How long do you think before social media ceases to be used to describe media that is generated by consumers formerly known as the audience, or content that is shared via networks?
In 2012, with few exceptions, all media must be social.
But for its part the PR industry is fracturing. Modernisers are helping chart the new media landscape, digital specialists will tell you online is all that matters, and traditionalists continue to communicate via the proxy of traditional media.
We had the chance to discuss these issues with Alastair Campbell when he spoke at our Control in the Age of Anarchy event last month. The edited video below is worth watching if you’ve got a spare few minutes.
“We, all of us, can be a stakeholder in anything we want and can impact upon an organisation for good or for bad,” says Campbell.
“It’s almost […] like we’re in a kind of global electronic sort of virtual village square where people find within these networks their own sort of people, and they talk to each other and they challenge each other, and they feed each other information,” he says.
This new media landscape is much more challenging for communicators.
“You’re clear in your own mind about what it is that you’re trying to say and what you’re trying to do, what you’re doing is painting a picture over time,” says Campbell.
“You’re not necessarily going to connect with people on day one. You’ve got to do it day two and day three and day four and day five and you just never stop. And so you communicate and you connect over time,” he says.
Gone are the days of command and control media relations where a programme of activity could be mapped out against media titles. The 24 hours news cycle is almost a memory and the number of outlets has proliferated.
“All you can control is who you are, what you say, how you say, how you say it, and how you put yourself across to people,” says Campbell.
But there is one benefit of working in this newly emerging media environment. Fortunately says Campbell, “The public are much more reasonable than the media.”
Nice post Mr Waddington as always. I think I agree with Mr Campbell we can’t control what others say but then we never could. I suppose it matters how loud they are being. The more people become used to complaining and commmenting on news the more I think does one negative tweet really matter here and there. Sure we want people to approve of what we communicate but you can’t please all of the people all of the time and there are a lot of miserable trolls out there just hell bent on causing trouble.
Would you be intrested in an interview at some point for my blog? I would do it over email if that is easier? I was thinking about it a while ago but haven’t got around to asking you?
Cheers
Chris
Thanks Chris. There’s a book due out at the end of March on this topic. Check: http://wadds.co/z2JuFs
Would love to do an interview. Drop me an email: stephen dot waddington at speedcommunications dot com.
Great stuff. Pedantic point. Date should 2012 not 2011 on the intro to the video?
Thanks Andrew. And thanks for spotting the typo. Are you available for proofing?
Interesting how you mention traditionalist PR practitioners being slow to come round to the idea of social media. It’s surprising how few businesses actually use social media, and how few that do use it, use it effectively.
There aren’t too many professions where someone with 40 years experience can be out savvied by a 14 year old ‘digital native’!
[...] “I agree with a lot of the thesis that these guys have put together. Anarchy obviously is just a word to try to get a bit of attention, but actually, in terms of for the communicator and what it means to have this phenomenal kind of change sweeping through not just the PR industry, but every industry in the world, I think for the communicator it is a really exciting time.” Alastair Campbell (speaking at a Speed event on 17 January) [...]