Why are you downplaying the fact that GE and Wal-Mart are clients? Isn't that what you are supposed to do: highlight the positive efforts of your clients? What's wrong with it?

And along the lines of the "Greening of Corporate America," the Urban Land Institute should be encouraged to step up its efforts to educate planning departments at every level of government on best-management practices for development of one of our most finite resources. Building materials manufacturers, real estate developers, sales agencies, and building firms must act as stewards in educating the general public about this trend, and in turn, reap the profits! Smaller, better-built, multi-functional spaces in new homes will be the biggest and longest sustained trend in the last hundred years!

Karen,
And the next big area will be China where there is more new construction than anywhere else in the world!

Hi Richard,

Have you considered the important role that blogging and other internal comms social media tools are going to play in helping companies reduce their environmental footprint?

I'm currently advising companies in the UK and Europe about the environmental and sustainable benefits of blog internal coms. Happy to chat more about it with you if you are interested.

Great to hear this perspective - a thought/question - why restrict recruiting of mid-career professionals (whether woman or men, white or black) to those who have specific experience related to PR (event management etc?)

I would think that one route to attracting highly talented professionals and new talent would be to find ways to attract great people - including smart, talented, creative professionals from careers outside of your "normal" realm of recruiting.

It would take a different approach to training and perhaps the workplace - but I would imagine that done well you might gain a wealth of new expertise, experience, perspectives, approaches and points of view. You could also specifically focus on recruiting professionals of color and woman - many of whom might be both seeking a new career path and/or running into glass ceilings/discrimination in their present career.

(this is brought home to me directly - I'm male but my girlfriend is a very talented but frustrated with her 10+ year career in corporate banking as she has experienced discrimination and different opportunities for men and women at her present firm - given an opportunity she could very well leap at the chance to flurish in a new career - especially one where she could see direct results and great opportunities)

Shannon

Shannon,
Excellent point
Andy Merrill who runs our financial PR unit was a banker for 10 years then switched over to PR and he is just first rate

Mr. Edelman,
As a student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, I have been able to be a part of a giant career-counseling network, as the University plays host to a large number of top-notch companies at various career fairs throughout the year.

I have been disappointed, however, at the lack of public relations firms at these fairs. In fact, I believe I have only encountered two firms on-campus in my four years of attendance. I have since been left alone to conduct my job search and learn about the PR industry. Ultimately, it has turned out quite well, as I have made fantastic contacts within the profession, but I am still concerned with the industry’s lack of proactive recruitment programming.

Firms are missing out on top-notch talent by only focusing their recruitment efforts on a few schools like Syracuse and Boston University. The past two PRWeek Student of the Year award-winners have been myself, from the University of Illinois, and a student from Howard University; schools that some recruiters may not necessarily think of often. Don’t get me wrong; the schools you mentioned are fantastic institutions with some of the best programs, but if a more conscious effort was made to inform students early on in their education about the PR field, the rise in talent would be outstanding.

Perhaps a recruitment committee needs to be established in the PRSA, or the major firms can get together to fuel some money into a joint-recruitment and educational campaign? On a wider scale, I am in full agreement with you that if public relations, as a profession, came out publicly more often to champion its successes and its leaders, rather than having to defend itself in its failures, the public perception would slowly begin to shift. If this happens, I believe there would be a rise in talent, quality of work and public confidence in the industry.

By the way, I have been reading your blog every week for a year now, and I have really enjoyed reading your insights on issues facing the industry. It has solidified my decision to go into this profession.
Regards,
Josh

Josh thanks for writing
No question that the industry has been lazy about recruiting, relying on word of mouth We can't break through on diversity without good old shoe leather John Edelman will be in touch with you on recruiting from U of I

It was interesting reading this blog but unfortunately, I was disappointed in how much it lacks forward thinking or real understanding of the issues over diversity, especially in the public relations world. I'll share a few perspectives here for your consideration and evaluation.

I worked at a "major" PR agency here in Washington, D.C., and was the 'only' Hispanic in an entire 100 plus enployee office. I came in as a senior account executive ready, willing and excited to provide an additional perspective to client work but I think the agency was not ready for it and the environment was not conductive to supporting it.

Some of the major flaws that I see are the competitive nature among offices from similar PR agencies. For example, I was part of the "diversity team," which included an African American woman from my office and various other executives from other offices accross the United States. The problem with this business model is that office "A" based in Los Angeles will probably not, if at all, involve anyone from office "B" based in Chicago for any potential and 'substantive' client work related to diversity or otherwise. The simple reason is billable hours and annual budgets. It is to the benefit and the responsibility of the general manager of office "A" to keep as much, if not all, of the billable hours in-house instead of sharing it with other offices accross the network.

So while I knew that there was a great deal of diversity work being done in LA, nothing was distributed to or shared with other offices because of that reason. In fact, it was more convenient for the LA office to hire someone at my level than utilize my expertise.

Obviously, my strategy should have adjusted to this reality once I identified the problem. It did. I wrote an extensive memo to the general manager outlining ways to expand our own diversity client work in-house. I was basically positioning myself to lead this effort. But again, the agency was not ready for this opportunity. Why? The problem is how client work is done. Basically, once you win an account, a team has already been formed with some senior member leading it and serving as the point of contact for the client. Unfortunately, if a diversity strategy was not pitched or included in the original proposal -- maybe because it's usually the last thing anyone thinks about and the lack of diversity to begin with -- then it's very difficult to add a member after the fact who could expand the contract to include a diversity strategy. Client work is very territorial within an agency.

