The era of command and control media relations is well and truly over. That was the view of Alastair Campbell speaking at our sales gig on Tuesday night.
It also happens to be Speed’s view.
Command and control was the defining communication strategy of Campbell’s time in Downing Street.
A splash in a couple of national papers and coverage on BBC TV News would enable the Government to lead the news agenda for 24 hours he said.
No longer.
A decade on and the news cycle is defined by stories breaking minute-by-minute on the internet and not by the daily production cycle of news print. Meanwhile there are an increasing number of outlets fighting for the attention of consumers.
“The agenda is being set as much by those who consume the media, and respond instantly, as those who are trying to exert that control,’ said Campbell.
It has made the business of public relations much tougher. We have entered an era of authentic campaigning.
“Organisations must develop a narrative and build their reputation by landing stories in the media over time,” said Campbell.
I’d argue that media relations has only ever been a proxy to reach an organisation’s audiences.
It’s why it is critical for organisations to be authentic, engage directly with their audiences, and build reputation over time.
It’s a long term job.
One of the people that Steve and I interviewed when we were researching 
