A participant’s final thoughts

We made it up as we went along. Global PR Blog Week began as a vague idea about creating a virtual conference. During months of discussions, via a Yahoo group list, ideas were tossed around, rejected or accepted, and refined, until we created something truly splendid.

The public has many misconceptions about the work of PR professionals. Now there is a place in the public domain where anyone with internet access can read about our work and judge for themselves.

Our single most important contribution may have been to shift our industry from the idea of controlling the message and manipulating public opinion to that of presenting the message and cultivating public opinion. This change of metaphor is crucial to successful public relations in a world of increasing transparency. Those who fail to make transparency their friend will find it a formidable enemy. We offer readers many ideas on how to make transparency their friend.

Technoflak thinks Global PR Blog Week will serve as a prototype for similar events. Any group could have done this, and I think PR pros everywhere can take some pride that our profession was the first.

Author: Alice Marshall | Jul 19, 04 | Permalink | 4 comments
Category: @ Alice Marshall | Final Thoughts

Comments

I think you should let the keys in the door of Global PR Blog Week and see where it goes on the foot of the momentum of the group. There's enough energy here to sustain a low-frequency group blog with a PR theme. If that happens, the residual heat will spark an even greater level of pariticpation with version 2.

Posted by: Bernie Goldbach at July 19, 2004 05:48 PM

I think that might be too anti-climatic. Speaking only for myself, I prefer to leave it as is, with only the other participants' final thoughts and conclusions.

Posted by: Alice Marshall at July 19, 2004 06:01 PM

I was reading a piece on the holmesreport.com recently, in which a study about PR was examined in some detail. Of note, I think, is that most companies agree that PR firms do a good job tactically, but lack in the area of strategy/creativity.

My point is that our industry has a real opportunity to upgrade our usefulness by simply taking the time to brainstorm about creative ways to drive programs. Until we work the whole "PR measurement" issue out (and we're getting close), creativity will be the bread and butter of serious PR pros.

Posted by: Todd Defren at July 21, 2004 05:52 PM

Todd, you bring up a good point - the industry does need to find a way to measure results.

And, via the interview with Richard Edelman, Edelman Worldwide is working on a program that could be used by all agencies. Hopefully, other agencies will sign-on, and we can get one standard for measuring PR results.

Posted by: Jeremy Pepper at July 21, 2004 07:01 PM

About: The Global PR Blog Week 1.0 is an online event that will engage PR, marketing and business bloggers from around the globe in a discussion about blogging and communications. The event is scheduled for July 12 - 16, 2004.

Links: The New PR Wiki

Recent Entries: Looking forward to 2.0; Site Statistics and Trends; A participant’s final thoughts; Traditional PR is dead - Long Live DIY PR; Quiet is the new loud

Recent Comments: Rick Barry on A Very Brief Look at Blogging for the Uninitiated Executive; George Mc Quade on The Battle Over PR; Duncan Adams on Robert Scoble interviewed on Corporate Blogging; Kevin O'Keefe on How to launch a corporate blog for a professional services organization; William Luu on Site Statistics and Trends