As we look forward to 2015 it would be quite useful to pause and reflect on Public Relations as it was, and it’s evolution today. Some of the basic tenets of PR will of course always apply, and in that regard press conferences, media tours and press releases are expected to be used by organizations as part of their PR strategies.
The influence of technology and social media on PR however has meant that the success of the PR practitioner’s work is measured differently: number of clicks, shares and likes and engagement with the public stands as one ready example.
It is important that PR stays true to its core; that what is released to the public is timely, credible, informative, fast acting, and helps the organization build relationships that can weather any crisis. That being said these are the evolutionary PR tactics as cited by some experts.
1. PR Tactic:Â The Press Conference: Still efficient especially for government officials
Its evolution:Â
Twitter chats:Â Eighty-three percent of Fortune 500 companies have active Twitter accounts, and with 271 million monthly active Twitter users, companies have their customers, partners and prospects at their fingertips.
2. PR Tactic:Â The Media Tour
Its Evolution: Media tours are still common for Caribbean Tourism Boards which rely on international press coverage and advertising to sustain the industry. In Trinidad and  Tobago factory tours are conducted by the manufacturing sector when new sites are opened or other major news occurs which warrants factory visits. The major obstacle here is scheduling conflicts and the expense of accomodating and entertaining journalists. Expect the media tour to be replaced by a series of telephone briefings.
3. PR Tactic:Â Press Kit
Its evolution: It is very rare of late for journalists covering an event to be handed a press kit on entry. Journalists know that this information is available on the company’s website and many are more interested in onsite interviews with the persons behind the news. Reporters are looking for the new and interesting, not the pre-packaged and so good content is replacing media kits. Â
4. PR Tactic:Â Television
Its evolution: Getting coverage on the evening news, or any broadcast time at all is the PR Practitioner’s dream come true. But with the evolution of internet broadcast channels such as YouTube and its ability to reach over 1billion unique visitors each month, you should really think Bigger! YouTube users watch more than 1 billion videos daily on mobile devices, whereas only 30 million people watch TV on them. For Caribbean PR practitioners it is even more important for your content to be seen online as there are several studies which suggest that viewership of local TV is low.
5. PR Tactic:Â Charts
Its evolution: People (including the press) want to see context and a storyline. In this way, the infographic is the modern day evolution of charts which may have shown how the company had grown, its sales for the year and more. Today people want to see not only this but how it compares across countries and more.
Brownie Communication Concepts