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Convergence of Mainstream and User-Generated Media

As we talk about convergence between mainstream media and user-generated media, there are other “convergences” starting to accelerate that are changing the way companies market products, interact with stakeholders and assess their corporate perception.

First, we see that marketing and PR functions are converging. What does this mean? Historically, PR is often more tactical where the strategic and creative side were often more usually associated with marketing or executive management. PR was often criticized for always wanting a “seat at the table” and getting involved in setting strategy not just implementation and tactics.  The lines are getting blurred – and for good reason.  Both areas are responsible for building brands and maintaining them. Through convergence, both areas can actually help each other and gain business benefits.

I just met with a large advertising agency in NYC while I was attending BlogOn Social Media summit. We had a discussion regarding this very issue.  This leading agency sees their business changing quite dramatically. Agencies can no longer take 6-9 months to research, brainstorm and plan a campaign. They need more real-time or near real-time tools to help them react to changing consumer perceptions and “go to market” with their position. 

Is this the tip of the iceberg or is there a slow, but fundamental change? I’m not overstating the significance when I say, I believe that the dramatic changes in media are causing cataclysmic changes. It will not be overnight, but the way firms market is changing. For examples, the media buyers at agencies often are not just commodity buyers but very strategic in how the allocate their buys to various media sources depending upon goals of the campaign. Similarly, PR agencies that we work with are spending time evaluating competitive positioning and even asking to be included in meetings with sales teams or engineers to discuss product road maps.

This means that  marketing and public relations need to work as an integrated collaborative team, where both respond quickly to issues and set response plans in motion. It is not only the PR professionals who have to deal with crisis in reputation, it is the marketing team as well.  We have seen this countless times with issues regarding FedEx, Kryptonite, Starbucks and many other household brands. It is not just satisfying demands for marketing/PR ROI, but rather demonstrating how to best build and maintain brands in the general marketplace, especially in user-generated media (i.e. consumers, experts and societal participants).

Certainly the real-time focus on most media is also having an effect that is driving convergence, but I think there is a move away from one preferred media to a variety of sources – both online, in print, or our portable devices, etc. Television is no longer the end all and be all (remember when the evening news was “must see” TV?).  Thus, marketers need to think about goals and find resources to help them deliver.  An important part is the ability to rethink and change campaigns and tactics “on the fly” based on user feedback, internal resources, as well as sales responses.
I believe the PR/marketing convergences and the ways that mainstream and consumer generated media are coming together will only accelerate in the coming months and years.

Posted by Andrew Bernstein on October 18, 2005 at 11:48 AM | Email this post Permalink

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