Comments on: When Will the PR Industry Put Their Blogs Where Their Mouths Are?

By: Get Your Pens Ready for the Explosion in Online PR | The Copywriter’s Crucible

Wed, 14 Mar 2007 14:53:15 +0000

[...] a recent post I picked up a meme from Tom Chandler on the hesitancy of PR agencies to respond to the changes in their industry. The days of sending [...]

By: PR and Blogging in the Digital Age | The Copywriter’s Crucible

PR and Blogging in the Digital Age | The Copywriter’s Crucible — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 16:05:08 +0000

[...] Tom Chandler, in his Engagement Principles blog, tackled the subject of the hesitancy of PR agencies to utilise blogging. He referenced research, highlighted on the Deep Jive Interests blog, which showed that: [...]

By: Tom Chandler

Tom Chandler — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 19:25:29 +0000

Steve;

Thanks for commenting. I appreciate the glimpse into your policies.

It’s interesting that you now treat bloggers like traditional media. I’d suggest that places your firm in the 98th percentile.

One question: who’s generating content for your client blogs? In-house? Client generated? Or freelance talent?

By: Steve Hultgren

Steve Hultgren — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 18:24:38 +0000

We (Pierce Mattie Public Relations) have been blogging since 2002- it’s definitely been “uncharted territory” but we’re comfortable with calculated risk and have seen the payoff for ourselves and our clients. We take blogging quite seriously, participate in the blogging community and it’s members. In 2006 we started to treat every blogger like a producer, editor or reporter.

Not all flacks are full of hot air. Thanks for the post, I wish our competition would read it and start blogging programs for themselves. Competition always breeds innovation, excellence and higher standards.

By: Tom Chandler

Tom Chandler — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 16:25:15 +0000

I’d agree, and got a little further. Companies without some kind active online presence (blogs are simply one example) have lost control of their brand in the online world.

That can’t be good from a purely damage control front.

But the non-players are also missing the opportunity to engage with customers and prospects, which will affect future profitability.

I still harbor a suspicion that difficulties generating worthwhile content (or at least the fear of that) is hamstringing many PR firms. Typically, they aren’t happy about handing clients over to any outside vendor (e.g. a ghostwriter).

This should prove interesting. Nature hates a vacuum, so if the PR agencies dither long enough, someone else will swoop in…

By: Matt Ambrose

Matt Ambrose — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 15:02:01 +0000

These PR agencies need to understand that burying their heads in the sand is not going to work. They should treat blogging as an opportunity to be able to respond to criticism, rather than allow it to flow unchallenged throughout the web.

By: Jim Turner

Jim Turner — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 04:02:10 +0000

I’m not waiting around for them to adopt a plan.