So what are some solutions? Well, I think appointing someone to as community relations or diversity manager is only window dressing. I was expecting a more aggressive approach...I think this person needs to have the full backing of the agency, the power to hire, and a substantive budget. And if we're serious about this, then this person should be an executive who should be considered among the senior leadership of the agency.

One also needs to understand that among Fortune 1,000 companies, very, very few of them are active in reaching out to the Hispanic community. But that's why a good PR agency should be able to convince (counsel) the client that investing in programs that reach out (market) to the Hispanic community makes good business sense for the simple fact that the Hispanic purchasing power in the United States is over $700 billion ($1 trillion by 2010) and Hispanics are more brand loyal than any other minority group.

Each office should be self sufficient regarding diversity. Meaning that there should be a senior executive who would lead a diversity team and be included in strategy or brainstorming sessions or even review every proposal to include a diversity component regardless of client needs. Some may question, why give the client something that it did not ask for...well because we're suppose to give them not only what they ask for but also what we think they should do. We need to be proactive and forward thinking...that's what the client expects of us. And diversity work is forward thinking.

I stayed two years with my agency. After that, I decided to move to the association world and work for a Hispanic organization that works exclusively with Fortune 1,000 companies in diversity (procurement, employment, philanthropy and governance). Now, I'm the director of communications and corporate relations and can see that there is still so much more to be done in this area. Good luck in your experiment.

Thank you for your comments and commitment to diversity, and to your work in advancing the profession as a whole.

I was in the audience while John spoke at NBPRS, and I agreed whole-heartedly with his comments and his proof-is-in-the-program initiatives. Edelman stood out from the crowd that day, not only as a company willing to chastize the industry, but (as usual), to ask the hard questions of itself and make way for lasting change.

I think it's also important (as you wonderfully admit) to avoid placing friends of likeness in positions and to become comfortable with diversity as a whole, because diversity is fundamentally not about color or race, but about differences. Innately, people gravitate toward what is familiar, and there is a natural tendency to open that channel only so far.

We must challenge ourselves, our employees and our programs to widen our views and stretch the limits of our cultural comfort zones if we are ever to stop slotting people in entry-level positions and stopping them in mid-management.
Until we take the time and the discipline to knowingly open ourselves to the talents, skills, viewpoints and values of others who are not like us, we will always limit our interaction with them because we are uncomfortable.

Embracing diversity really means that we have to allow ourselves to experience people of difference to the point where we begin to not only see them as equals, but as leaders.

Cross-pollination programs are an excellent way to create change at a lasting level. Why not have planned inter-cultural exchanges between offices where the majority become the minority, etc? For minority accounts, have non-minority account executives sit in on briefings, and vice-versa. This requires a commitment of resources but it also prevents the type-casting and narrow-listing that goes on with people of color working for minority accounts.

Edelman again is taking the lead on improving the profession, not only in words but actions. I look forward to how you will change not only your agency, but the profession as a whole through your commitment to these and other programs.

Best,

Margo

Thanks for the willingness to open this dialogue and cast a constructively critical eye on our own practices at Edelman. As "pioneer thinkers" in areas of communications, we have the same opportunity -- obligation in fact -- to innovate and find new ways to recruit and retain diverse talent. Not only does it enhance our thinking and service to clients, it adds positive energy to the workplace. The JCPR setting is ideal - one where diversity is not "something we're promoting" but simply "the way we operate" and an inherent value we offer clients. Let's develop training and development modules that ensure all Edelman employees have the technical and functional skills to succeed with clients and live up to the agency's reputation; people of color do not necessarily require added or special skills training in that regard. I would add, developing internal affinity groups and access to networking for professionals of color need not stop at the junior levels; it would be beneficial across levels/disciplines, and may help create ties with the agency that truly bind and last over time.

I like the idea of cross pollination
Thanks for compliment to John

Your story is exactly why I wrote my blog We are doing a poor job of making people like you feel welcome and well utilized
You are correct we need to have a senior person in charge and responsible
And to overcome the local office P&L pressures
This must be a top priority and watch us to keep us accountable!

Cheryl,

I had a fascinating dinner with Mayor Ken Livingstone of London on Sunday night. He said that the strength of the city is now its diversity, its ability to attract the best and the brightest from all corners of the world. We should aim as an industry to be a microcosm of this city, where great ideas are the product of a truly multicultural work force. You are right about the need for mentors for more senior people as well. Please help me and the industry to do this, and soon!

Thanks for your note, Richard. I agree with Mayor Livingstone; I wish more shared his view. I am happy to contribute in any way I can and have been playing roles in the BPRSA and the PRSA Diversity committee in addition to mentoring African American PR practitioners at Edelman and elsewhere. Please consider me poised and ready to serve as needed in a more formal capacity. Thanks for reading the blog comment...cro

The issue of diversity in PR goes beyond colour and ethnic background to also include social background and sexuality. In the US, ethnic background and social background often go together but in Europe the distinction is well worth making. I grew up in a working-class neighbourhood of an industrial town in the north of England and the cultural references and what matter to my peers from back then is very different to the experiences of many UK university graduates.

Regarding sexuality, one of the most cringeworthy experiences I have ever had was being pitched by a rival agency of Edelman for consumer work, where at the end of their presentation they had two slides highlighting their gay credentials with one of their team positioned as a gay uncle Tom.

