They get their news online or from programs like the Daily Show, which looks at current events in a humorous way. So you have to find out what media they are tuning in to, or use direct experiences with the brand at sponsored events.
There are some other trends that are equally revealing. Europe has made a lot of headway in mobile marketing: using mobile phones to receive information on upcoming cultural events, movies, restaurants and other activities. The same thing is happening in Asia, while, in the United States, podcasting – transmitting regularly scheduled audio programs over the Internet – is popular right now because of the high penetration of iPods and other MP3 players in the market.
It was, in fact, the launch of Apple’s new model of iPod, which features video and can be used to download this season’s top ABC programs, that has revitalized the debate about opportunities for publicity in new media.
Yes. The iPod is a whole cultural phenomenon, with great potential.
Most young people in the United States are familiar with this technology, so if – for example – a large store employs mainly young people who are not sitting at computers all the time, but are moving about within the store, and if they use iPods, it might make sense to take advantage of the device to communicate with them and send them the corporate information they need, rather than using e-mail or other media.
And what is happening in Central America?
If I were a business in this region, I would be looking at how to handle all the different ways of getting the media’s attention and finding out who could help me say what I have to say in an appropriate way.
Over the past 10 years, I have seen that a classic error of business owners in emerging countries is that their communications budget is always lower than it should be. And, now more than ever, strong brand positioning is necessary.
An appropriate communications strategy provides visibility and credibility for the business. You invest in building a reputation and if that investment is not consistent, it is lost very quickly. As fast as the world is moving today, if I don’t hear about you for more than two months, I figure you must not exist anymore. And if you leave an empty space, your competition will step in to fill it.
What is Ketchum Personalized Media?
It is a service created to enable organizations to use the new media efficiently, so that individuals receive the right messages, at the right time, and in the right format.
It will focus initially on the five fastest-growing online tools: mobile marketing, blogs, podcasting, Really Simple Syndication (RSS) and search engine optimization (SEO). But it will also evolve with the market.
Increasingly, users have the power to select only the information that is of interest to them. That is why you have to find the best way to bring information to them, moving beyond the traditional formats.
What is the challenge for public relations agencies?
If a public relations agency wants to be efficient, it has to take the client where the client wants to go. In order to do this, we have to have the right talent; that is, consultants with creative minds who not only have the traditional skills, but also understand how business works and are familiar with the new media.
At Ketchum, as a strategic partner for communication, we provide clients with a whole suite of services. This includes developing an appropriate strategy based on the client’s assessment of where they are now and where they want to go, how best to handle crisis situations, and making the most of internal creativity. We also bring our own knowledge and experience in the industry, and provide follow-up for each initiative in order to gauge results and assure an appropriate return on each investment.
Keywords :