It seems to me, that the more things change, the more they stay the same. The advances in technology only add to the toolbox that we have to enhance the fundamentals of good PR. Like you said about product placing; I remember reading something taht said companies paid millions of dollars to have their products placed on an episode of “Friends”. In the future, instead of T.V. shows it maybe Podcasts, but the principle is still the same.

I didn’t even know about vlogs until you mentioned them. That is an interesting…and very logical concept (as the next step from blogs). I’m guessing that companies could put ads and news conferences on their vlogs for people to view and give feedback on. LIke I said, this stuff is ever evolving and changing…it’s tough to keep up.

The next great thing is always hard to peg - who would have thought that blogging would take off to the extent that it has? Blogs are beginning to have influence with the mainstream, general public, which is helping their growth.

I’m still hoping that the inventions on the Jetsons finally arrive.

Erin’s analogy hit the nail on the head (sorry couldn’t resist) as to what a blog should be, one of many tools that we have to assist us to get our message out.

So, what do you see as the next new tool coming down the pipe. I’ve learned that all of this stuff moves pretty quick, so I think I’d like to get a jump on the next big thing.

Good PR looks at everything available, sees which tools fit best, and then moves forward.

I am not sure if there is a fear of blogs themselves, but there is always a fear of the unknown or the uncontrollable. That’s just human nature.

I’m part of the camp that views blogs as another tool in PR. They are great tools, but should not be a replacement for traditional outreach, but a complementary tool. But, it is too early in blogging to see where it will all eventually fall out. I have seen blogs that have been launched for companies that are great implementations, and other blogs that just seem like the PR team had no clue what to do, and thought “let’s launch a blog” - and it does nothing for the brand.

Yes, blogs are important, but it’s just as important to be smart about them.

While attending a PRSA conference last year in Birmingham, AL one of the professionals in the room asked the keynote speaker about blogs. The speaker replied with, “Who here has a blog”. Only the students in the room raised their hands. The look of surprise and confusion on the faces of the professionals was amusing. Most of them in the room, didn’t understand blogs at that time and in a sense, I think they were scared of the changes that the blog and the blogesphere could have on their world. This is what I was referring to in my previous post when I was talking about “fear”. Sorry for confussion.

No, PR is not dead. If anything, bad PR is dead — “bad PR” meaning the practice of bad PR. What I think this “PR is Dead” movement has done is to draw a line in the sand. Separate the strong from the weak — essentially, those that will evolve and embrace this new communication tool from those who will continue with what they were probably doing anyway (not much).

And you know, bad PR isn’t even dead. It will continue for a while, but it will become less and less acceptable as clients expect more and more from their public relations programs.

Now, smart PR definitely is not dead. Never will be. There’s just too many things a well-rounded PR strategy created by a savvy PR professional has to offer that a blog could never even hope to accomplish. (Like reaching local and regional target publics, as you mentioned, Jeremy.)

Blogs are important, just as all other communications tools are important and need to be understood by PR professionals. But they’re a far cry from the one and only NEW PR. Basically, blogs are like a hammer: a really handy tool, but not the whole toolbox.