I only wonder that with all the concern over diversity, cultural awareness, is it driven by corporate greed? or the will to want to "Do the right thing"? Are PR firms being driven by the possibility of lost revenues as a result of years and years of racism in the industry? Does it only matter when you can't land a "Sean John" account or a "Phat Pharm" account? because as a firm you only have 1% black, 3% asian, 96% white?
If I owned a minority owned company with a budget of 2-3 million dollars to allocate towards marketing, advertising, and such, It would certainly make me want to take my business elsewhere. I wonder if that wasn't the case, would this even be an issue.

I think recruiting at big PR agencies needs an overhaul or some new thinking on many fronts, not just this one, although it is extremely important.

In my experience recruiters don't get the big picture. They hire people with just the right experience in a specific category. I think it's because they don't truly understand that in PR, the ability to adapt to new industries is a crucial skill and one that most people can do if they have a strong foundation in media.

Some out of the box thinking is truly needed at the big agencies.

As a former journalist with eight years of weekly newspaper experience and an additional eight years of solid pr experience at smaller Manhattan and Long Island public relations agencies, I can't get my foot in the door at Edelman.

Why, I don't know. If it's a question of only taking people from the top schools then that is a problem for all of us who didn't have a brand name education.

I think Richard hits the nail on the head when he questions his policy of giving his friends' kids internships. These kids would benefit from finding an internship on their own; there is no greater lesson their parents could teach them than success doesn't come from having things handed to you.

I'm not sure if this message board is still being reviewed, but this topic is more important today than when it was started in 2005. American industry cannot afford to leave millions of poor and minority youth unprepared for 21st century jobs and careers. Thus, they need to develop new channels of reaching youth with the types of critical thinking, problem solving and communications skills kids need, but are not getting from inner city public schools.

I host a conference in May and November each year where these ideas are discussed. Until business leaders get involved at this level of networking, their strategies and goals won't connect in the neighborhoods where minority youth are going up. The conference web site is http://www.tutormentorconference.org

Like what Dan Bassil said, I am not sure if this message board is sitll being reviewed, but I want to share my experience anyway.

I moved from Indonesia to New York about one year ago. I have eight years experience in public relations but I have been finding it very difficult to enter the industry here.

I had numerous interviews with big and small agencies and so far here's what they always say: You have a great experience or You are a strong candidate, BUT WE ARE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WITH US EXPERIENCE AND MEDIA CONTACT.

This frustrates me because all the skills are transferable. It shocked me to learn the the US PR industry is still pretty much US focused.

So how can you implement a diversity program if you are not willing to open yourself first?

I'm also not sure if anyone still reads this blog, but I would love to speak to anyone willing to be interviewed on this diversity in public relations topic for my master's thesis. I have 10 years experience in PR and marketing communications. Please send e-mail to lindam@the-rma.org.

Richard, a commendable effort. I would add that multinationals should look at their global workforces and see how they can leverage that structure to move more employees around between the US and the middle east to not only reap the business benefit from having employees with an increased international perspective, but also to build increased cultural understanding.

Curious re: Idea #2 - Does the artist involved with the tour need to have some sort of resonance with an Arabic/Middle Eastern audience? The artist mentioned above, Shakira, is an artist of Colombian descent whose popularity is with fans of Latino and American pop music genres.

I really like the ideas Mr. Edelman. Whatever we as a country can do to help the Middle East take care of itself will be a key component to stability in the region. As far as understanding culture, I think this starts with the younger generation. Your idea of a wired Middle East is dead on. And let it be a Middle Eastern company that provides the service (with support from a Microsoft or whoever as necessary).

With the capabilities of blogs today, I think it would be easier than ever to have a dialogue with students in the Middle East. A program could be implemented at universities all over the U.S. for American students to blog with Middle Eastern students. I feel this would facilitate an understanding between the next generations of leaders in both parts of the world. At this point I think we need REAL communication with the REAL people of the Middle East to understand the REAL issues they face.

Christopher,
As we know the most credible information is that supplied by employees in a peer to peer fashion

Justin,
Peer to peer is the only way this works. Too much cynicism on top down communications in that part of the world

Richard,

I line the spirit of the ideas.

However, Idea #1 "Bring better business techniques to the Middle East", as articulated, is fraught with cultural issues that a US-centred idea will crash into.

Be careful of the value-judgement when terms such as "better" are used to describe what you have in comparison to others. The Middle East has been "in business" for millenia - just not globalized western business. So beware the cultural imperialist undertones.

Also, if the US wants to have a conversation with the world, then visit the world. Don't remain seated and have Middle Eastern envoys delivered to the US for plant visits. The 2 worlds and cultures are too different to assume visiting the US will teach the Middle East "how to do it right." Would Toldeo practices translate to Tehran? Maybe. Maybe not.

Instead, have the US/the West go learn what business means and does in the Middle East and see if there are opportnities for mutual sharing and support. US business might even learn something out of the deal.That's likely to be seen as less patronizing and condescending from the receiving end, might start more meaningful discussions and relationships, and might more directly start the slow process of displacing current negative perceptions of the US in the Middle East.

Mike,
I think this is constructive critique
You are right about Mideast business heritage The Fertile Crescent was home to the original deal makers So just as we try to find great cultural icons we should find the upcoming business leaders and make them the new heroes By the way are you the Mike Dunn who worked with Edelman in HK years ago?

Dear Mr. Edelman,

This post was great. You have outlined concrete ideas for the future of American-Middle East relations. Perceptions are indeed skewed at the moment, as a result of all that has been happening recently.

