Comments on: PR/SM Braniacs: Round One with #PRBC http://www.laurenafernandez.com/blog/prsm-braniacs-round-one-with-prbc/ Tue, 21 Sep 2010 22:37:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Mary Jo Spletzer http://www.laurenafernandez.com/blog/prsm-braniacs-round-one-with-prbc/comment-page-1/#comment-2297 Mary Jo Spletzer Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:06:30 +0000 http://www.laurenafernandez.com/blog/?p=808#comment-2297 Lauren, thank you for putting this together. As a public relations student, who is required to participate in blogging and Twitter, it's good to know that most professionals feel social media has had a positive effect on PR. Although I agree with most of the answers, I'd like to hear more from professionals about what they think are the negative effects of social media on the public relations industry. For example, Jay brought up some great points about the PR "superstars." Students are often told to follow what these people are saying, but do they really have the answers? Who should we really be following?<br><br>@MJspletzer Lauren, thank you for putting this together. As a public relations student, who is required to participate in blogging and Twitter, it's good to know that most professionals feel social media has had a positive effect on PR. Although I agree with most of the answers, I'd like to hear more from professionals about what they think are the negative effects of social media on the public relations industry. For example, Jay brought up some great points about the PR “superstars.” Students are often told to follow what these people are saying, but do they really have the answers? Who should we really be following?

@MJspletzer

]]> By: Mary Jo Spletzer http://www.laurenafernandez.com/blog/prsm-braniacs-round-one-with-prbc/comment-page-1/#comment-2000 Mary Jo Spletzer Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:06:30 +0000 http://www.laurenafernandez.com/blog/?p=808#comment-2000 Lauren, thank you for putting this together. As a public relations student, who is required to participate in blogging and Twitter, it's good to know that most professionals feel social media has had a positive effect on PR. Although I agree with most of the answers, I'd like to hear more from professionals about what they think are the negative effects of social media on the public relations industry. For example, Jay brought up some great points about the PR "superstars." Students are often told to follow what these people are saying, but do they really have the answers? Who should we really be following?<br><br>@MJspletzer Lauren, thank you for putting this together. As a public relations student, who is required to participate in blogging and Twitter, it's good to know that most professionals feel social media has had a positive effect on PR. Although I agree with most of the answers, I'd like to hear more from professionals about what they think are the negative effects of social media on the public relations industry. For example, Jay brought up some great points about the PR “superstars.” Students are often told to follow what these people are saying, but do they really have the answers? Who should we really be following?

@MJspletzer

]]> By: keithtrivitt http://www.laurenafernandez.com/blog/prsm-braniacs-round-one-with-prbc/comment-page-1/#comment-1993 keithtrivitt Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:41:05 +0000 http://www.laurenafernandez.com/blog/?p=808#comment-1993 Jay - Thanks for the spot-on assessment of many within the PR/marketing/advertising space either branding themselves or being branded by their "followers" as gurus/experts/rockstars/superstars. Here's the thing: They ain't any of that because last time I read/heard/remember, we work in service industries, which means we are here to help OTHERS become the rockstars. Not us. <br><br>I don't think really any of us should even have that idea in our head that we want to become the next big thing because we shouldn't be working toward that. We should be working toward building our clients and our organization into the next big thing. I would imagine if all focused more on that, and began to get away from building our own personal brand (I honestly hate the term "personal brand"), then in the long run, people would notice our work, we would stand out naturally, and our "rockstar" status would build organically from there. <br><br>Jay, you got me big-time fired up about this ... I feel a new blog post coming on! Thanks, my man.<br><br>@KeithTrivitt Jay – Thanks for the spot-on assessment of many within the PR/marketing/advertising space either branding themselves or being branded by their “followers” as gurus/experts/rockstars/superstars. Here's the thing: They ain't any of that because last time I read/heard/remember, we work in service industries, which means we are here to help OTHERS become the rockstars. Not us.

I don't think really any of us should even have that idea in our head that we want to become the next big thing because we shouldn't be working toward that. We should be working toward building our clients and our organization into the next big thing. I would imagine if all focused more on that, and began to get away from building our own personal brand (I honestly hate the term “personal brand”), then in the long run, people would notice our work, we would stand out naturally, and our “rockstar” status would build organically from there.

