DigiKev: website design and digital spaces

DigiKev

Digital Web and PR, The Lines Blur

27 May 2008

The landscape has changed when it comes to both Web and Public Relations (PR) professionals. PR cannot exist without social media, social networking, social bookmarking, tagging, RSS, E-Zines, Blogging, Vlogging, Podcast’s, SEO and Micro Blogging. If you’re in PR and you are not familiar with these terms you are antiquated. It is as clear cut as that. Journalists that you rely upon to get your story out have all adapted to these formats commonly referred to as Web 2.0. Clients demand web presence and not just a presence but a lively existence Online. Non adoption of the techniques required to make the clients voice heard will result in lacklustre success. This is nothing short of new information, PR 2.0—the term coined by Brian Solis—has been around since the 90’s.

My own experience as a Web professional has matured over the years that I have been working Online. From a budding web designer building with table based layout to adoption of standards compliant style sheets and XHTML followed by a sensibility to accessible and usable graphical interfaces. The latest adoption over the last few years has of course been everything mentioned within Web 2.0. The lines blur further as Web professionals are required to know how to market clients Web sites with improved ferocity. I for one am reading up on PR 2.0 and increasing my knowledge and skill set. The PR 2.0 and Web 2.0 professional cross over will require both parties to work much closer together within an agency environment. This is already being witnessed with companies such as McCaan Erickson appointing London’s Bite PR digital services and campaign arm—Robin Wilson, who was also on Bite’s board of directors—to bulster their own direction towards PR 2.0. However early adoption doesn’t seem to of taken place in the UK like seen in the US. A heartfelt and entertaining rant by Will McInnes highlights the problems being seen throughout PR professionals in the UK. There are a handful of digital PR agencies that do get it and probably one of my favourite websites for getting the message across is Diffusion.

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3 comments

Daljit Tuesday 27 May 2008

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Hi Kev, we agree with you totally that digital disciplines whether web design or PR can no longer sit in their own comfortable silos. Agencies are having to become both more integrated and broader in terms of the services they offer.

The slight cloud on the horizon is agencies without real PR experience (traditional or online) claiming that they can do it as part of web build or ad campaign. Clients need to look at such claims seriously to see if they stack up and always remember they can build teams of digital specialists as an alternative model.

PS: Glad you like the website!

David North Tuesday 27 May 2008

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I don't just believe this relates to the disciplines you mention. Everything has a digital arm now - advertising, design, pr, promotions, media, marketing...I could go on.

Seeing Digital as separate and not part of the whole discipline is a massive mistake. At the end of the day it's natural selection - evolve or become extinct.

DigiKev Wednesday 28 May 2008

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@Daljit Hi, and thanks for dropping by. It is an extremely exciting time to be involved in Web 2.0, PR 2.0 and all the other 2.0's that are, and will be! Integration forges new alliances and learning experiences that outcomes in rich user experiences and forward thinking companies that are learning and evolving from user input.

The cloud that you mentioned is a very real problem as is in my profession; Individuals claiming they are Web designers when really they are nothing like. I believe that SME's are becoming savvier when it comes to Digital with the solutions that are available and can make an informed decision from speaking with agencies. Although, I am not able to say whether the same is true for PR 2.0 (I am sure you can answer better than I can on this Daljit), I would hope to see a similar shift if it is not already the case.

@Dave A massive mistake indeed, I couldn't agree with you more. Within this post I have narrowed the focus on PR and it's relation to Digital Web design and development. As Dave mentions Digital spreads across all the agency disciplines. It is not just the agency that needs to change though; it is far deeper than that. If you ever get the opportunity to read Seth Godin's Meatball Sundae, please do as his explanation of how an organisation must change is well formed. The core foundations that the organisation was founded on (the staple meatballs) must become a structure that is founded on new marketing, Digital and PR 2.0 (ice cream sundae) rather than just plonking the sundae on top of the meatballs. A foul combination as you can quite imagine.

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