It seems like the American government is trying to do something about it. The PLUS program was started by the U.S. Department of State in 2004-05. Here is their website: http://www.plus-aed.org/

It brings the brightest students from all parts of the Middle East to various universities on full scholarships. I am a student at Denison University in Granville, Ohio - a small liberal arts college. The PLUS program has brought students from Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Bahrain (and a couple of other countries) here - a small town in rural Granville, Ohio!

Undoubtedly, the interaction is going to challenge stereotypes on both sides, but only if significant interaction takes place. Right now, it seems like the Middle Eastern students are having to assimilate on their own. That means some students tend to have minimal interaction with other American students because it takes some time to adapt to a different social culture. A little more structure around constructing interaction in schools and colleges might be beneficial. Also, there seems to be some ambiguity around the reasons for bringing the smartest kids from around the Middle East, especially to small liberal arts colleges like Denison University. Greater transparency might also be helpful.

Thank you for writing about this. The discussion is very valid and I could not resist writing. (Also, I'm not sure if you remember me, but I interned at Edelman NY this past summer, and the experience was invaluable.) Thank you!

Sincerely,

Tariq Vasudeva

Richard, there is much to agree with in your assessment, especially the current atmosphere of cynicism. Leveraging the business community, contributing to a wired society, libraries and promoting arab culture are sound suggestions.

A managed dialogue with trusted voices could be a successful umbrella strategy. Commentators with feet in both cultures could make significant impact using broadcast and Internet media.

Alistair Cooke helped the British understand life in America in weekly, ten-minute essays. Both sides of this cultural divide need such figures to provide context, to translate and to explain daily events.

If we can plan a 13-year return to the moon, It might be sensible for policy-makers to consider this a decades-long agenda.

Burt,

A typically sage Burt W response
I like the Alastair Cooke idea
We should find excellent voice of Middle East to explain Islam and Middle Eastern culture to Americans
The key point in my blog the benefit of inside out communications helping the Arab world sell itself

Taqriq,

Thrilled to hear from you
Let's push this initiative with Karen Hughes Frankly you and I should both do it
You as college student have real credibility I will use my professional status to do so

Richard,

Deep agreement and thanks for the kind words -- tho' sometimes I feel more thyme than sage --

A senior Arab leader who'd had a boyhood in America could also explain American culture to the Islamic world.

I enjoy checking in with what's on your mind via your blog -- well executed.

All best,

--B.

Mr. Edelman,

I must agree with Mr. Dunn's critique. Though cultural sharing and understanding are crucial to creating a healthy relationship between the United States and the Middle East, some of the tactics you mention may be perceived as imperialistic. I whole-heartedly agree with the essence of your suggestions but feel some amendments would make them more complementary to all involved parties.

For instance, inviting exceptional Arab students and professionals into our institutions is a wonderful idea for many reasons, but shouldn't the relationship be reciprocal? By inviting Arab scholars, artists and professionals to the United States we indeed show an honest interest in all that these individuals have to offer our country, but the connotation of these acts is that the U.S.A. is superior and can take advantage of foreign relationships without contributing our best and brightest in return. There are many American students seeking international experience. A competitive exchange program could be tremendously helpful to both American and Arabic students and, despite the dangers in some areas, would reinforce our country's faith in the culture and future of nations other than our own.

Likewise, though the United States could offer business improvements to Middle Eastern countries, we could undoubtedly take a lesson from many of their practices as well. Perhaps instead of solely bringing our business techniques to these countries we should have an exchange of professional tactics. As the former employee of an Egyptian entrepreneur I have seen first hand the excellent reputation-building and networking skills (read client loyalty!) ingrained in the Arabic culture. Business people in the United States are great, but not necessarily the greatest. We can learn a lot from other cultures.

Similarly, though promoting a wired culture and an appreciation of athletic competition would certainly improve the education and morale of Middle Easterners in my opinion, many might see this as an attempt to Americanize yet another corner of the world.

In short, though I am inspired by your ideas I believe you could integrate more give and take to build a stronger cross-cultural relationship. Perhaps, as Mr. Wolder hinted, a panel of influential United States and Middle Eastern professionals could work together to devise a strategy that would more efficiently suit the wants and needs of both cultures.

Best regards,
Karla Signs

Interesting and well-thought-out discussion and ideas. As Karla points out, though, "the connotation of these acts is that the U.S.A. is superior ..." As a cultural anthropologist, a cornerstone of our study is the concept of rationality, i.e., to get to know any group you wish to communicate with, you must truly know and understand its core values. A classic textbook example is of the US health workers trying to communicate to rural African women not to drink stream water that has been infected by chemicals or other impurities downstream. The women's experience leads them to view the foreign aid workers and their explanation as evil; and correctly so, based on cultural rationality. The solution: find a respected local leader who understood the issue and who could communicate with the women by placing the need to avoid impugned water in a culturally logical context. That's good PR, and effective delivery. The flip side in this situation is: is the message from the US correct and beneficial? Or must we do far more listening and learning about the cultures we wish to open doors with first? Maybe that would help shape the message better.

Dear Richard - I couldn't agree with you more about the need for better, more honest communication across borders. Particularly your ideas around supporting cultural exchange and the arts. I was long-time marketing director of Film Society/Lincoln Center for years. We organized film festivals from around the world - including several middle eastern festivals - that opened my eyes and heart to regions I had only superfical perceptions about. Great business too - that's important, these don't have to be marginal activities. Full disclosure: I left Film Society to make a documentary about Peruvians in NY, and last week was in your offices to meet account exec for new PromPeru account- that's how I discovered your blog in first place, researching the agency!
So there you, blogs and films connecting people.