Jay, you got me big-time fired up about this … I feel a new blog post coming on! Thanks, my man.

@KeithTrivitt

]]> By: PR Cog http://www.laurenafernandez.com/blog/prsm-braniacs-round-one-with-prbc/comment-page-1/#comment-1992 PR Cog Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:13:42 +0000 http://www.laurenafernandez.com/blog/?p=808#comment-1992 Hey Jay -<br><br>Thanks for the comment. I certainly know what you mean re: , what I've dubbed the SM/PR 'Gods' that shake the earth if they sneeze. Once we take them out of the equation the whole system becomes a bit better :)<br><br>The ability for youngins to stand out is probably an issue in most any profession, thankfully in the Communications Arts we're able to take advantage of the very tools we use for our clients to increase our own brand. When done professionally it's a great thing.<br><br>Our own Kate (@kottavio) posted a few months back in a similar vein. <a href="http://prbreakfastclub.com/2009/09/04/you-dont-know-me/" rel="nofollow">http://prbreakfastclub.com/2009/09/04/you-dont-...</a> Hey Jay -

Thanks for the comment. I certainly know what you mean re: , what I've dubbed the SM/PR 'Gods' that shake the earth if they sneeze. Once we take them out of the equation the whole system becomes a bit better :)

The ability for youngins to stand out is probably an issue in most any profession, thankfully in the Communications Arts we're able to take advantage of the very tools we use for our clients to increase our own brand. When done professionally it's a great thing.

Our own Kate (@kottavio) posted a few months back in a similar vein. http://prbreakfastclub.com/2009/09/04/you-dont-...

]]> By: @jaykeith http://www.laurenafernandez.com/blog/prsm-braniacs-round-one-with-prbc/comment-page-1/#comment-1991 @jaykeith Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:43:39 +0000 http://www.laurenafernandez.com/blog/?p=808#comment-1991 Expanding on Cog's answer, I'll say that for PR pros, social media has created an opportunity to come out from behind the curtain and show who they really are and what they are doing. This however, has had both good and bad consequences. The good is obvious - PR pros are able to assimilate and share information easily and quickly, learn from communities about what to do and what not to do, and also on some level get some recognition that has long eluded them. One thing PR people long for is credit for their actions. In the past they haven't gotten a lot of it, but SM allows for that craving to be satisfied on many levels. <br><br>On the negative side, SM has created a lot of PR "paper tigers"- people who talk a good game and act like they have all the answers, but in reality, they don't. Because no one does. I think that social media has, nearly overnight it seems, crowned a number of people in PR "rockstars, superstars, experts, influencers," or whatever other phony title you want to label them with. The truth is a lot of these people are really good at marketing themselves and getting their followers to rail about how great they are, but not so great at proving or executing on any of their "expertise." As with any other field, you just have to weed through the mess to find who you can truly learn from and who you can't. There are going to be self serving blowhards in any profession, but unfortunately SM has given them more of a platform than ever before. Expanding on Cog's answer, I'll say that for PR pros, social media has created an opportunity to come out from behind the curtain and show who they really are and what they are doing. This however, has had both good and bad consequences. The good is obvious – PR pros are able to assimilate and share information easily and quickly, learn from communities about what to do and what not to do, and also on some level get some recognition that has long eluded them. One thing PR people long for is credit for their actions. In the past they haven't gotten a lot of it, but SM allows for that craving to be satisfied on many levels.

On the negative side, SM has created a lot of PR “paper tigers”- people who talk a good game and act like they have all the answers, but in reality, they don't. Because no one does. I think that social media has, nearly overnight it seems, crowned a number of people in PR “rockstars, superstars, experts, influencers,” or whatever other phony title you want to label them with. The truth is a lot of these people are really good at marketing themselves and getting their followers to rail about how great they are, but not so great at proving or executing on any of their “expertise.” As with any other field, you just have to weed through the mess to find who you can truly learn from and who you can't. There are going to be self serving blowhards in any profession, but unfortunately SM has given them more of a platform than ever before.

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