MANILA – December 11, 2013 – The old days of public relations and communications are far behind, and in the rapidly evolving space, agencies should consider the factors that are driving change.
These are globalization; social engagement; the rise of reputation; strategic integration across PESO; data, analytics & insight; and innovation.
According to Beth Boswell, senior vice president and senior partner, managing director for Southeast Asia of FleishmanHillard, the company is addressing these six key drivers, in their effort to become the world’s most complete communications firm.
At a media roundtable on November 29, Boswell discussed these six trends in public relations, as well as how agencies seek to take on a more central brand-building role and create the ‘agency of the future’:
Globalization
15 years ago, a story that came out in the Philippines would not necessarily be seen anywhere else in the world. With social media, a story can show up all over. "It’s not only companies that are going global, but the mediums that we use," said Boswell, noting that this means agencies must be aware that what comes out in one place, comes out elsewhere.
"Before you had a command and control center… we’re recognizing more now that you may have a central strategy and you may push content out to countries but you have to have the ability to adapt it locally," said Boswell.
Social engagement
Social media, too, is evolving, Boswell said, comparing the present situation to the early days of the internet, when a website featuring a single red dot was already amazing. Companies today are realizing there’s more to social media than simply being there, she said.
"We think it’s going to move more and more toward social business. As you see that happening, you see more integration, and convergence on the agency side, you see the same on the customer, client side. I think they’ve all worked in silos, too, so bringing them together is challenging," she said.
The rise of reputation
While brand is what you say about your product or company, reputation is what everyone else says about it, Boswell explained. "We see the rise of reputation now coming up in that branding mix. that’s why people are managing their communities," she said.
Strategic integration across PESO media formats (Paid, Earned, Shared, Owned)
With the convergence of communications disciples, agencies are now getting into the shared area. "We used to be only in the earned area, where we would talk to some people and do earned – we would do an event," she said.
"We’re starting to see people who want more of an integrated solution and that’s what PESO is all about. We’re moving towards that," she added.
Data, analytics & insight
The challenge with big data, Boswell said, is taking the big and making it into a bite-sized piece that can be used for a campaign. Boswell shared that in Asia Pacific, it’s a bit harder to find someone who does research and analytics across all the markets. "But we’re trying to be much more data-driven about what we do," she said.
Innovation
Boswell stressed the importance of always looking at what comes next, as far as two or three years down the road. "When you are in a large agency and when you are in one that has a global network you are expected to be innovative and you should. That’s what you have to be," Boswell said.
