Transcript The Future is Yesterday: Public Relations in the Networked Era Public Relations Society September 20, 2012 Lee Rainie: Director, Pew Internet Project Email: [email protected] Twitter: @Lrainie PewInternet.org.

The Future is Yesterday:
Public Relations in the Networked Era
Public Relations Society
September 20, 2012
Lee Rainie: Director, Pew Internet Project
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @Lrainie
PewInternet.org
we need a tshirt, "I survived the
keynote disaster of 09"
“Tweckle (twek’ul) vt. To
it's awesome
in the "I don't
want to
abuse
a speaker
to Twitter
turn away from the accident because I
followers
the audience
might see ain
severed
head" way
while he/she is speaking.”
too bad they took my utensils away w/
my plate. I could have jammed the
butter knife into my temple.
2
Digital Revolution 1: Broadband
Internet (85%) and Broadband at home (66%)
Networked creators among internet users
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69% are social networking site users
59% share photos and videos
37% contribute rankings and ratings
33% create content tags
30% share personal creations
26% post comments on sites and blogs
15% have personal website
15% are content remixers
16% use Twitter
14% are bloggers
… of smartphone owners, 18% share their locations;
74% get location info and do location sharing
Revolution 2: Mobile – 89% of adults
331.6
Total U.S.
population:
315.5
million
2011
Revolution 3: Social networking
59% of adults
New Reality 1) The world is full of networked
individuals using networked information
Image attribution: Flickrverse, Expanding Ever with New Galaxies Forming Cobalt123
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cobalt/34248855/sizes/z/in/photostream/
New Reality 2) The is no high-tech secret sauce
for effective message content
New Reality 2) Corollaries
• Credibility is assessed through multiple filters
–
–
–
–
Trusted information sources (including search engines)
Personal beliefs/experiences
Social networks
Aggressive fact checking
• Yes, bad information hangs around, but it can be
attacked in several ways
– Recanting
– Better information, especially from multiple sources
New Reality 3) Mass-media megaphones still matter to
getting a story out, but new messaging opportunities
have emerged and new influencers can be identified
apps
David Edelman: “Branding in the Digital Age: You’re Spending Your Money in All the Wrong Places,” Harvard Business Review
http://hbr.org/2010/12/branding-in-the-digital-age-youre-spending-your-money-in-all-the-wrong-places/ar/1
New Reality 4) Real-time, just-in-time,
“my time” messages/data are powerful
New Reality 5) Be findable … and
always be ready for your closeup
Gloria Swanson as “Norma Desmond” in Sunset Boulevard
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043014/
New Reality 6) There are stages of engagement
with audiences and each has a different weight
http://www.idealware.org/articles/engagement-pyramid-six-levels-connecting-people-and-social-change
New reality 6) Corollaries
• The social media space is a “fifth estate” with
a different civic sensibility
• Facebook is different from Twitter
• Social media users are semi-elite, they do not
represent everybody
• Lurkers matter as an audience that is watching
and assessing
New Reality 7) Influence is migrating from
organizations to networks and new “experts”
Traditional experts with
new platforms, esp. blogs
Amateur experts who are
avid contributors –
sometimes with tribes
New algorithmic authorities
New Reality 7) Corollaries
Social networks are more influential and are
differently segmented and layered
Sentries
New Reality 7) Corollaries
Social networks are more influential and are
differently segmented and layered
Evaluators
New Reality 7) Corollaries
Social networks are more influential and are
differently segmented and layered
Audience
New Reality 8) The flow of information has
changed – and so have people’s attention zones
• Continuous partial
attention to media
streams
• Immersion in deep
dives
• Info-snacking in free
moments
New Reality 9) All organizations are under more
scrutiny … transparency is a new marker of trust
Surveillance – powerful
watch the ordinary
Sousveillance – ordinary
watch powerful
Coveillance – peers stalk
peers
New Reality 10) The age of big data is upon us –
and will give new power to analytics
New Reality 11) Critical uncertainties remain
The architecture itself
Information policies
Social norms and attitudes
Eat food
Not too much
Mostly plants.
Eat pie.
Very good pie.
Not often.
Call Mom.
Let her talk.
Don’t argue.
Make promises.
Don’t break them.
Find loopholes.
Public Relations Rules - 1
Be unforgettable.
Engage the crowd.
Adjust accordingly.
Public Relations Rules - 2
Share ideas
On many platforms.
Listen hard.
Public Relations Rules - 3
Recruit influencers.
Distribute your stuff.
Go mobile.
Be not
afraid
Thank you!