Mitch Teplitsky

Mitchell,

The best way to connect is to share culture. That is for sure

David,
If we are continuing to preach, the global audience turns off. If we try to hype, we lose them. Why not try it a different way and push the wonders of local culture. Let's see what happens.

Here's an example happening now of what you were suggesting:
http://www.arteeast.org/cinemaeast/filmfest_05/filmfest05.html

This is quite an industrious project you have completed. However, the results are probably non-scientific, and, perhaps, the experiment was contaminated by the lack of random sampling and the presumption that there is no underlying difference between those who choose to respond and those who choose not to respond. This aspect of the subjects might be an influential causal variable, whose unrecognition causes you to infer spurious associations between variables. Nevertheless, your work has value in that it is explorartory and opens the door to more research of this kind.

Regards,
E Russell Cole

Russ I acknowledge the limitations of our work I take the view that this is a continuing project And that we will come back at it a year from now Thanks for writing

Thanks for having considering my request Richard, although the US have a strong majority in participants, the study indeed brings the voices of the rest of the world .... Though it's indeed representative.

I think that the results are a very good approach to bloggers minds, and as a confirmation of what I perceived from the blogosphere.

Also, I think a very very simple and intelligent way to attract bloggers attention (I suspect that it was one of the main goals from the beggining).

I recently published an article with iMedia Connection regarding blogger motivations citing your survey. Thanks for giving me the data to make my point.

You can read the article here:
http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/6946.asp

Interesting survey results. Online 'blogging' may potentially open or lead to the discovery and development of new consumer markets based on 'blog demographics'. Many 'bloggers' indeed conveyed interest in companies products based on there preference to receive product samples.

Marcel,
I think PR biz has interesting opportunity to be involved in company R&D Why? Because we can have dialogues with interested non traditional parties like NGOs and expert bloggers who can improve the products before launch Thanks for reading my blog.

Good data, thanks.

Curious on the are around trust of contact (Question 13). How do the results compare to non-bloggers?

Alex.

Firstly Richard, Many thanks for posting the results of the survey. This in itself is very rare from corporate business as they want bloggers to participate and input into surveys and discussion. Yet seem not to want to make these things into a 2 way partnership! for want of a better word.

There is a vast wealth of diverse humanity within the blogosphere, that is almost untouched by corporate business, PR professionals and most kinds of business.

Until these people climb down from their ivory towers and start to smell the coffee at ground level and interact with these people in the real world, no progress will be made and the usual media blurb will continue to spew.

Your perception when you said " The old techniques not only don't work in the new world, they erode trust and turn bloggers off". Is like a breath of fresh air, I hope that people from both sides of the fence start to take note.

Again many thanks

by the way, you really should remove the email address and phone numbers people have provided in the verbatim responses, especially as you've mapped their IP addres...

Alex.

Very interesting results coming out from this survey indeed Richard. May be some additional interesting information to add might be the geographical segmentation of the results: US vs. European. The cultural factor might underline important difference on the results. Although we have in France a strong positioning in the European blogosphere, the language barrier doesn't make me very optimistic on the level of participation to this survey coming from France...
Anyway, having some visibility on European/US thoughts might be interesting, more over if any major divergence appears at some point. Should be doable thanks to IP addresses....?

This survey is significant for more than just its findings. It shows that business is taking blogs seriously. If businesses, via their PR proxies, want to woo you, then you’ve kind of arrived. It means that people think that what you write has influence.

By the way, we (Blog Relations) published our own survey last week. We asked PRs what they think of bloggers. So put the two together and you have the complete picture.
http://www.blog-relations.com/category/survey

Like I said on my blog, I think your money quote is:

What does this mean for PR? (...) We need to help companies enter the conversation, but they can only do that with respect, humility and honesty.

It was a pleasure to take part in this survey. I look forward to reviewing the results with our PR people.

As a pr specialist, web user/writer/manager, blog reader and blogger, i am saying that to the companies since... years!

My market is Sudamerica, so i think that the blogosphere has -just a bit- less influence here than in your country.

Thank you for this study, i think that now i have a new tool and new good data to support my thoughts (and as selling arguments).

Regards.

Peter,
I think we will have to reinvent the PR business...what do I mean?
We have been one way street as well pitching or sending press releases
We will have to create relationships or we are cooked!! Thanks for writing

Guillaume,
We should look at this in a statistical fashion. Count on it soon.

DeWeert,
I am really pleased to hear from you. Push hard in South America on this topic. We should have more bloggers there.

Jack,
Thanks for writing. Hope your PR folks buy into this new world in serious way

Marc,
That is absolutely the highlight Thanks for writing send me link to your blog

Hi Richard !

Thank you for your reply to me , re the survey which I filled out - much appreciated !
It was good to see the results of same published -interesting outcome .

Thanks again ,

Sharon,
Dublin,
Ireland.

Hugh,
This is really good stuff
Thanks it is really the other bookend

Thanks for this survey

With the deal between AOL and WeblogsInc the market become more and more interesting for P&R and media Cies

Hi, boss. *8-)

I did some additional work with the raw data and ">have been entertaining myself with alternative "cuts" of the survey, learning new things in the process.

