“Big Data” seems to be in every other headline. While the term might be relatively new for most of us, the concept and the capability are extensions of the digital evolution of the past decade. Increasingly referred to as “web 3.0,” in hindsight it’s easy to see where we’ve been heading with the preponderance of web sites and digital tools that have become integral to marketing, advertising and public relations in just the last few years.

Big Data holds tremendous promise across a multitude of areas like scientific and health research, weather pattern analysis, population trends, fraud detection and many more, but to date, no sector has employed it like the Marketing industry.

Continue reading " Big Data and Policy Options– Food for Marketers’ Thought "

Public relations is an ever-evolving profession. Technology and social media advances continue to move professionals further into the future with the access to new apps, platforms and other tools that accelerate the way PR pros do their job. Staying up-to-speed on these advances is one way PR pros can remain relevant.

In this week’s PRSA “Friday Five” post — an analysis of the week’s biggest public relations and business news and commentary — we look at how far public relations has come over the last decade and put the spotlight on a number of new social media advances, platforms and measurement tools that continue to launch the profession forward.

Continue reading " Friday Five: New Tech and Communication Tools Push PR Further Into the Future "

2013 is the first year since 1987 with four unique digits, but will it be as unique as its numerical configuration? With that question in mind, we once again bring you our annual PR industry prognostications.

This year we feature contributions from 12 creative thinkers who represent various facets of the PR industry. We asked for their insights into the trends they believe will fundamentally change the PR industry in 2013.

Below is a compilation of the thoughts of our first five contributors. Their full blog posts, and those of the remaining eight contributors, will appear throughout the month of January.

Continue reading " #PRin2013: Top Trends to Look for in Public Relations During 2013 "

The advertising industry is facing pressure to keep up with the increasing presence of mobile, technology’s new ability to censor consumer ads based on their likes and dislikes, and the lack of targeted, more personalized ads that resonate stronger with brand advocates. All of these factors combined with companies having significantly smaller ad budgets are forcing the ad industry to make a change, and make it fast.

In this week’s PRSA “Friday Five” post — an analysis of the week’s biggest public relations and business news and commentary — we explore how traditional advertising channels are being put to the test as they compete with mobile and online advertising. We also take a closer look at disruptions to mobile and online advertising. Finally, we get a peak at how some brands find new advertising opportunities in television advertising while others miss the mark despite their brilliant products. 

Continue reading " Friday Five: New Technology Pressures Ad Industry to Get Personal "

Practitioners at public relations agencies certainly have their hands full, from the number of clients they represent, to competing for the limited space within social and traditional media. The obligation of keeping clients happy and the pressure to perform in a constantly evolving industry means public relations professionals are always alert and ready for the next challenge, new technology and latest trend that will launch their careers to the next level. With limited time and an abundance of responsibilities, how should public relations professionals balance work responsibilities and the desire for continuing education to learn the latest and greatest public relations tool?

In this week’s PRSA “Friday Five” post — an analysis of the week’s biggest public relations and business news and commentary — we look at new products on the market designed to make agency life less cumbersome and what tools public relations professionals need to succeed in this industry. We also look at some of the touch decisions agencies have to make when it comes to social media, new business, and competing strategically within social networks.

Continue reading " Friday Five: Message to PR Pros – Accept Change and New Technology! "