Thanks very much, Richard, for undertaking this enquiry.

The attention Edelman and Technorati have given to a zone where things are getting "blurry" is both perceptive and prescient. That you should wonder how blogs are going to impact PR is the equivalent of having wondered how TCP/IP was going to impact intranets circa 1994. In both cases, the question fetches an answer beyond the asker's expectations or imagining.

Suffice it to say that the blogform will be recorded as the first tangible, specific occasion of the Web having delivered on the promised Democratization we've been reading about since the beginning. Long after it became academic that the Web would have this effect, we had yet to see what I would describe as a *pure example* -- which would necessarily signal a TRUE paradigm shift -- and not the sort we read about in every other press release -- lol.

Since we first began to struggle to understand its effects on our lives, our conception of the Web as medium has continuously referenced more familiar mediums, like Television etc. This has been useful and beneficial to business, because it has permitted marketers and customers to reproduce familiar forms of dialogue -- (examples being: Advertising and Customer Service). The Web has provided many exciting innovations affecting both the speed and richness of the multiform dialogue between companies and the public, but none, yet, that has invited a fundamental transformation of the relationship between them.

Blogs are going to do just that.

You can read more about it by clicking on my name.

Just as Google has understood the Evolutionary Necessity of shifting from relevancy to trust, companies are going to soon appreciate the *greatly expanded* impact of Customer Satisfaction on their success.

There are the links you can buy, and then there are links you are given...

Jack Mardack
President
profitLABINC.com

There are a pair of terms that i like to discuss (and I use to with other bloggers and):

1.new media:
I think that blog culture is present on the internet from the beggining, but the difference now we have traditional reporters writing blogs. Thats represents a shift on perception that we can see on the traditional media.

2.conversation:
I think bloggers *speak* about conversation, but difficulty *practice* conversation.
In the most cases, the tone in criticizing every detail of the big companies / society / whatever is more an invitation to fight, than opening a conversation.

The survey results are no surprise. Large firms with traditional outbound marketing communications programs would prefer that bloggers go away. Failing that these firms would prefer to simply ignore bloggers on the grounds they are NOT influential for mass marketing to consumers. To some extent I think they are right. If you have enough throw weight in terms of media buys you can overcome any influence by bloggers. Bloggers by and large right now appeal to early adopters. This may change in time, but ultiamtely there is only so much talent that is going to give itself away for free on blogs. The rest will sell their services in the market and if large firms are smart they will come with checkbooks.

Dear Richard,

A truly fascinating post. As a PR professional who does not work for an agency, I appreciate the insight.

It seems to me that the ideas of "respect, humility and honesty" should be universal factors in business (and especially PR) ethics. They have not always been convenient to pursue, but perhaps bloggers are making these factors a necessity instead of a luxury.

Best,
Allison Shapira

As a senior in Public Relations at Auburn University, I have a slightly different perspective from all of these seasoned professionals. :-) I was recently reminded of something I learned in one of my very first PR classes: the ideal objective of PR is to develop mutually beneficial relationships between and organization and all its publics. This survey is a positive step toward that objective -- I'm surprised it took us this long!

I agree, for too long PR has tried to fit bloggers into the same mold as other media, and therefore approached them the same way (with press releases and other standard PR). However, just as publics differ and require different strategies, so do media. Blogs are a uniquely important and influential medium. Your survey, along with the Blog Relations survey that Hugh Fraser mentioned, will help PR move closer toward that "mutually beneficial relationship" with a very valuable public: bloggers.

Erin,

What does your professor think of the survey?
Are bloggers afforded real consideration in your PR course at Auburn?

Sharon,

And it was truly a global survey note how many outside of US!!

Allison
Absolutely right
Those of us in business must be conscious of the trust discount currently being applied!

Ohadi,

I take a different view
I think that the influence of advertising is declining That there is real need to have views expressed in free media in order to achieve belief and trust

DeWeert,

I would like to think that bloggers will continue to be constructive critics--even robust critics--because that is key to the credibility. But you are right--they must listen to the responses to have a conversation.

Jack,
Just one idea to add
There is also trust that you must earn
Through engagement through conversation through admitting you are wrong sometimes and fixing it Be it don't buy it

Phil,

Amazing cross tabs
That authority seeking bloggers post more frequently and are more inclined to trust PR agency types
Keep it up we need further insights on this data

Do you think there's any relationship between a company's decision to start (or to encourage) blogging and its market performance? Or its
confidence level in traditional PR initiatives?

As a recent graduate, I had blogs exposed to me through one of my clases. Our professor believed very strongly that this is where PR is heading and he taught us that blogs, when used properly, can be a wonderful tool for real and true communication with a target public. As you said Mr. Edelman, it creates a two way street instead of the traditional one way. I think that can only help an organization to understand its publics and clients.
The way the blogesphere polices itself is unique. It regales honesty and transparency and if you try to enter as anything else, you will not be welcomed. I think this study will go a long way towards the molding and shaping of PR for the future. Where blogging is utilized and understood, and respect and honesty are paramount.

Thank you for your reply. Belief and trust do indeed abound in "free media," but so do conspiracy theories including some offered by mainstream news media. Take the case of the Pocatello, ID, television weatherman (KPVI-TV, an NBC affiliate) who claims the strength of recent hurricanes was the result of a Russian made generator used by Japanese mobsters. Here is the URL for the AP story as published by USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/2005-09-20-wacky-weatherman_x.htm

Consumers will need new ways to differentiate truth from fiction as blogs proliferate. The public relations industry has an opportunity to play in that space as I will describe below.

Currently, blogs are enabling technologies used by early adopters and the blog movement contains some of the same idealistic enthusiasm associated with the early days of the Internet. Having been involved with online technologies since the mid-80s, and being an "early adopter" myself, I see an echo of the opening of the free Internet with Gopher text technologies and today's use of blogs. Instant messaging and chat sessions have following the same arch of "liberation" travels.

As to what this has to do with advertising, I think the public relations industry can certainly benefit from what's going on with blogs. Smart advertisers will realize that consumers have many source of information about products and that the "throw weight" of a mass marketing campaign may be an inefficient use of dollars if consumers tune out the message due to credibility issues. Today's New York Times contains a report that cites a statistics from Ford Motor Co.
which is that 80% of consumers do all their comparative shopping online.

See New York Times, BUSINESS | October 10, 2005, At Newspapers, Some Clipping By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE Jobs at newspapers across the country are being cut as advertising and readers move online.
http://select.nytimes.com/mem/tnt.html?emc=tnt&tntget=2005/10/10/business/10paper.html&tntemail1=y

However, what if, hypothetically, consumers are suddenly subjected to the madness of crowds as bloggers take up a single report that FORD stands for "fix or repair daily." What would Ford's response be? How would it use current or emerging online tools to respond to this problem? I think the answer goes beyond creative advertising and goes to the issue of transparency. The best case, which I assume you know well, is the pharmaceutical industry's reaction to the tylenol cyanide cases.in 1982. Using free information the case is laid out at the
Wikipedia site http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tylenol_scare Here is
what the Wiki write-up says about the case.

"Johnson & Johnson, the parent company of McNeil, distributed warnings to hospitals and distributors and halted Tylenol production and advertising. On October 5, it issued a nationwide recall of Tylenol products; an estimated 31 million bottles were in circulation, with a retail value of over US$100 million. The company also advertised in the national media for individuals not to consume any products that contained Tylenol. When it was determined that only capsules were tampered with, they offered to exchange all Tylenol capsules already purchased by the public with solid tablets.

Johnson & Johnson was praised by the media at the time for its handling of the incident. While at the time of the scare the market share of Tylenol collapsed from 35% to 8%, it rebounded in less than a year, a move credited to J&J's prompt and aggressive reaction. In November it reintroduced capsules, but in a new, triple-sealed package, coupled with heavy price promotions, and within several years Tylenol had become the most popular over-the-counter analgesic in the United States."

Hopefully, none of your clients will ever have to deal with such an extreme situation. My point is that mainstream public relations firms can embrace the lessons from Johnson & Johnson and from the new online media to deliver their client's messages with greater transparency.
This will be needed not just because it is wanted by the consumer, but also because it ought o be part of the branding strategy of the client. It will align the product or service with a cause, which is truth in advertising. That after all is what the bloggers are looking for and any client who can capture the public's attention successfully with that approach will be bottom line benefits.

Bloggers who push advertisers to be open and transparent are really offering them the opportunity to enhance their brands. The influence of advertising does not have to decline if it takes advantage of this opportunity where practical.

I hope these comments will be helpful.

DanYurman
djysrv@gmail.com

Yes, there hasn't been a lot of "humanity" in corporate voices of that sort. Yet, consider a few fetchable exceptions -- people like Jobs, in whom "failure" becomes a Message for the company, but not as "failure", of course -- but as Failure Transcended.

A reluctance to bring their execs as fully-dimensional humans to the Web has created a gap between companies from which customers feel it's *people* talking to them and companies from which the *speech* is so sanitized, so committeed that there is no feeling of human interaction whatsoever.

Now that customers (in the broadest sense) are feeling the power of their own outreach, of their own voices, in the "out there" of buying things online, there will be pressure to "come down" and engage them at that level.

Like a bazaar.

Before coming out to San Fran, I worked in New York for a little tech PR firm called Technology Solutions. Then I worked a little at Fleishman-Hilllard, out here -- but that didn't go so well. I'm difficult for entrenched processes to digest -- lol -- :)

May I interest you in the services of profitLABINC.com -- ? -- If you were concocting a "Blog Practice", I think I could help you to bill it at $300/hour with ample client satisfaction.

And, as you might expect, after you tool around my sites a bit, I've been playing in some rough-but-tough-making neighborhoods, where the lessons in traffic management are priceless. I put myself into your conversation with such a hope.

Warm regards,

Jack

My question is this:

How do agencies and account executives adapt in the new digital, conversational world of PR? I address that topic is Global PR Blog Week 2.0 - http://www.globalprblogweek.com/ - Blogs & Public Relations Firms ? Challenges, Resistance, Opportunities on September 22 (Thanks Richard for participating). It seems to me that how agencies deliver, value and price services will be altered by online communication and the demands of the new conversational PR and journalism. Many of the networks and top print media outlets now have Internet reporters who monitor on-the-spot news coming from bloggers who are trumping traditional media. Bloggers form their own media network that organically forms around news and then dissipates. A ?smart mob? (a Howard Rheingold term) of global PR bloggers has emerged to monitor PR agency advances on the Net and to act as a beacon for the new practice of digital communications. There are many brilliant pieces posted on Global PR Blog Week 2.0 (from the ?smart mob?) that address PR and blogs from every conceivable angle, from many locales around the globe. Blogs have helped bring the great latent talent in this business to the fore. The Edelman/Technorati survey shows that blogs and bloggers are misunderstood and under used in the PR mix. That?s because it is neither the ?shotgun? nor the ?rifle? that works in online communication (blogs). It is the conversation. So how do you convince a client that paying you a healthy sum is justified for you having several beneficial conversations? The challenge for agencies is to justify the value of the time spent, and to train AE?s that being a respected member of a ?community? has greater lasting value than a ?placement? in a top media outlet.

David,
We are looking at this
As part of our analysis of trust data over past six years
Does performance correlate to trust in company then onto blogs!!

Jack,

Give me a few weeks we are sorting through our staff on WOM so Nov 1 pls

hanks for getting back to me, Richard.

It's an interesting -- but I believe entirely coincidental -- fact that companies that blog have lower share performance than companies that do not. Maybe in a case like GM's, the decision to blog was driven by some dissatisfaction with traditional messaging. But otherwise I suspect it's no more relevant than a share price comparision of firms with CEOs who answer their own email vs. those who don't.

In any event, I'd like to quote from your PR survey for the article.

I was Sun Microsystem's outside PR counsel in 1984 (the firm I founded was Waterside Associates), and boy, things were much simpler then. ("Open systems vs. Apollo's proprietary architecture -- THAT was an easy battle to win.) But now it's no longer just about crafting and delivering a message, but about co-creating a conversation and a message in partnership with customers and others.

I believe your survey will have broad impact on the PR industry, as it should. And it will (of course) also deepen your reputation as a thought leader in this area.

I have a interesting example of this if you have the time. Marcomblog, a blog started at Auburn University where students and PR/Marketing pros converse with each other, had a person claiming to be a Publix employee, respond to a post made by Josh Hallet regarding Publix. In the post there were some potentially libelous comments that the blog operator quickly took out. It's a long thread, but it was an interesting and entertaining exchange.

I do agree though, if the misinformation isn't checked immediately, then it could spread quickly because of how fast the blogesphere moves.

Richard,

My apologies, I may have given the wrong impression in my comment. I do understand from conversations with agency people at GM and reading their blog, that GM is reading the comments on their blog. However, my point was that the customers who comment don't know that that GM is reading their comment because they don't receive a response back from GM. Customers perceive their comments go into a black hole. Now if you are diligent you can find several posts on the GM blog that mention GM executives reading comments on the Fastlane blog. I just don't think that every customer reads those posts, so the perception is for many customers that GM does not listen. See my post and two interviews with two GM customers on the subject.
http://blogsurvey.backbonemedia.com/archives/2005/09/the_gm_blog_les.html

Hi Richard,

I've been blogging a bit about the legal line between journalist and
blogger. Sen. Richard Lugar this week said that the federal shield
law, as currently written, would not protect bloggers.

This creates a majorproblem, as far as I can tell.

Beyond that is the issue of
blogger/journalist/influencer when it comes to PR (your study helps in
that area). But I plan a few more discussion pieces on trying to
determine where PR people put their resources. How do you measure the "influence" of a blog versus the "influence" of a New York Times
article? When you're on the front lines pitching, where do you put
your efforts?

I'm curious to get your thoughts. You may also be interested in a
piece I wrote about how the producers of SciFi's Battlestar Galatica
are using podcasts, blogs and forums to connect with the audience.

http://mediametamorphosis.blogspot.com

Best,
Chuck Tanowitz

>

So many bloggers are really new form of media Not simply consumers
with attitude I like the federal shield law for journalists I would
like it to apply to bloggers

But I see your point legal insulation for a few (Lugar approach) and the many (Edelman approach) which public officials will not support If we define frequent bloggers as qualifying as journalists does this work???

Using the long tail Technorati definition those
with over 5,000 hits a week

I've been talking with Dan Kennedy, formerly of the Boston Phoenix and now a visiting professor at Northeastern. His take (which I'll blog on later) is that we need ot look at "journalism" not the "journalist."

To me it seems like a semantic line that is just as difficult to define. But it sounds like you're heading in that direction as well.

Chuck

Richard, many thanks for your hand in today -- :)

Warren and I chatted productively. One topic of long discussion was how to pitch the services of a Blogging Public Relations practice to prospective Client Bloggers. The short answer is you don't pitch them -- you simply tell them -- ;)

Force of Conviction (to close the deal) + Proof of Effect via Metrics - hits, comments and links (to inspire a feeling of money well spent.)

Unlike Burrelle's clippings, which always felt absurdly insubstantial to me against the money spent, Blogging PR "wins" will build an asset into the future.

For the client with shy execs, or for whom a personal blogger is not appropriate, there are also services. If you enlarge the definition of "blogger" to allow for something closer to an "editor", it allows for a broad range of content types and multiple writers. The CEO could have a weekly "column", instead of the burden of sole contributor to bear. Just brainstormin' -- ;)

Jack Mardack
president
profitLABINC.com

Richard, you must know Elizabeth:

"Cynicism is a difficult beast to slay. It's not clear from your post where you think cynicism is encamped, Elizabeth. Let's assume you mean "cynicism" the way a Marketer would use it -- meaning simply... "Ain't buyin". In that case, the only possible cynics are in the eyes of anybody trying to sell something. And that means the consumers who ain't buying from business and the businesses who ain't buying from other businesses."

Am I the only one who hears a gong?

Jack Mardack

We would be honored if we could be added to this blogger. We are from the World Business for sale is the leading independent businesses for sale listing service
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